Fwd: NetBSD in SIMH vax with 512 MB RAM

[VK2FVAX <vk2fvax%gmail.com@localhost>]

It's the KA655x ROM, before NetBSD is even IPL'd. Not sure the previous email got through. PSB

Regards,

Al Boyanich

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: VK2FVAX <vk2fvax%gmail.com@localhost>
Date: Tue, Mar 7, 2023 at 9:45 PM
Subject: Re: NetBSD in SIMH vax with 512 MB RAM
To: Jan-Benedict Glaw <jbglaw%lug-owl.de@localhost>
Cc: <port-vax%netbsd.org@localhost>

Hello Jan.

Mine is working at 256mb and failing at >257mb.  256mb lets me install and is happy. Memory detection is not working past 256mb. I am using the patched ROM.

$ md5sum ka655x.bin ka655x.bin_old
083ffdc5b57a9c230a2c6cca856607f8  ka655x.bin
ac2bd5976b9a7c188d394a6a036bcfcf  ka655x.bin_old

ka655x.bin_old (unpatched) only recognises 16/64/96/128/256mb and won't do >256mb.

sim> show ver

MicroVAX 3900 simulator V4.0-0 Current

[...]

        git commit id: 6fdc4474
        git commit time: 2020-07-24T19:12:15-07:00

256mb:

>>>show mem/full
Memory 0: 00000000 to 00FFFFFF, 16MB, 0 bad pages
Memory 1: 01000000 to 01FFFFFF, 16MB, 0 bad pages
Memory 2: 02000000 to 02FFFFFF, 16MB, 0 bad pages
Memory 3: 03000000 to 03FFFFFF, 16MB, 0 bad pages

Total of 256MB, 0 bad pages, 128 reserved pages

Memory Bitmap
-03FF0000 to 03FF3FFF, 32 pages

Console Scratch Area
-03FF4000 to 03FF7FFF, 32 pages

Qbus Map
-03FF8000 to 03FFFFFF, 64 pages

Scan of Bad Pages
>>>

257mb:

>>>show mem/full
Memory 0: 00000000 to 00FFFFFF, 16MB, 0 bad pages

Total of 16MB, 0 bad pages, 104 reserved pages

Memory Bitmap
-00FF3000 to 00FF3FFF, 8 pages

Console Scratch Area
-00FF4000 to 00FF7FFF, 32 pages

Qbus Map
-00FF8000 to 00FFFFFF, 64 pages

Scan of Bad Pages
>>>

Regards,

Al Boyanich

On Tue, Mar 7, 2023 at 7:46 AM Jan-Benedict Glaw <jbglaw%lug-owl.de@localhost> wrote:

Hi!

Current NetBSD doesn't boot in SIMH with 512 MB of RAM configured. I'm
quite convinced that this worked in the past. However, I don't have a
reference and picked a random commit: about 10 years ago when the SIMH
idle detection has been added.

  If anybody has a verified "it worked at this version" for me, I'd be
quite grateful. It's not too much fun cross-building a 10 y old code
base with a modern toolchain...

Thanks,
  Jan-Benedict

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