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So now I've got a VAX

If you could upload that somewhere (or directly to me, I could give you a ftp login) that would be immensely appreciated! As for the Pak, I could try to find one or generate one, but if you have one, even better. Thanks a lot!
 
Chuckster_in_Jax said:
Ultrix for VAX image now available for download.

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?17waqn7dsmhh7es
Click to expand...

I was able to boot that Ultrix_VAX_4.5.img on a SIMH KA655.

I haven't gone any further than this in the installation process or tried this on real hardware yet.

Code: 
>>>SHOW DEV
UQSSP Disk Controller 0 (772150)
-DUA0 (RA92)
-DUA1 (RRD40)

UQSSP Tape Controller 0 (774500)
-MUA0 (TK50)

Ethernet Adapter 0 (774440)
-XQA0 (08-00-2B-AA-BB-CC)
>>>BOOT DUA1
(BOOT/R5:0 DUA1

  2..
-DUA1
  1..0..

Ultrixboot - V4.5  Sun Sep 17 13:03:13 EDT 1995

Loading (a)vmunix ...

Sizes:
text = 945424
data = 1290240
bss  = 757940
Starting at 0x5219

ULTRIX V4.5 (Rev. 47) System #2: Wed Oct 18 12:06:55 EDT 1995
real mem  = 67043328
avail mem = 61517824
Buffer configuration adjusted to run with small system page table
using 123 buffers containing 1007616 bytes of memory
KA655 processor with an FPU
        CPU microcode rev = 6, processor firmware rev = 83
Q22 bus
uda0 at uba0
uq0 at uda0 csr 172150 vec 774, ipl 17
klesiu0 at uba0
uq16 at klesiu0 csr 174500 vec 770, ipl 17
ra1 at uq0 slave 1 (RRD40)
ra0 at uq0 slave 0 (RA92)
tms0 at uq16 slave 0 (TK50)
WARNING: clock gained 147 days -- CHECK AND RESET THE DATE!

*** STANDALONE ULTRIX ENVIRONMENT ***

If you select the BASIC Installation option from the list that follows,
the installation software creates file systems on default partitions on
your system disk and loads the mandatory ULTRIX software subsets.

If you require additional installation choices, select the ADVANCED
Installation option.

Select one of the following options:

        1) BASIC Installation
        2) ADVANCED Installation
        3) System management

Enter your choice: 1

*** SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION DEVICE SELECTION ***

The 'Guide to Installing ULTRIX' explains the following table
of software distribution devices and which installation media you should
load on it:

No valid device is found.
Contact a DIGITAL field service representative.

#
 
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I went to go try this on real hardware, only to find that I'm out of blank cd's. When I pick up some more, I'll try it and post the results.
 
I have been out of blank media for awhile. Went to TigerDirect (previously CompUsa) this weekend and got a stack of 100 blanks Verbatim CD's for $23.00. Same price for 100 Verbatim DVD's.
 
Now I have cd's. Burned the Ultrix image... and it won't boot. It boots just fine in simh but not at all on real hardware. Other cd's of the same brand and type that were burned with the same computer and settings do boot, just not Ultrix. Might I be missing something?
 
Sorry, your VAxstation 3100-76 is too new for ULTRIX - that's no joke!
An older VAXstation 3100, e.g. Model 30, would do, but unfotunately not your -76
ULTRIX development was stopped before Model 76 was put on the market.

Regards,

Ulli

P.S.
Maybe someone is willing to swap his -30 for your -76?
A 3100-76 is much faster and if you only want to run VMS it's more fun.
 
vaxorcist said:
... your VAxstation 3100-76 is too new for ULTRIX - that's no joke!
An older VAXstation 3100, e.g. Model 30, would do, but unfotunately not your -76
ULTRIX development was stopped before Model 76 was put on the market.
Click to expand...

Is that for certain?


Would that be "customary" behavior in the VAX/ULTRIX line? My experience with most other DEC stuff is "in-family" upward compatibility.


Is it possible to set SIMH to that exact CPU and verify this?


My VAX experience was with earlier machines, and not ULTRIX - except on an 11/780, so I am really asking for my own edification.
 
Wow that's actually unbelievable. There's no way I'm giving up my 76 though, I like it too much! :mrgreen: . Simh doesn't emulate my cpu unfortunately, otherwise I would have already tried. I think mine was made in 1990 though, and I thought Ultrix 4.5 was released in 1995. Could be wrong though.
 
TN-048 said:
Now I have cd's. Burned the Ultrix image... and it won't boot. It boots just fine in simh but not at all on real hardware. Other cd's of the same brand and type that were burned with the same computer and settings do boot, just not Ultrix. Might I be missing something?
Click to expand...

What error do you get when you attempt to boot ? Have you tried the image I sent you ?

Edit:

OK I burned the image I sent you and tried it on my VS3100. You need to rename it as something like ultrix.iso then burn it. I used imgburn. It boots but, seems to hang after complaining about my clock. I don't have a battery installed. Seems to be as far as I can get without a battery and valid time. I also only have 4mb in this which may be too little to boot.

Ultrixboot - V4.5 Sun Sep 17 13:03:13 EDT 1995

Loading (a)vmunix ...

Sizes:
text = 945424
data = 1290240
bss = 757940
Starting at 0x5219

ULTRIX V4.5 (Rev. 47) System #2: Wed Oct 18 12:06:55 EDT 1995
real mem = 4083712
avail mem = 365568
using 99 buffers containing 407552 bytes of memory
KA420 processor with an FPU
scsi0 at uba0 csr 0x200c0080 vec 0x1f8, ipl 0x14
scsi1 at uba0 csr 0x200c0180 vec 0x1fc, ipl 0x14
rz10 at scsi1 slave 2 (RZxx)
sm0 at uba0 csr 0x200f0000 vec 0x44, ipl 0x14
ss0 at uba0 csr 0x200a0000 vec 0xc0, ipl 0x14
WARNING: todr too small -- CHECK AND RESET THE DATE!
 
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Yes I used the image you sent me, and I use cdrecord on FreeBSD. Being a cli tool, it shouldn't matter what the file extension is. I could be wrong tho, I'll try again later. I never get an error message, it simply never begins to boot.
 
TN-048 said:
Yes I used the image you sent me, and I use cdrecord on FreeBSD. Being a cli tool, it shouldn't matter what the file extension is. I could be wrong tho, I'll try again later. I never get an error message, it simply never begins to boot.
Click to expand...

Did your CD drive work ok with VMS ? What's SHOW DEV show ? I tried this a couple of times and it always hangs at the same spot but, boots fine. I think this is a M38 but, not really sure. It is made up of random leftover vs3100 parts. I suspect any of them should at least try to boot. If you're getting nothing at all my bets are bum cd, incompatible cdrom drive, or termination issue. Termination problems are easy to spot on vs3100. SHOW DEV will show the device on multiple SCSI ID's a lot of the time. Try setting the cd to ID 4 too.
 
Selected Excerpts from the SPD for 4.5...

The ULTRIX Operating System, Version 4.5 is Digital Equipment Corporation’s native implementation of the UNIX® Operating System for all currently supported VAX, MicroVAX, VAXstation, VAXserver and Digital RISC DECsystem and DECstation systems...


Virtual Memory

The virtual memory subsystem is derived from 4.2BSD and has been enhanced with 4.3BSD performance enhancements and System VTM memory extensions. The virtual memory subsystem is derived from 4.2BSD and has been enhanced with 4.3BSD performance enhancements and System V memory extensions...

The ULTRIX Operating System can execute on valid VAX, MicroVAX or Digital RISC based systems and must include the following minimum system configuration...

• The minimum memory configuration is 6MB for VAX and 8MB for RISC.
• The minimum memory is 16MB for a VAX diskless server or 16MB for a RISC diskless server.
• One console terminal with ASCII capability.
Click to expand...
DECstation 3100 and 3100s are specifically listed. While VAXstation is named in the text, it is not specifically called out in the CPU list.
 
RSX11M+ said:
Is that for certain?


Would that be "customary" behavior in the VAX/ULTRIX line? My experience with most other DEC stuff is "in-family" upward compatibility.


Is it possible to set SIMH to that exact CPU and verify this?


My VAX experience was with earlier machines, and not ULTRIX - except on an 11/780, so I am really asking for my own edification.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's unfortunately for certain: The VAXstation 3100-76 and all VAXstation Models 4xxx are not supported.
ULTRIX was dropped in favour for OSF/1 (precursor to Digital UNIX) running on the DECstation RISC line of DEC computers.

I'm running several newer versions of ULTRIX on my VAXstation 3100-30 as well as on my MicroVAX II and my MicroVAX 3300, whereas old ULTRICES are run on the simh VAX-11/7xx computers.

There are no VAXstation 3100 models available with simh yet.

Sorry for the bad news :-(

Ulli
 
Did your CD drive work ok with VMS ?
Click to expand...
Yeah, it loads and installs VMS and NetBSD without problem. It's a RRD42 so I know the block size isn't an issue. `SHOW DEV` prints everything exactly as it should be, even reads the correct size of the disk.

The VAXstation 3100-76 and all VAXstation Models 4xxx are not supported.
Click to expand...
Well that's a darn shame. Oh well, NetBSD is doing just fine for me on my 1 gb drive, and I have VMS on my rz24 to play with. This just gives me another reason to keep looking for an older VAX! I really want something that I can run 4.3BSD on.
 
TN-048 said:
This just gives me another reason to keep looking for an older VAX! I really want something that I can run 4.3BSD on.
Click to expand...

What about a small VAX classic, the MicroVAX II?
With a little luck you can build one from parts.
A little problematic are the MFM drives you need: RD53s are normally defective, RD54 are very rare or expensive - but maybe a ST-225 (aka RD31) or ST-251 (aka RD32) is big enough for BSD.

Ulli
 
A MicroVAX II would be about perfect. It's small enough to not cause problems, old and new enough to run just about whatever I wanted, and has the capacity for a nice amount of storage. Only problem is finding one. Or good parts to build one. And money.
 
vaxorcist said:
Yes, that's unfortunately for certain: The VAXstation 3100-76 and all VAXstation Models 4xxx are not supported....
Click to expand...

Thank you for a most definitive answer.

This "inheritance" aspect of "Upward" compatibility was unique for the industry as DEC practiced it. While the PDP-10 enjoyed it a little, the PDP-11 really fulfilled the model over the longest period, 20 years - remarkable for the era. [Later surpassed i.e. - IBM PC] It both helped and hindered DEC. Customers flocked to an architecture that promised to remain stable enough to run their software, while getting faster all the time by purchasing the latest hardware. From this, DEC prospered. But it was a huge engineering and manufacturing constraint. It's demands on Software, were heaviest. Ultimately DEC had to find ways to shed, or at least mitigate, the load of this obligation. Previously - DEC simply split product lines into a new family. [DECsystem 10 to DECsystem20 for example] This was also the genesis for the VAX architecture to a great extent.

I was unaware that later VAX models were confused in this manner. I guess the world was changing so rapidly in those days, DEC was having difficulty adapting while maintaining it's competitiveness. Once they abandoned their traditional business model - "We would rather have 2% of IBM's than all the customers we now have" Olsen circa 86 - things got pretty wild.

Oops - TMI. [soap box discarded]

Thank you for the clarification, and for other's answers about SIMH.
 
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