> On Thu, 28 Oct 1999, NetBSD Bob wrote:
> 
> > I am having trouble getting past the NetBSD/vaxboot stage of tape 
> > installation on a MicroVAX 3100/20.  The machine is running Ultrix fine.
> > [snip]
> 
> Well, the NetBSD 1.4.1 really isn't setup for a SCSI based tape install.

Well, it boots into the vaxboot, OK, on the TK50 I have, so that is at
least a start....(:+}}...

Is there some combination of any of the earlier relases or bits from
here and there that will allow booting and installing from a TK50?
I am willing to try to roll a few shots in the dark, if I can do
it from Ultrix.

> We only just recently got DMA support in the 1.4L kernel, and that's not
> the kernel contained in the 1.4.1 install media.  A couple of people here
> have tried to do SCSI tape installs with the 1.4.1 stuff, but I've not
> heard of anyone having success.  I certainly haven't had any luck with my
> 4mm DAT drive.  I haven't poked around with SCSI tape support on the 1.4L
> kernel just yet, but I'd imagine it has a better chance of working now
> than ever before.
> 
> The only tape devices I know of which work for the install are the TMSCP
> capable ones commonly found in the older Q-bus and Unibus systems.

Pardon me VAX ignorance.... what is the TK50Z that I have, relative to
TMSCP?  I was thinking that was one of the few scsi tapes that was
supported, although when I last tried tapebooting a VAX, it was on a
3500 with a TK70, if memory serves me correctly (about 6 months back).
One of these days, I will get the hang of the hardware VAXspeak....(:+}}...

>  Your
> options with 1.4.1 under the MicroVAX 3100/20 will be either to netboot to
> the netbsd.ram kernel, or you can `dd' the install image to the raw device
> for a SCSI disk on some other system and then boot from that disk on your
> MicroVAX.  I've done this using a Zip drive on some of my VAXstation
> 3100s.  A SCSI based floppy, or Jaz, or even hard drive could be used just
> as easily.

Well, for the sake of discussion, since the beast has 5 hard drives up
under Ultrix, what would it take to build it up from Ultrix?  I could
dd boot.fs to the c partition on one of the 5 drives that I could unmount
from Ultrix, then boot that.  Would that require 2 drives, one to dd to and
boot from, and a second to install onto, or can that be done from one drive?
Is everything there in the boot.fs to complete the install?

Can the actual file systems be built on Ultrix, populated, and then
worked up that way?  That would require an Ultrix gzip and gtar, but
the gzip is there, somewhere, and gtar should not be too hard to build.

Once installed, to get the 1.4L dma scsi working, is that just a cp
of boot and the kernel to root, and the disklabel that was mentioned
earlier on the list, with reboot?

I know, I am a stickler about tape, but that or a floppy is the lowest
endian denominator for booting a remote machine not on the net.  Maybe
if I can cobble together a cable, I could use the floppy tray out of
my VS3100 (missing cables and ram, unfortunately, or I would start with
it first) outboard on the MicroVAX 3100/20.  (Out of curiosity, anyone
have a spare scsi cable and ram board for a VS3100, sitting idle?  But,
the MicroVAX is much nicer with 5 drive bays, if I can get it up.)

Thanks

Bob