Subject: dec 3000 problem
To: None <port-alpha@netbsd.org>
From: Tobias Ernst <tobi@bland.fido.de>
List: port-alpha
Date: 07/03/1999 01:07:16
Hallo!

Today I tried to install NetBSD 1.4 on one of our DEC 3000 workstations. The
one I was trying has a SCSI floppy disk (!), so booting from floppies seemed
the natural version. The system read the NetBSD boot floppies flawlessly and
loaded the kernel without problems.

The kernel then started to probe the system, correctly deteced the available
memory etc, then probed devices similar to the following messages:

tc0 at tcasic0: 12.5 MHz clock
device PMACB-BA at tc0 slot 4 offset 0x2000000 not configured
ioasic0 at tc0 slot 3 ofset 0x0: slow mode
le0 at ioasic0 offset 0xc0000: addr <mac address>
le0: 32 receive, 8 transmit buffers
scc0 at ioasci0 offset 0x100000

At this point the boot process stopped with the cursor still being at the end
of the scc0 line. The cursor continued blinking, but nothing more happened, no
matter how long we waited.

I have two theories about the problem. The one is that this system has a
built-in ISDN adapter, which is a little bit flawy. The SRM sometimes complains
on bootup about not being able to initalize it.  We never cared, as we do not
have any telephone line nearby. Maybe the kernel tries to probe this ISDN
device and gets a hiccup here?

The other theory is based on my experiences with my private Multia and says
that I simply have to upgrade the SRM firmware. However I am a bit reluctant to
do this because if I do not get NetBSD to work, I must revert back to Dec Unix
4.0, and that one must still work if my attempts fail.

What would you suggest me to do? If it is the firmware, which one should I use,
and where can I get it? If it is the ISDN thing, how can I stop the kernel from
probing this particular deivce? Any other guesses?

Any help is deeply appreciated. :-)

Viele Gruesse,
Tobias