Why did you start from the Linux mopd?
The NetBSD mopd is a different thing than whatever you used under Linux.
I think you started from the totally wrong thing here.
Johnny
On 2020-10-27 04:07, Boris Gjenero wrote:
My last message was about problems trying to netboot a MicroVAX II.
One of the problems was the Linux port of mopd not understanding a.out
files and serving them improperly. Back then I did something quick and
dirty to get it to work. Afterwards I wanted to do something cleaner.
Here it is:
https://github.com/dreamlayers/netbsd-mopd
It is based on the Linux port which is already in NetBSD CVS, but
without ELF and a.out support. For ELF and a.out support, it is using
the same strategy, building on Linux with header files from NetBSD.
Though in this case it is based on current NetBSD code, and supports
ELF, 4k page size a.out and old 1k page size a.out. It also supports
a.out files with mid == 0, for Athena-4.3BSD, ULTRIX and possibly
other operating systems.
After I got that working I took a look at how to netboot ULTRIX using
this mopd. After a few additions, I've successfully netbooted ULTRIX
4.00 on KA630, KA650 and VAXstation 3100 m38. For more information on
that see:
https://github.com/dreamlayers/netbsd-mopd/tree/dreamlayers/ultrix
Yes, that includes the KA630 I was having problems with. One of the
problems was really silly: I had the back panel switch in the loopback
position, which connects the CPU's console serial output to input.
Though even with that fixed, the versions of NetBSD boot loader which
output to QDSS don't allow input, either from QDSS or serial. Maybe
the wrong firmware routine is being used for input?
Probably I now need to look at how to get some of this work included
in NetBSD. At least the fixes to what's already there seem like a good
idea. One issue is wrong pfInit() parameter, preventing mopd from
working in Linux at all:
https://github.com/dreamlayers/netbsd-mopd/commit/b94f02f307a3127c20581d8d40bce8ad0ba3b89e
Also, it seems like mopd was never updated to 4k page size, which is
however inconsequential with OMAGIC boot:
https://github.com/dreamlayers/netbsd-mopd/commit/7b0f60bf5454f2742890f9815ebe56f965f6fe25
One last thing. Be careful about the NiCD batteries in VAXen. So far 3
out of 4 were leaking. It's not obvious, because the battery is
covered by shrink wrap. The most obvious external sign is corrosion at
the battery connector, maybe because the leaking liquid wicks or gets
pushed along inside the insulation of the wires. After removing the
battery from the holder, more leakage is found on the sides, where
gaps in the shrink wrap were covered by the holder. My damage is
confined to minor corrosion of the battery connector pins, but others
have reported worse. If you need more motivation to take old batteries
out of your VAXen, read
https://sites.google.com/site/dalbydatormuseum/computers/digital-equipment-corporation/microvax2000