> 
> >        (1) set up the serial port to actually work.  a standard
> >            null-modem cable should do the trick, if you're connecting
> >            to another computer.  (the two serial ports on the back of
> >            AlphaStations are the same as those on a PC...  I've never
> >            seen and AXPpci.  If you're having problems, one of those
> >            little boxes with an LED that tells you the state of each
> >            rs232 line could be invaluable.
> 
> Am connecting to a SPARC.  Bought new cables and null modem.  Tried with and
> without the null modem.  Didn't work.  Will search the lab for one of thos
> little boxes.

The little box will only help with the self test. Since you say (in the
other message) that the board read the floppy (I assume the disk light came
on - and wasn't permanently on 8-), then the self test was OK and all that the
LED box will tell you is how much memory the board thinks it has.

> >is the DE-205 ethernet the PCI board?  or is it an ISA, LANCE-based
> >board?  (i dunno the name of the 21030-based PCI board...  8-)
> >(If it's the ISA LANCE board, NetBSD/Alpha won't support it, i don't
> >think...  never tried to make it work.)
> 
> ISA board.

FWIW I'm using a DE-435 which is PCI. But that shouldn't matter.

I booted my board from floppy with no disks, no keyboard, no mouse, no
graphics, no ethernet. I just grabbed a FDD and cable from a PC, plugged
it in, set the boot jumper, connected a NULL modem cable to COM1, hit
the power switch and waited. It took a while to come up - it feels like
it takes 20 sec longer than our other Alphas before it does anything with
the serial port. How long have you waited?

> 
> Thanks for the ideas.
> /tdm
> 

Regards,

-- 
John Birrell                                CIMlogic Pty Ltd
jb@cimlogic.com.au                          119 Cecil Street
Ph  +61  3 9690 9600                        South Melbourne Vic 3205
Fax +61  3 9690 6650                        Australia
Mob +61 18  353  137