Subject: Re: 5000/25, Netboot
To: Toru Nishimura <nisimura@itc.aist-nara.ac.jp>
From: Jonathan Stone <jonathan@DSG.Stanford.EDU>
List: port-pmax
Date: 07/07/1997 20:20:58
On Tue, 08 Jul 1997 10:42:41 +0900,
  Toru Nishimura <nisimura@itc.aist-nara.ac.jp> writes:


 > Hi, Greg.  Here is my suggestion to boot up Your MAXINE.
 > 
 > >> 0: PMAG-JA  DEC        V5.3A     TFCO  (CX -- d=8,24)
 > >
 > > Yes, I know they are not supported by X11Rx.  Does this possibly mean
 > > that they don't work as a console either under NetBSD?  Can I remove the
 > > card possibly?
 > 
 > Your unit has unsupported optional TC video card on TC slot 0.
 > Because it's unlikely for us to have PMAG-JA support in near future,

It'll happen the next free weekend after someone sends me one.
Really. It's a relatively simple card so given a card to frob and find
the memory layout, a driver should be relatively simple.


 > you should give up to use it with your unit.  Pull it off.  I think
 > it's a safer way you go, I think.

Pulling the card is *required* on a 3KMIN (500/1xx), but should work
on a 5000/25. *The interrupt logic on the two systems is different.)

However, pulling the card will make *sure* the kernel and the PROM
cannot disagree about the active console and start using the PMAG-J.
In that  sense it's safer.

 > I learned MAXINE can not complete netboot procedure with video
 > console.  (Jonathan already has some guess of the cause).  So, you
 > have to use serial console hooked up MAXINE serial port for TFTPboot.


I'm rather overcommitted with other things.  I've only ever booted
NetBSD on 5000/25 once, on a borrowed machine, which is no longer
available. Asking for the root worked then; I don't know what broke in
the meantime.  If anyone wants to donate one, with the `desktop bus'
keyboard, it would make solving problems like this much easier.