Installing Ultrix without CD

[Jorik Jonker]

Hi there,

I recently found an Ultrix/VAX (UDF) CD-image on the net. It worked
perfectly in SimH, so I decided to take the next steps: install it on a
`real' piece of iron. I've put a UltraPlex into an external Sun CDROM
enclosure and attached it to a VAX 4000/VLC. Unfortunately, the VAX

b dka100

-DKA100
?04 ISP ERR
PC= 00000000 PSL= 041F0000

I believed this VAX to be unable to actually boot from CD (although its
firmware `finds' the drive and OpenBSD is able to read the CD), so I
thought to be left with the next options:

a) put the UDF-image onto a harddisk and boot the VAX from that disk;
b) extract kernel/miniroot/etc from the CD, put it on a (linux/bsd)
server and try to netboot the VAX.

I've read option b could be cumbersome, the way to netboot Ultrix was to
have another Ultrix box doing the RIS-script. Since I have no such box,
I went for option a.

Trying option a, I've (net)booted OpenBSD, dd-ing the ultrix image to

b dka0

-DKA0
?04 ISP ERR
PC= 00000000 PSL= 041F0000

.. again the same error. Google learned me that it means that the
interrupt stack was overflowed by something. So I am starting to believe
that there could be something wrong with that image. Strange thing is,
that that exact same image (equal MD5sum) works perfectly in SimH.

Can anyone point me out what could be going wrong here?

with kind regards,

Jorik

[Michael Kraemer]

Post by Jorik Jonker
Can anyone point me out what could be going wrong here?

Bad luck.
The 4000 series does not run Ultrix, to the best of my knowledge.
Even a 3176 doesn't.
The other 3100-Mxx can, but only with GPX graphics.
They boot happily from CD if you transfer the image
you found on the net to a CD.

If you want to make Ultrix run on the faster VAXen:
the sources of Ultrix 4.2/4.3 at least have leaked into the internet ;-)

[Jorik Jonker]

Post by Jorik Jonker
b) extract kernel/miniroot/etc from the CD, put it on a (linux/bsd)
server and try to netboot the VAX.

I succeeded using option b, however, with a slight modification of the
plan:

1 install SimH on my (amd64) laptop
2 install Ultrix in SimH, using Joachim's instructions (*), making sure
the MOP subsystem was selected
3 mount the (virtual) cdrom (mount -r /dev/ra3c /mnt)
4 create RIS (/etc/ris)
5 connect real VAX to laptop
6 netboot

et voila, a working Ultrix on real VAX hardware. Too bad Ultrix does not
run on 4000-series...

-jorik

* http://www.xanthos.se/~joachim/Ultrix-from-CD-on-SIMH.html

[Michael Kraemer]

Post by Jorik Jonker
1 install SimH on my (amd64) laptop
2 install Ultrix in SimH, using Joachim's instructions (*), making sure
the MOP subsystem was selected
3 mount the (virtual) cdrom (mount -r /dev/ra3c /mnt)
4 create RIS (/etc/ris)
5 connect real VAX to laptop
6 netboot
et voila, a working Ultrix on real VAX hardware. Too bad Ultrix does not
run on 4000-series...

Congratulations.
However, I found it easier (and succeeded) to install it
either from an externally attached disk or from a CD
burnt with the 4.5 Ultrix image.
I prefer solutions which can stand on their own feet
and do not need a PC to operate.