164LX and 21164 question

[Dan Foster]

[Note: Crossposted to comp.sys.dec because this is also an hardware
question, and I know the c.s.d folks are very good on that angle!]

Since my VAXstation 4000/96 died horribly a while ago, I've been unable to
scare up parts or expertise locally to fix it, nor come up with a
reasonable cost I was willing to put up. So...

I'm thinking about getting a 164LX for personal hobbyist use to run OpenVMS
7.2-1 on it, fully well knowing its unsupported status and no guarantees on
how well anything may work, and how picky the device drivers and console
will be about supported devices, etc. That's fine with me.

The system in question currently has a SRM V5.8-1 console installed;
OpenVMS PALcode V1.21-2 and Digital UNIX PALcode V1.23-2. It is known to
boot, install, and run almost all of the known OSes although the seller has
not personally tried it with VMS.

It would also have a LK461-AA, possibly a DE500-BA, possibly a KZPBA-CA or
similar SCSI controller, and two 4.3 GB 68 pin UW SCSI 7200 RPM low profile
hard drives, and I don't recall what the video card was offhand. My
research indicates that these hardware works with VMS on the 164LX.

Now, I was curious...

The 21164-P8 CPU was designed for NT; will it not boot into VMS? Do I
absolutely have to have a 21164-KC CPU to boot and run VMS? The reason why
I ask was because I was curious if this was a technical limitation or a
marketing feature code/pricing thing. The implications being that if this
is indeed a bona fide technical limitation, then I would have to scare up a
21164-KC CPU instead. If so, is the -KC a drop-in replacement, or would I
have to get a -KC specific motherboard as well?

The only thing I can find is some sort of memory management difference,
which I presume would be a big show-stopper for booting and running VMS on
a -P8 CPU, if true?

-Dan

[pbc]

Just go ahead and try this CPU. It may work fine. I may be wrong but with NT
only CPU you never see SRM prompt.

Forget about two hard drives. It will crash instantly when you mount second
drive and start doing something with it.

I never try it with two IDE drives though. And/or combination of one
SCSI/one IDE drive.

Peter

"Dan Foster" <d...@globalcrossing.net> сообщил/сообщила в новостях следующее:
news:slrnb6lpi...@gaia.tf.roc.gblx.net...

[David J. Dachtera]

pbc wrote:
>
> Just go ahead and try this CPU. It may work fine. I may be wrong but with NT
> only CPU you never see SRM prompt.

VMS needs SRM.

Linux can live with or without it.

--
David J. Dachtera
dba DJE Systems
http://www.djesys.com/

Unofficial Affordable OpenVMS Home Page:
http://www.djesys.com/vms/soho/