3 Jan
1999
3 Jan
'99
4:19 p.m.
having trouble getting the old DN3500 to boot, with the original hard drive
and the system in service mode I can get it to go a little ways, but when I
try to launch the config and testing programs, it crashes. Nothing on the
screen, but the C & D lights are flashing. Can't seem to find anything on
the web that will tell me what that means. And when I plug in the 780MB
drive, it works fine but the OS isn't installed so all I get is a no
sysboot error. Although I'm told that one of the two 780MB drives has the
Domain/OS install stuff on it, I'm just not sure how to get to it.
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--------------------------------------------------------------
3 Jan
3 Jan
5:09 p.m.
On Sun, 3 Jan 1999, John Rollins wrote:
having trouble getting the old DN3500 to boot, with
the original hard drive
and the system in service mode I can get it to go a little ways, but when I
try to launch the config and testing programs, it crashes.
Are you sure it crashes? these utilities take a while to load and run,
even on a DN5500.
When you boot in service mode, you get the "phase one shell" which is
really just a simple ROM monitor. The machine will load and run its
self-tests, and then return the phase one shell prompt. Typing "H" will
get you a list of the commands you can use at this point.
Here's what I would do:
EX DEX
(this runs the calendar utility)
RE
(do this twice; you'll have to hit enter a couple times after each
before it'll let you type anything else)
EX SALVOL
(this runs the disk check utility)
RE
(again, do it twice)
EX CONFIG
(hardware configuration utility; tell it about your machine)
RE
(twice)
EX DOMAIN_OS
(this will start the Apollo Phase_II shell, assuming DOMAIN/OS SR10.x
is installed)
if the phase 2 shell loads ok, type "go" to finish booting the OS. If the
OS won't boot from the phase 2 shell, reset the machine, EX SALVOL, REset
twice, and then EX DOMAIN_OS again. You can do a number of things from the
phase 2 shell; "help" will get you a list of commands.
That should at least get you started.
Nothing on the screen, but the C & D lights are
flashing.
A (green) power
B (amber) heartbeat, or "OS Running"
C (amber) disk activity
D (amber) network traffic (incoming)
E (amber) network traffic (outgoing)
If the machine isn't hooked up to a network, the network traffic
indicators seem to behave non-deterministically.
the web that will tell me what that means. And when I
plug in the 780MB
drive, it works fine but the OS isn't installed so all I get is a no
sysboot error. Although I'm told that one of the two 780MB drives has the
Domain/OS install stuff on it, I'm just not sure how to get to it.
The 780 MB disk is not supported on all controllers. I know the SMS OMTI
8610 model will not, the other SMS model (8621) MIGHT, and the WD7000 will
for sure.
Disks formatted for use in the DN5500 are not useable on other machines
without reformatting, either (the same thing holds in reverse), so if your
780 MB disks were used on a DN5500, neither will be accessible on anything
other than another DN5500.
--
ok
r. r e d @ b e a r s . o r g
===========================
[ urs longa | vita brevis ]
5:32 p.m.
Are you sure it crashes? these utilities take a while
to load and run,
even on a DN5500.
Doh!! It's been a LLOONNGGG time since I had this Apollo out
and running,
and of course I had forgotten how these things work... Of course, the "ex"
command is part of what I forgot... And to make things a bit more
interesting, I also forgot the root password. But luckily my memory came
back quickly, I'd hate to think how long it would take to get it back up
running if I forgot the password...
When you boot in service mode, you get the "phase
one shell" which is
really just a simple ROM monitor. The machine will load and run its
self-tests, and then return the phase one shell prompt. Typing "H" will
get you a list of the commands you can use at this point.
My favorite part...
It's the only one that has every worked very well for
me. BTW, when in service mode don't forget to hit the return key to tell it
that you're there...
if the phase 2 shell loads ok, type "go" to
finish booting the OS. If the
OS won't boot from the phase 2 shell, reset the machine, EX SALVOL, REset
twice, and then EX DOMAIN_OS again. You can do a number of things from the
phase 2 shell; "help" will get you a list of commands.
actually you should
type "init", at least on my system.
If the machine isn't hooked up to a network, the
network traffic
indicators seem to behave non-deterministically.
I've noticed that. Also a lot
of errors if you run DEX and it's not hooked up.
Disks formatted for use in the DN5500 are not useable
on other machines
without reformatting, either (the same thing holds in reverse), so if your
780 MB disks were used on a DN5500, neither will be accessible on anything
other than another DN5500.
Ouch!! That wasn't very nice... But I don't think
it's from a 5500. Maybe a
4000 or a 3000, but not a 5500. The machine seems to recognize it just
fine, but won't do anything because it doesn't have the SAU7 stuff loaded.
So now my DN3500 is loaded down and ready to pop circuit breakers(as if
that huge monitor couldn't do it alone). It's got 32MB RAM, a WD-7000 disk
controller(got two more of those and lots of OMNI's), an ugly little DR
network card(maybe I'll put ethernet in) and the PC card. No floppy drive
or tape drive, gotta work on that later. But first I need to figure out how
to hook up and access two drives atthe same time! Can't boot from a disk
with no OS, but can't plug in two drives at the same time with the cables I
have...
So next I'm going to try to stuff one of those 3000 motherboards(or was it
from a 3010?) into the old 3500 case and see if I
can't get it running.
Unfortunately, I only have one keyboard and one monitor.
But I DO have TWO
mice. The new one has three buttons that are kinda slanted, and on the
bottom it says it was made in Switzerland. And it's backwards! Roll it
down, the cursor moves up... Might be good for an upside-down trackball
though ;-)
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| ham-mac(a)qth.net Portland, OR |
--------------------------------------------------------------
6:08 p.m.
On Sun, 3 Jan 1999, John Rollins wrote:
interesting, I also forgot the root password. But
luckily my memory came
back quickly, I'd hate to think how long it would take to get it back up
running if I forgot the password...
If you forget the password, you're pretty much just hosed and need to do a
complete re-install. This isn't always the case; sometimes there are
things you can do. But DOMAIN/OS isn't UNIX! A lot of things like
single-user booting that you start to take for granted don't work the same
way on an Apollo.
actually you should type "init", at least on
my system.
'init' to load the OS? 'go' is likely a synonym. It's been a while
since
I've been at the phase 2 shell, though, so you could be right. I know 'go'
works, though. (:
Ouch!! That wasn't very nice... But I don't
think it's from a 5500. Maybe a
4000 or a 3000, but not a 5500. The machine seems to recognize it just
I'm almost positive the WD7000 won't work in the DN3000, and thus is
unable to use the 780MB disk. It'll work in a DN4000, though. All the
machines that support the WD7000 and are not the DN5500 are SAU7 machines.
The DN5500 is SAU14.
fine, but won't do anything because it doesn't
have the SAU7 stuff loaded.
Not only that, but the DN5500 uses a different block size for its disk
format than all the rest (4K vs 1K), which is why it's incompatible even
beyond the SAU issues.
So now my DN3500 is loaded down and ready to pop
circuit breakers(as if
that huge monitor couldn't do it alone).
Nah. It only looks power hungry. The big 19" monitor is rated 2A. Wimpy!
<g>
controller(got two more of those and lots of
OMNI's), an ugly little DR
network card(maybe I'll put ethernet in) and the PC card. No floppy drive
If you do, I could use one of the single slot ATR cards and some cabling
so I can make my DN5500 into a router...
or tape drive, gotta work on that later. But first I
need to figure out how
to hook up and access two drives atthe same time! Can't boot from a disk
with no OS, but can't plug in two drives at the same time with the cables I
have...
You may be able to do this with just a network connection; check
comp.sys.apollo in DejaNews; you also may not be able to actually install
from the other drive depending on what files are on it
and how they're set
up. Good luck!
So next I'm going to try to stuff one of those
3000 motherboards(or was it
from a 3010?) into the old 3500 case and see if I can't get it running.
Um.. that may not actually work. The 3000 and 3500 cases are different;
mostly in the power supply area.
Unfortunately, I only have one keyboard and one
monitor. But I DO have TWO
mice. The new one has three buttons that are kinda slanted, and on the
bottom it says it was made in Switzerland. And it's backwards! Roll it
down, the cursor moves up... Might be good for an upside-down trackball
though ;-)
The mice are just Logitech three button mice. Pretty sure they're simply
serially interfaced, too. Nothing obviously special about them at all.
--
ok
r. r e d @ b e a r s . o r g
===========================
[ urs longa | vita brevis ]
4 Jan
4 Jan
10:02 a.m.
I'm almost positive the WD7000 won't work in
the DN3000, and thus is
unable to use the 780MB disk. It'll work in a DN4000, though. All the
machines that support the WD7000 and are not the DN5500 are SAU7 machines.
The DN5500 is SAU14.
Hmm. Well, it's actually a 3010. Put an OMTI controller
in(forget which
one), and plugged it into a 155MB drive. It recognizes it, but no OS so
nothing happens except for sysboot and sys_test missing errors. But
otherwise it seems OK. Put together most of a 4000 system, just needs the
68020 CPU chip and I think it needs either an FPU(which is optional
anyways) and a PMU(don't remember how many sockets are in there). I might
try using the slower chips from the extra 3010 board, but I'd rather find
the 25MHz chips first. I'm not sure what to do with the extra 3500 or 4000
boards. Guess I'll box 'em up for a while until I get the stuff they need.
Nah. It only looks power hungry. The big 19"
monitor is rated 2A. Wimpy!
Actually I have a fuzzy-pictured 15"(awful big for
a 15" monitor), and it's
rated at 1.9A/200W at 120V.
If you do, I could use one of the single slot ATR cards
and some cabling
so I can make my DN5500 into a router...
Email me privately and we can arrange
something for that... I don't have
any cabling and most of the DR cards are somewhat modified, ranging from
some small jumper wires to one of the ASICs being ZIF socketed.
Um.. that may not actually work. The 3000 and 3500
cases are different;
mostly in the power supply area.
Actually the 3010 and 3500 use the same power
supply. The 3500 has a rather
large straight connector, and the 4000 uses more of a Molex style
connector. One of the web sites listed in the FAQ mentions it, part numbers
for the 3000 and 3500 PS's are the same, although you need to remove the
extension on the RAM mounting plate to fit the 3000 memory modules into a
previous 3500 case. Otherwise it fits perfectly. I just wish they didn't
weigh so much... I'm suprised the table next to me hasn't collapsed! It's
got three CPU's and the 15" monitor on it.
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