Alphasever DS10 console2 failure

[Just]

Hello Everyone,

Have Alphaservers DS10 currently failing to boot, howerver when I try to use the serial2 port finding failure in seeing anything.

Thanks in advance

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2019-08-19 13:03:24 +0000, Just said:

> Have Alphaservers DS10 currently failing to boot, howerver when I try
> to use the serial2 port finding failure in seeing anything.

COM1 is the console.
COM2 isn't a console, though it confusingly does output some console data.
Then COM2 goes mute part way through the boot, and any input is disabled.
Yes, I've also tried switching ports with the RMC (on a DS15), and it
didn't work.
Install and switch to supported graphics controller and use SET CONSOLE
GRAPHICS at SRM?
Or repair or replace the AlphaServer DS10.
The above assuming this isn't a cabling or configuration or other issue.


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[Just]

> Install and switch to supported graphics controller and use SET CONSOLE
> GRAPHICS at SRM?
>

Currently have TECH SOURCE RAPTOR GFX LRI 2634 VIDEO CARD/BOARD, could it be also possible to set the graphics console at the RMC?

Thank you

[Thomas Laus]

The VMS operating system on a Compaq DS10 has very limited choice of
PCI graphics cards. The ATI 9100 has worked for me and I think that
the Elsa Gloria cards should work as well. Check eBay for an
HP-30-10119-01, which was the one that was originally installed on
all of my Ds-10's.

Have you tried moving your serial cable from Com2 to the other Com port?
You may see the boot problem with console messages. Without a supported
graphic controller, you won't get any screen display.

Tom

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[Just]

> Have you tried moving your serial cable from Com2 to the other Com port?
> You may see the boot problem with console messages. Without a supported
> graphic controller, you won't get any screen display.
>

Have moved the serial cable to com1, with the use of putty, currently what I can access is RMC. With system boot cant see any output of the console messages. Have also been reading a couple of sites on how to invoke SRM from RMC but haven't succeeded.

[Hans Bachner]

I'm not sure whether this works for a DS10, but I seem to remember
having used this method on several Alphaservers:

if the SRM console is set to graphics, but you don't have a monitor
around or the graphics card has been removed, connect a terminal
(emulator) to the COM1 console port, power on the system and hit <Enter>
several times until the SRM prompt >>> appears. Now you can enter ">>>
set console serial", followed by ">>> init" and the SRM console should
show up on the serial port from now on.

Good luck,
Hans.

[Just]

> if the SRM console is set to graphics, but you don't have a monitor
> around or the graphics card has been removed, connect a terminal
> (emulator) to the COM1 console port, power on the system and hit <Enter>
> several times until the SRM prompt >>> appears. Now you can enter ">>>
> set console serial", followed by ">>> init" and the SRM console should
> show up on the serial port from now on.

Have followed these instructions and seem not to have succeeded in getting the SRM prompt

[Stephen Hoffman]

The set of graphics boards supported by OpenVMS is small.

I seriously doubt it. That board is seemingly more commonly used in
old Sun boxes. But there's no harm in trying.

AMD ATI Radeon 7000 and Radeon 7500 PCI controllers are among the
options that will work. Other graphics boards that are effectively
renamed 7000 or 7500 boards will usually also work.

SRM is not invoked from RMC. SRM is the Alpha console. RMC is a
separate computer that used for sensor monitoring and power management.
RMC is parasitic on the COM1 serial line.

Exiting from RMC would revert to either SRM or—if booted—to the
operating system that is active on the COM1 serial line.

[Joukj]

I normally solve this problem by just connecting a keyboard to the
machine and typing the "set console serial" or "set console graphics" in
the "blind"

> Good luck,
> Hans.
>