On Sat, 10 Jan 1998, David Brownlee wrote:

> 	Are you using a serial console to talk to the machine?
> 
> 	As far as I know netbsd does not (yet) support the graphics
> 	console on vaxstations...

In checking recent messages on the list Arno Griffioen already suggested
this on Monday, but perhaps the message got lost in SMTP space on your
end.  Ack, the horror. :-)  I'd thought you were running a serial console,
but upon further consideration I think Dave's dead right in asking that
question again. 

The weirdness you're experiencing is the classic behavior of booting
NetBSD without using the serial console to track the booting process.
Once the NetBSD kernel gets running on the VAXstations and MicroVAXen, it
stops talking to the graphic console.  If you are in fact using the
graphic console then it's quite likely your system is booting up just
fine.  You just can't see it because NetBSD stopped talking to your
console.

On the VAXstation 3100's you need to connect a terminal or a PC with
modem software to the VAXstation printer port.  Next to the VS3100 serial
ports there's a hole with an inset DIP switch that needs to be set in the
up position.  This enables the printer port as the serial console.  I
recall someone also mentioning that on some of VS3100's made the switch
was only accessible from inside the case. As for the tricks you need to
enable the serial console on a MicroVAX 3100, I'm not sure of them.
But then this mailing list this would be a good place to ask.

If you are in fact running on a serial console, then the problems lie
elsewhere.  Hopefully it is just a console problem as that's truly an
easy glitch to fix.

-brian.
---
Brian "JARAI" Chase | http://world.std.com/~bdc/ | VAXZilla LIVES!!!