Subject: Tantilizing glimses with Charon VAX
To: None <port-vax@netbsd.org>
From: Dan Shearer <dan@tellurian.com.au>
List: port-vax
Date: 01/08/2001 02:50:20
Short version: The only thing stopping me from getting further with
booting NetBSD/VAX under Charon VAX is that I don't know much about
booting NetBSD. Here's what I've done so far.

I downloaded the Hobbyist Intel Linux version of Charon-Lite from
www.charon-vax.com in Switzerland and installed it on Debian Intel Linux
(noting several messages in BSD archives saying that it almost but not
quite runs under Net/Free using Linux binary emulation.)

I downloaded 

ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/arch/vax/snapshot/20000517/installation/cdimage.iso

Then I modified the standard charon.ini to say:

set DUA file[1]="/usr/charon-vax/netbsdvax.iso"

Then I did "./charons." It seems to assume there is a "." in the
path. Yuk. The system monitor came up, and then a console in another
xterm. Actually, reading the scripts it isn't an xterm, just looks like
one. They've written their own terminal emulator.

---- console printout follows

KA630-A.V1.3

Performing normal system tests.

  7..6..5..4..3..

Tests completed.


>>> b

  2..1..0..


>> NetBSD/vax boot [May 23 2000 16:14:54] <<
>> Press any key to abort autoboot 4
Press '?' for help
> ?
Commands:
?       Show this help menu
help    Same as '?'
boot    Load and execute file
halt    Halts the system
> boot
nfs_open: must mount first.
Boot failed: No such file or directory
> 

This appears to be trying to boot over the network using MOP. It is many
years since I've seen anything like this but I'm pretty sure that's what
it is. So my question is why isn't this thing booting of the 40Mb of
software that's on that CD but instead going straight into a MOP boot? Or
is there some reason why an Intel PC-style CD ROM boot and install
procedure won't work?

I thought I'd boot from a floppy image, so I downloaded
ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/arch/vax/miniroot.fs, wondering why
miniroot.fs.gz was larger than miniroot.fs, dated within three seconds of
one another. However miniroot.fs appears to contain a VAX ELF kernel, so I
thought I'd give it a go...

>>> b dua2:

  2..1..0..


?06 HLT INST
    PC = 00100529
>>> 

So now since I've got a lot of real work to do today I'm downloading in
the background  ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/misc/iso/vaxcd.iso
which going by the date is a right up-to-date 1.5 cd and I'll try that
later.

Can someone suggest what to do next?

--
Dan Shearer
Open Source Manager
dan@tellurian.com.au