From: Hans Vlems [hvlems@iae.nl] Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2002 3:02 PM To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.Com Subject: Re: What VMS version runs on a Digital Server 3000 Jeff, thank you for your help. But (as so often) answers generate new questions: > The DS 3300 is a "white box" AlphaServer 800 hobbled to run NT only. > > To run VMS on it do the following; > > 1) Change the machine to use the SRM console. That was done, the system now boots into SRM and ends on the familiear >>> prompt. > > 2) Do a >>> show conf command to see the machine's firmware > versions. Go to > It runs 5.4, the latest version is 5.6. > http://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Alpha/firmware/ > > If the machine is not at the latest firmware version download > a copy and update it. > > 3) Then at the >>> prompt, type the following: > > >>> set os_type vms > >>> cat nvram (to see what, if anything, is in it) > >>> edit nvram > 10 set srm_boot on > 20 e > >>> init I did not check the contents of nvram, but the system can boot into SYSBOOT but fails later on in the boot process with the error message: "Unable to load SYS$CPU_ROUTINES_E505.EXE" > > 4) Install VMS and have fun! > > Change the line numbers, 10 and 20 above, if your nvram file > happens to have other commands in it already. > > The edit command above runs a simple line numbered editor. > Type a ? in it to see a list of it's commands: > > >>> edit nvram > ? > > Jeff Campbell > n8wxs@arrl.net > > Hans Vlems wrote: > > > > The label on the back shows the following information: > > > > Model: FR-K7F2W-WA > > PN: 3300 6400A > > Series: P8800 > > > > The system is a white PC style box. It is _not_ a DEC 3000 machine > > (the ones that look remotely like a VAX 3100). Could it be a Jensen? > > The ARC console identification is: > > > > Digital Server 3000 model 3300 6400A > > Digital Alpha 21164 > > > > The machine used to boot NT4, but its ARC console supports also VMS and OSF > > modes. All I want is to be able to run AXP/VMS on it. > > The error message reported was the result of >>> B -fl 0,0 dka500 > > where dka500 is the CD drive. It does boot into SYSBOOT>, no problem with > > that. > > The fact that the system supports both ARC and VMS/OSF console modes > > made me think that VMS might run on the system. > > > > Hans > > > > rdeininger@mindspring.com (Robert Deininger) wrote: > > >In article <3c840244.1214705283@news.wcc.govt.nz>, rob.buxton@wcc.govt.nz > > wrote: > > > > > >>Not sure if it's the same, we got a couple of DEC 3000s here > > >>2 DEC 3000 600M and a DEC 3000 300L > > >>The latter is running 7.3 > > >>The 600Ms are running 7.2-1 > > >> > > >>Palcode Version on the 300L is 5.54 and on the 600Ms is 5.56 > > >> > > >>Maybe a Firmware thing? > > > > > >The above are conventional DEC 3000 server or workstation systems. VMS > > >has supported them since the flood. There haven't been major changes to > > >the firmware for years. These systems will load either > > >SYS$CPU_ROUTINES_0702.EXE (any of the 3000-300 family) or > > >SYS$CPU_ROUTINES_0402.EXE (any of the others). > > > > > > > > >>On Mon, 04 Mar 2002 15:49:21 GMT, "Hans Vlems" > > >>wrote: > > >> > > >>> > > >>>I found an old Dig. Server 3000 and tried to boot VMS 7.3 on it. > > >>>It failed with the error message: > > >>>Unable to load SYS$CPU_ROUTINES_E505.EXE > > >>>The VMS PALcode version is V1.20-3 > > >>>The >>>show version command returns V5.4-113 > > > > > >This is something completely different. I don't recognize the name > > >"Digital Server 3000" as being a VMS-capable system. (Which does not mean > > >there is no such beast.) Certainly, if it is looking for > > >SYS$CPU_ROUTINES_E505.EXE, it is NOT a Pelican, Flamingo, or Sandpiper > > >class DEC 3000 system. No relation at all. > > > > > >(This web page > > > http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~prescott/linux/alpha/dec3000-sysinfo.html > > >summarizes the DEC 3000 family pretty nicely, including the formerly > > >top-secret system code names.) > > > > > >On my systems, there's no SYS$CPU_ROUTINES_E505.EXE in the [SYS$LDR] > > >directory, which is the root problem. The console sets up the data > > >structures that lets VMS figure this out. There's no intelligence in VMS > > >in this area. > > > > > >Please be VERY careful with system names. If you can find the label, post > > >exactly what the model name is. Since you seem to have console access, > > >tell us the exact system name from the console. > > > > > >This _may_ be one of the crippled systems that was tweeked to make VMS > > >unbootable. The "E505" part of the file name looks suspicious, since I > > >don't think the most significant bit of that hex number is ever set on > > >"official" VMS-supported systems. But my memory may be faultly. Some of > > >these systems shipped with VMS PALcode, but VMS does not support them. > > > > > >>>Is there any hope to boot, say, VMS 6.2 on it? > > > > > >If it's similar enough to a supported system, it could likely be made to > > >work. Licensing might be a problem. > > > > > >If you find the detailed system specs, and have access to a source > > >listings kit, and can write your own platform support and maybe some boot > > >drivers, then I'm certain you could boot VMS on it. But this paragraph > > >likely needs multiple smileys. You're looking for hobbyist, not > > >obsession, right? > > > > > > -- Robert > > > > http://www.zfree.co.nz