Subject: VAX 4000 boot loader (worked!)
To: None <port-vax@netbsd.org>
From: Yubyub Bird <yubyub@mail.com>
List: port-vax
Date: 09/08/1999 21:05:18
Sorry for the mail from mail.com... I'm away from work/home.

I just got back from vacation to find a fantastic new loader which worked on
my 4000/200.  For kicks, I grabed the netbsd.generic.gz kernel from the
1.4.1 vax dist, and threw it in the exported root dir as netbsd.gz. 
192.168.34.1 (yubyub) is an alphastation 200 4/166 running NetBSD 1.3.3, and
192.168.34.20 (littlevax) is the VAX 4000/200.  Here's what I
got at the vax console:

----(snip)--------(snip)--------(snip)----
>>>sh v
KA660-A V4.9, VMB 2.12
>>>sh e
Ethernet Adapter
-EZA0 (08-00-2B-35-80-24)
>>>b eza0
(BOOT/R5:0 EZA0)

2..
-EZA0
1..0..

>> NetBSD/vax boot [Aug 29 1999 23:29:27] <<
>> Press any key to abort autoboot 0
> boot netbsd
Trying BOOTP
bootp: no reply
Trying BOOTPARAMS
boot: client IP address: 192.168.34.20
boot: client name: 192.168.34.20
root addr=192.168.34.1 path=/usr/export/littlevax/root
boot failed: No such file or directory
> boot netbsd.gz
stray interrupt: pc 30221c vector 0x4, ipl 31
stray interrupt: pc 30227c vector 0x1c, ipl 31
stray interrupt: pc 30227c vector 0x1c, ipl 31
stray interrupt: pc 30227c vector 0x1c, ipl 31
stray interrupt: pc 30227c vector 0x1c, ipl 31
stray interrupt: pc 30227c vector 0x1c, ipl 31

?02 EXT HLT
PC = 002F160E
>>>
----(snip)--------(snip)--------(snip)----

I found two problems with the boot sequence, both of which I was able to
workaround:

1)

rarpd on the boot server reported the ethernet address of my vax as
ef:ef:ef:ef:ef:ef.  A tcpdump session reveals this during the BOOTPARAMS
phase of the boot:

yubyub# tcpdump -e -x rarp
tcpdump: listening on de0
20:57:00.924804 192.168.34.20 Broadcast rarp 64: rarp who-is 192.168.34.20
tell 192.168.34.20
0001 0800 0604 0003 efef efef efef 0000
0000 efef efef efef 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000
20:57:00.927734 0:0:f8:23:28:29 192.168.34.20 rarp 42: rarp reply
192.168.34.20 at littlevax
0001 0800 0604 0004 0000 f823 2829 c0a8
2201 efef efef efef c0a8 2214

rarpd complained about it, so I just threw the "efefefefefef" mac into
/etc/ethers, muttered a bit, and presto!

2)

My second problem doesn't seem to have to do with the vax boot loader, but I
may as well mention it.

mopd seems to _always_ fail on the first boot attempt.  From a fresh boot,
or from a fresh invocation, the first boot request fails.  Subsequent boot
attempts are fine.  Again, the server's running under NetBSD-1.3.3-alpha.

So, fantastic!  I can at least start booting the beast!  Thanks!

-Jon

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