On 1/10/24 4:22 PM, Rob wrote:

For some reason the system is detected as a model 164SX, despite seeming
to have a 21164A (according to the stock firmware diagnostics on the
front panel of the system), a symbios SCSI chip

<snip>> From there, I'm able to bootstrap OpenVMS, Tru64 and Linux from
CD, but

 OpenVMS freezes on the copyright notice

I might've missed it but is that CD-ROM connected to the Symbios
controller? My memory is fuzzy but I think that might be the one where
the OpenVMS driver had a poison pill such that it would take itself
offline if the adapter was not DEC/Compaq-branded.

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On 1/10/2024 7:08 PM, Rob wrote:

On 2024-01-10 3:47 p.m., Craig A. Berry wrote:

On 1/10/24 4:22 PM, Rob wrote:

For some reason the system is detected as a model 164SX, despite seeming to >>> have a 21164A (according to the stock firmware diagnostics on the front panel
of the system), a symbios SCSI chip

<snip>> From there, I'm able to bootstrap OpenVMS, Tru64 and Linux from CD, but

OpenVMS freezes on the copyright notice

I might've missed it but is that CD-ROM connected to the Symbios
controller? My memory is fuzzy but I think that might be the one where
the OpenVMS driver had a poison pill such that it would take itself
offline if the adapter was not DEC/Compaq-branded.

I apologize for my previous reply, it was poorly formatted, not proofread and also, not sent to the group. I am still trying to figure this out. I hope this
one went to the right place. If I've doinked it *again*, I'm sorry, *again*, and
I'll be back in a bit after I've re-read some instructions.

I'll also admit I'm very excited to be here, I honestly didn't think this place
would still be active, and the google groups situation made me think Usenet was
burning down! I was obviously mistaken.

To answer the question, yes, the CDROM drive is attached to the Symbios 57c875.
Another of this board's quirks is the IDE connectors have been removed entirely.

I'm curious. Are you playing with that system because it's all you have? Or is
there something special about it. Old Alpha systems should not be too hard to find. I've got a bunch of AlphaStation 200 boxes laying around. Gonna go to the scrap yard sometime.

--
David Froble Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc. E-Mail: davef@tsoft-inc.com
DFE Ultralights, Inc.
170 Grimplin Road
Vanderbilt, PA 15486

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