Subject: serial console on 425e?
To: None <port-hp300@netbsd.org>
From: Alfred Arnold <alfred@ccac.rwth-aachen.de>
List: port-hp300
Date: 11/16/1998 10:09:20
Hi ,

I've been on this list in lurk-mode for a couple of weeks now, mainly
because the HP9000's I have are not capable of running NetBSD (one is a
68010-based 217, the other one is a 300 without Ethernet or SCSI....).
I now had the chance to get a 425e, and given the statement on the Web
page that it was supported, I bought it (wasn't too expensive though).
It is a 425e with 16MB RAM, monochrome monitor, 425MB SCSI disk, MO drive
and 32-track QIC tape drive.  It was running Domain/OS, but switching to
HPUX mode was not the problem.  They started when I wanted to boot NetBSD
for installation.  I wanted to boot it via rbootd/rarpd/bootp/ from a
DECstation running NetBSD I already have.  The screen however goes blank
as soon as SYS_UBOOT is loaded and runs.  I can see from a tcpdump log
that the rarp request is done and the bootloader correctly proceeds to
issuing a bootp request.  Installing without a console however looks a bit
difficult...  I tried to attach a terminal to the serial ports, but there
is no output from the bootloader.  I also cannot find a menu point in the
boot rom's menu to switch to a serial console.  The card itself is
identified by the boot ROM as a EVRX card (whatever that may mean...).
Is this card unsupported by NetBSD?  And if yes, how do I get a serial
console?

Please tell me I didn't acquire just another HP that's only good as a
doorstopper :-(

Alfred Arnold
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred Arnold                         E-Mail: alfred@ccac.rwth-aachen.de
Computer Club at the                  Phone: +49-241-406526
Technical University of Aachen        Fax:   +49-241-406527
topics: Turbo-Pascal, UNIX/NetBSD, Switch-Mode Power Supplies

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