Re: NetBSD on SIMH, but not microvax3900

(Oh, I should probably point out that I usually boot with a "boot rq" 
and nothing else/more.)

   Johnny

On 2024-03-07 21:43, Johnny Billquist wrote:
> 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 theSPACE 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