Digital Alphaserver SRM console

this is obsolete doc -- see http://doc.nethence.com/ instead

Introduction

We're using a Digital Alphaserver 800 5/500 for this guide, with SRM firmware version,

V5.8-16 Jul 24 2000 09:43:28

To get to the SRM >>> prompt, use ^C during machine's startup (SRM process), or ^P (program mode) at boot loader’s or operating system's startup,

^C

^P

ref http://tldp.org/HOWTO/SRM-HOWTO/x31.html

Note. DEC was renamed 'Digital', so this is a 'Digital' Alphaserver 800 5/500.

Note. Alphaserver 800 was introduced @1997-10-27 (http://news.cnet.com/Digital-has-new-Alpha%2C-Intel-servers/2100-1001_3-204660.html)

Note. January 26, 1998, Digital is sold to Compaq

Note. it seems you can configure Compaq Smart Array controllers from the SRM console (labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/96). But we're not in that case, we've got a Mylex card (see http://pbraun.nethence.com/doc/crosspkgtools/mylex_dac960.html) and apparently no RAID controller on-board.

Firmware update

See your current SRM firmware and AlphaBIOS versions,

show version

show pal

note. pal means Alpha Privileged Architecture Library code

You can boot this ISO (burn it to a CDrom) directly from the SRM console,

boot dka400

note. change dka400 accordingly

ref ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/alphaserver/firmware/retired_platforms/servers/AS800/as800_v5_8.iso

SRM console usage

Note. you can use abbreviated commands, for example 'b -fl' instead of 'boot -flags'

See your hardware configuration,

show cpu

show memory

show config | more

show device

Test everything,

test

test the memory on a single processor system,

memexer

show_status

test the memory on a multiprocessor system,

memexer_mp

show_status

note. to stop the diagnostics,

kill_diags

note. to show the diagnostics' progress in real time,

while true; show_status; sleep 1; done

Switch to AlphaBIOS (ARC) on VGA and PS/2,

set os_type nt

set console graphics

init

or,

arc,

or,

alphabios

Switch back to SRM console,

CMOS setup

F6 - advanced

console selection: UNIX Console (SRM)

or,

console selection: OpenVMS Console (SRM)

and reset the box with the reset button (third one). You can then switch back to serial console,

set console serial

init

SRM boot options

When the box isn't ready for production and while installing an operating system, I recommend to hardcode these settings into the NVRAM,

cat > nvram

10 set boot_reset off

20 set auto_action halt

^C

another way to do it,

edit nvram

10 set boot_reset off

20 set auto_action halt

^Z

and check,

cat nvram

note. you can also 'ls -l nvram' but the output is misleading, 0 and 0 in the last cols doesn't mean the file is empty

refs

http://members.tele2.nl/hvlems/

http://www.compaq.com/alphaserver/docs/srm_reference/WebHelp/srm.htm#nvramscript.htm

To boot OpenVMS,

set os_type openvms

set boot_osflags 0,0

boot immediately with,

boot -flags 0,0 dka0

note. change 'dka0' accordingly

To boot NetBSD,

set os_type unix

set boot_osflags a

boot immediately with,

boot -flags a dka0

note. change 'dka0' accordingly

ref http://www.netbsd.org/ports/alpha/faq.html#multiuser-boot

To boot Linux,

set os_type unix

set boot_file 3/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.17-4

set boot_osflags root=/dev/sda3

note change boot_file accordingly

note change boot_osflags accordingly

refs.

http://www-uxsup.csx.cam.ac.uk/pub/doc/redhat/redhat7/rhl-aig-en-7.0/s1-alpha-srm.html

http://www-uxsup.csx.cam.ac.uk/pub/doc/redhat/redhat7/rhl-aig-en-7.0/s1-guimode-post-installation.html

http://www.alphalinux.org/faq/srm.html

Once the operating systems are installed and the disks definitely in place, eventually configure autoboot,

set auto_action boot

set boot_dev dka0

set bootdef_dev dka0

note. change 'dka0' accordingly

note. eventually unconfigure 'auto_action' from the nvram (see above)

note. check everything's fine with 'show boot*' and 'show auto*'

Miscellaneous

Note. on earlier SRM versions, one could use that to restore some default variables e.g.,

set -default <var>

it now seems to be simply done when setting up the variable with no argument e.g.,

set <var>

In 'graphics' console mode, configure the keyboard

set kbd_hardware_type LK411

set language 36

and check for your current layout!

(type qwerty or azerty...)

show kbd_hardware_type

show language

show language_name

note. 'LK411' for OpenVMS keyboard layout

note. 'PCXAL' for PC keyboard layout

note. even with a PC keyboard, we experienced better results with the OpenVMS keyboard layout.

note. '36' for US encoding

note. '3c' for french encoding

note. '50' for japanese encoding

refs.

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/wizard/wiz_8530.html

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/19

Note. also worth interesting,

pk*0_fast

Note. on more advanced alpha boxes, one might be able to use these types of SRM commands,

create -nv srm_boot on

bash

migrate (Migrate one or all CPUs from one soft partition to another)

power off

Network boot

It's possible to boot the box from the network, using e.g. NetBSD.

ref http://www.netbsd.org/docs/network/netboot/intro.alpha.html

Links

AlphaServer 800 system

http://www.compaq.com/alphaserver/archive/800/

AlphaServer 800 Technical Resources

http://www.compaq.com/alphaserver/archive/800/800_tech.html

AlphaServer Firmware - AlphaServer 800 and Digital Server 3300 Systems

http://www.compaq.com/alphaserver/firmware/readmes/as800.html

(old link: http: //ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Alpha/firmware/)

FTP repository

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/alphaserver/firmware/retired_platforms/servers/AS800/

Alpha documentation and literature

http://www.compaq.com/alphaserver/technology/index.html

hp AlphaServer ES47/ES80/GS1280 - SRM Console Reference

http://www.compaq.com/alphaserver/download/srm_reference.pdf

Linux on alpha

(FR) [HOWTO] Gentoo sur alphaserver 800

http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-118061-view-next.html?sid=30e76fd2c75418103672461d6db02028

(FR) Installation Debian Linux Alpha sur Serveur Compaq DS20

http://yann.morere.free.fr/IMG/pdf/install_ds20.pdf