Re: NetBSD on SIMH, but not microvax3900

Physically, one could never get 128M in an 11/780. However, 
architecturally VAX supports up to 512M. So it shouldn't really be a 
problem.

I'm running NetBSD under simh as an 8650. Works fine. But it was 
probably something like 2 years since I last updated my simh code. And I 
can't remember when I did the actual installation of NetBSD, so it was 
way long ago. But anyway, it works fine for me. But I'm running it with 
64M set up.

My full simh config looks like this:

=============
set cpu model=8650
set cpu 64
set cpu idle=netbsd
set rq0 rauser=8192
set rq1 rauser=8192
set rq2 rauser=8192
set rq3 rrd40
att rq0 bsd.dsk
att rq1 bs1.dsk
att rq2 bs2.dsk
att rq3 bsd.bup
att cs console.dsk
set xu ena
set xu type=delua
set xu mac=aa:00:04:01:16:04
att xu en0
set rl dis
set rp dis
set cr dis
set lpt dis
set hk dis
set ry dis
set tu dis
set ts dis
set dz lines=8
att dz 43
set cons pchar=ffffffff
set cons wru=1f
#boot rq/r5:10008
=============

Happy to try and help more, if people are completely stuck. But at the 
moment I'm not sure what the problem might be...

However, note that until very recently, /boot was broken, and I used to 
have to run /boot from ancient times. But the latest checkout works 
fine. And it was not a toolchain issue, as it failed to boot even with a 
cross compiled binary.

   Johnny


On 2024-03-07 20:13, Jan-Benedict Glaw wrote:
> On Thu, 2024-03-07 13:56:02 -0500, Mouse <[email protected]> wrote:
>> [simh-780 boot fail]
>>> set cpu 128M
>>
>>> Suggestions for debugging it?
>>
>> Is 128 megs a possible memory config for a 780?  (That's a real
>> question; I don't know the 780 enough to answer it myself.)
> 
> I don't have/know the hardware, so I don't know. Just gave it a try
> with 8 MB and 16 MB, both failed the same way.
> 
>    However, I made a new observation: I accidentally hit the SPACE key
> while waiting for "Press any key to abort autoboot 5", then gave it a
> "boot netbsd" and expected it to restart. However, this time, it's
> hanging instead of looping:
> 
> ============================= 8< ------------------------------------
> root@lili:/var/cache/laminar-vm/vax780# ./BIN/vax780 *cnf
> 
> VAX 11/780 simulator V4.0-0 Current        git commit id: 9a73eb9d
> /var/cache/laminar-vm/vax780/rpi_vax780.cnf-36> at xu tap:trap_17
> Command not allowed
> /var/cache/laminar-vm/vax780/rpi_vax780.cnf-42> boot rq3
> Loading boot code from internal vmb.exe
> 
>>> NetBSD/vax boot [1.12 ()] <<
>>> Press any key to abort autoboot 4
> getdisklabel: no disk label
> nfs_open: must mount first.
> open netbsd.vax: No such file or directory
>> boot netbsd
> getdisklabel: no disk label
> nfs_open: must mount first.
> 4405588+185132 [255216+240258]=0x4da004
> Loading boot code from internal vmb.exe
> Rebooting...
> 
>>> NetBSD/vax boot [1.12 ()] <<
>>> Press any key to abort autoboot 5
> Press '?' for help
>> ?
> Commands:
> ?       Show this help menu
> help    Same as '?'
> boot    Load and execute file
> halt    Halts the system
>> boot netbsd
> getdisklabel: no disk label
> nfs_open: must mount first.
> 4405588+185132 [255216+240258]=0x4da004
> ----------------------------- >8 ====================================
> 
>> I'm wondering if there might be 780-specific code that assumes things
>> like the maximum physical memory a 780 can actually have.  Something
>> like, maybe, the memory sizing code assuming arithmetic won't overflow
>> because the memory size can't be greater than whatever....
> 
> 8 to 16 MB sounds at least reasonable. Maybe it could hold 128 MB,
> but let's not stretch it too far.
> 
>> I also notice a "Command not allowed" during startup.  I don't know
>> enough to know, but that strikes me as at least potentially relevant.
> 
> SIMH noticed it couldn't attach to the TAP device "trap_17", which I
> missed to create and add to the bridge. If it had booted, it would
> have had no working network...
> 
> MfG, JBG
> 

-- 
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: [email protected]             ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol