Booting an MVME147 with BlueSCSI

[Ben Kallus <benjamin.p.kallus.gr%dartmouth.edu@localhost>]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to boot NetBSD 11.0 RC4 on an MVME147SA-2 (and MVME712M
transition module) with a BlueSCSI emulating a tape drive.

I attempted to prep boot media like this:
1. Grabbed stboot, bootst, a ramdisk, and a miniroot from a mirror.
2. gunzipped the ramdisk and miniroot.
3. catted the files together (order was stboot, bootst, ramdisk, miniroot).
4. Stuck it on the BlueSCSI as TP5.
5. Padded each file to a multiple of 512 bytes.
6. catted the padded files together (same order).
7. Stuck it on the BlueSCSI as TP4.

When I try to boot, the ROM code can see the NBSD volume label, but
then it fails with packet status code 0028. This happens for both the
padded and unpadded images.

Here are the paths forward I can see to getting NetBSD on this thing:
1. Somehow obtain a premade bootable hard disk image (or tape image)
and boot that with the BlueSCSI. (Maybe run sysinst in QEMU?)
2. FIgure out why my homemade tape images fail to boot.
3. Netboot. (No RJ45 on the MVME712M, so this will require some kind
of adapter. Any suggestions on what to get?)

I would greatly appreciate advice on how to make progress in any of
these three directions (or other directions!).

Here's my serial console log from trying to boot:

> Copyright Motorola Inc. 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, All Rights Reserved
>
> MVME147 Monitor/Debugger Release 2.42 - 8/1/91
> CPU running at 32 MHz
>
> FPC  passed test
> MMU  passed test
>
> *** WARNING *** Unreliable R/W to NVRAM; now using defaults from ROM
>
> COLD Start
>
> Onboard  RAM start = $00000000,  stop = $007FFFFF
>
> 147-Bug>iot;t
>
> Scanning system for available disk/tape controllers........
>     Disk Controllers Available
>
>  LUN   Type    Address  # dev
>   0   VME147  $FFFE4000   1   SCSI Addr = 4 - BLUESCSITAPE            1.0
>   1   VME147  $FFFE4000   1   SCSI Addr = 5 - BLUESCSITAPE            1.0
>       VME147  $FFFE4000   *   SCSI Addr = 7
>
> Align LUNs to SCSI addresses [Y,N] N? y
>
>     Disk Controllers Available
>
>  LUN   Type    Address  # dev
>   0   VME147  $FFFE4000   1   SCSI Addr = 0
>   1   VME147  $FFFE4000   1   SCSI Addr = 1
>   2   VME147  $FFFE4000   1   SCSI Addr = 2
>   3   VME147  $FFFE4000   1   SCSI Addr = 3
>   4   VME147  $FFFE4000   1   SCSI Addr = 4 - BLUESCSITAPE            1.0
>   5   VME147  $FFFE4000   1   SCSI Addr = 5 - BLUESCSITAPE            1.0
>   6   VME147  $FFFE4000   1   SCSI Addr = 6
>       VME147  $FFFE4000   *   SCSI Addr = 7
>
> Save map in NVRAM [Y,N] N? y
>
> *** WARNING *** Unreliable R/W to non-volatile RAM (data may be corrupted)
>
> 147-Bug>bo 5,0
>
> RAM address from VMEbus = $00000000
>
> Booting from: VME147, Controller 5, Device 0
> Loading: Operating System
>
> Volume: NBSD
>
> Boot Error
> Packet Status: 0028
> 147-Bug>bo 4,0
>
> RAM address from VMEbus = $00000000
>
> Booting from: VME147, Controller 4, Device 0
> Loading: Operating System
>
> Volume: NBSD
>
> Boot Error
> Packet Status: 0028
> 147-Bug>

Thanks!
Ben