NetBSD on a VAX 3100 (DV-31AT1-A)

[systems_glitch]

I was able to MOP boot my VS3100 and 4000 with NetBSD-8.0 and do an
install. MOP boot host was a NetBSD install on x86 VM -- I usually use an
OpenBSD system for MOP booting, but apparently the MOP boot format has
changed slightly in recent releases (I forget which has changed their
format). I've heard from a few other hobbyists that they've also banged
their heads against that conflict! NetBSD was stable enough for me to get
an IRC client up and join #netbsd on FreeNode.

Thanks,
Jonathan

On Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 6:20 AM Holm Tiffe via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
wrote:

> Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote:
>
> > Hi All
> >
> > With the upcoming demise of VMS/VAX I thought I might give NetBSD/vax a
> try.
> >
> > Downloading a bootable image and burning it onto a CD was not a problem.
> >
> > On the 3100 with attached RRD42 and SCSI drive RZ26l the CD duly booted
> > ito the NetBSD install menu.
> >
> > All of versions 7,8 and 9. failed after partitioning at the point where
> > the system is copied to the hard disk.
> >
> > Has anybody successfuly installed NetBSD on a VAX.  If which version on
> > which VAX
> >
> > Rod Smallwood
> >
> >
> > --
> >
>
>
> I had several kinds of trouble installing NetBSD on Vaxstations in the
> past. If I remember correctly one of the reasons for an failing install
> was some trouble related to the cache and the SCSI Controller.
>
> There is a maling list to which you should subscribe and report the
> problem: port-vax at netbsd.org.
> I think personally that NetBSD-vax is in a not so good state...
>
> This is from 03/30/2013, there is (was?) a bunch of similar problems
> on VS3100/M76, or VS4000/90 too, stray interrupts, segfailts in the
> install script and so on.
> If the system is finally running, most of the problems are gone, but
> installing is a special thing it seems...
>
>
> >HI,
> >I've got some Vaxstations lately and today I've tried to install
> >NetBSD-6.1_RC2 on a VS3100M38 with 24Mbytes of RAM.
> >Disk is an IBM DCAS 34330, 4Gbyte.
> >
> >I can do what I want, the install.ram is crashing while labeling the
> >disk,
> >regardless if I have overwritten the disk with zeros before ot not.
> >
> >This is the last screen:
> >
> >     Status: Command ended on signal
> >    Command: disklabel -w -r -f /tmp/disktab sd0 'DCAS-34330     '
> >     Hit enter to continue
>
> >--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >uid 0, pid 7, command disklabel, on /: file system full
> >
> >/: write failed, file system is full
> >pid 7 (disklabel): user write of 9272 at 0x1a2000 at 67912 failed: 28
> >
> >-----------
> >
> >I had all kinds of similar errors in the tris before that, illegal
> >instrcutions and so on.
> >
> >The disk is ok, OpenBSD is running fine on that beast and I'm unable to
> >install more RAM as the two boards that are currently in that machine to
> >get more than 24MB.
> >
> >What is the right way to install NetBSD on such a M38?
> >
> >Kind Regards,
> >
> >Holm
> >
>
>
>
> --
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>