Re: boot floppies

[Nikita Schmidt <cetus@snowball.ucd.ie>]

On Tuesday, 23 Feb, Loic Prylli wrote:
> 
> There is also the issue of the user interface, ultimately, it would be 
> nice if milo and aboot could share the same user interface, with only
> a different backend (SRM console for aboot, linux subset + custom pal
> for MILO), but this is not doable for slink. And the MILO interface
> looks easier and more intuitive.

I agree.  Furthermore, they should also share the configuration file.
The problem is the device names (Linux/MILO notation is different from
SRM's).  I think, actually, MILO could be hacked to use SRM PALcode if
booted from SRM, but it would lead to severe confusion with SRM vs MILO
kernels (again, we need a modified 2.2 to avoid it)...

> 
> Now, going back to the bootable CDROM, for ARC or AlphaBIOS no
> problem, we just have to make the milo and linux file available in
> some directory. For SRM, being able to boot different MILO from the
> same CDROM is not trivial. I am trying to modify aboot to do this,
> I may or may not succeed to do it (if there is any expert on palcode
> or aboot: does anybody know if the JTOPAL entry for cserve is
> implemented on standard SRM console after switching to OSPAL? Or how

I don't know for sure, but neither do I see any reason for it not being
there.  I would discourage jumping to MILO in PALmode though, because
then MILO won't pick up the memory size from HWRPB.

> to enable the physical mapping under the original VMS palcode, or how
> if we can switch back to VMS palcode after being under the OSFPAL?

SWPPAL should work; see, e.g., osfpal.S from MILO sources for the
description of the arguments (IIRC, VMS variant is number 1).


On Tuesday, 23 Feb, Paul Slootman wrote:
> 
> If you want me to test anything, I have an XL300 (XLT) with AlphaBIOS
> and a Multia; *and* a cd-recorder. The XLT I'd like to keep intact, so
> no real installations with it, but the Multia can be used for testing
> the installation as well. However, it'll be Thursday before I can get to
> the Multia.
> 
> Bandwidth is limited, though, so I'm not going to download iso images!
> Instead, tell me how to reproduce any image.
> 

We have a CD-RW recorder here, so I can test CD images with zero cost of
materials.  ISO images are also allowed.  But: the only Alpha here is
Avanti (AS255) with the same restriction as Paul's XLT (no actual
installations), and my time is very limited...

Nikita