Subject: Re: install NetBSD on a VAXStation II/GPX
To: Fazekas Mihaly <michael@eik.bme.hu>
From: Michael Kukat <michael@camaronet.de>
List: port-vax
Date: 08/17/1999 12:23:17
Hi !

> KA630-A.V1.3
> 
> 
> Performing normal system tests.
> 
> 
>   7..6..5..4..3..
> 
> Tests completed.
> 
> 
> Loading system software.
> 
>   2..
> 
> ?54 RETRY..
> 
> ------------End---------------
> 
> And retry forever. :(

This looks like it tries to boot from the ethernet. So there maybe no system
installed on the hard disk. In this state, try pressing the "HALT" button on
the front of the machine (push it twice, it first is on, the off), and try
"boot dua0". If it boots, you have a system on it. If not, you just should put
NetBSD on it :-)
If you toggle the upper switch on the console patch panel (the one with the
circle and the dot), you can toggle autobooting and the possibility to send a
BREAK from your terminal program to halt the box.

> I want to install NetBSD to this computer, but this computer has only
> MFM controller and 1 network interface (ethernet).
> (not have a tape, or fdd. ONLY MFM controller, network controller, and
> 8 serial line, and 1 serial line on the CPU board)
>
> What can i do?
> How can i install NetBSD on this computer?

That's absolutely enough. Set up a Linux or NetBSD server to boot the machine
from, then, if the disk is big enough (RD54 recommended), put a label on it and
copy the filesystems to it. After installing the boot sector, a "boot dua0"
should work. A bit of hints how to install the netbooted environment is at the
NetBSD pages, and you can find my way to do it somewhere on 
http://www.vaxpower.de in the section "DEC VAX".

so long... Michael