[Simh] Booting the vax750 simulator.

[Clem Cole]

Can you try Ultrix 4.4 or 4.5?   We did test the later versions on Vaxen in
the lab in ZK03 - but I've forgotten which models specifically and my
memory is hazy on which configs were tested and I've long lost that
notebook. ;-)

FYI: There was a ton of bug fixes between 4.0 and 4.3 on the Vax code
stream to fixes things that the MIPS R2000/R3000 port had broken along the
way.   I've forgotten the details, but while Ultrix 4.3 was officially only
to support the MIPs R4000 and R4040 chips, in that release we actually
fixed more bugs than any other before it.   I do remember many of those bug
fixes were in the Vax code stream to make it stable again [Ultrix
development had moved to the PMAX around Ultrix 4.0 timeframe, with
Alpha/Tru64 picking up steam, the Vax had become the "scruffy older
brother"].

Clem

On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 12:41 PM, Mattis Lind <mattislind at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
>
>
>
> 2015-06-21 18:22 GMT+02:00 Mark Pizzolato - Info Comm <Mark at infocomm.com>:
>
>> Hi there Mattis,
>>
>>
>>
>> Well, what you’re asking for (running model specific diagnostics) has
>> been out of scope for all of the simh VAX simulators.  The scope has been
>> to be able to run operating system and application software that ran on
>> these systems.  If you had source code for the diagnostic you’re trying to
>> run maybe some understanding of why it fails on both the real hardware and
>> what might be needed in the simulator to support it would be possible….
>>
>
> Unfortunately I don't have the source for the diagnostic. It is a pain and
> that was one of the reasons for trying the simulator in the first place.
> But I certainly understand that it is quite different to simulate it to
> pass a diagnostic which tries to do all sorts of strange things than
> running a real operating system.
>
>>
>>
>> As for Ultrix 4.0 on the VAX750 simulator, well I haven’t explored the
>> documentation, but it might be possible that by the time Ultrix 4.0 came
>> along, it never got tested on the older hardware.  Does this disk image
>> boot using the VAX780 and VAX8600 simulators?
>>
>
> This kernel I built was only microvax II and VAX-11/750 so it won't
> directly boot on a 11/780 nor a VAX8600. But if I add a line CPU
>  "VAX780" and CPU    "VAX8600" it boots on both.
>
> But still no-go on vax750. I even tried to remove some more optional
> features in the kernel config but no difference. Still boot on vax780,
> microvax2 and vax8600 simulator though.
>
> Here is the image I tried :
> https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/96935524/Datormusuem/VAX11-750/ultrix3.dsk
>
>
> /Mattis
>
>
>>
>>
>> -        Mark
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Simh [mailto:simh-bounces at trailing-edge.com] *On Behalf Of *Mattis
>> Lind
>> *Sent:* Sunday, June 21, 2015 1:10 AM
>> *To:* simh at trailing-edge.com
>> *Subject:* Re: [Simh] Booting the vax750 simulator.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 2015-06-19 16:33 GMT+02:00 Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se>:
>>
>> I would suggest you start off by creating the system using a simulated
>> uVAX II, as that can boot from tape. Once you have the system running. move
>> the disk over to an emulated 11/750, and continue playing from there.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I did as Johnny recommended and then I got VMS 6.1 working on the vax750
>> simulator. Getting Ultrix 4.0 to work seems to be harder. I made a kernel
>> config with just the uda and dz drivers. Exactly the same kernel boots just
>> fine in the microvax2 simulator, but it fails on me in the vax750
>> simulator.  Anyone got Ultrix 4.0 working on the vax750 simulator?
>>
>>
>>
>> Since another of the reasons for using the vax750 simulator is to
>> understand how the diagnostics work (since the Cache/TB fails on the real
>> machine. Either there is areal fault or possibly some kind of
>> incompatibility between the board set I have and the diagnostic).
>>
>>
>>
>> It would be very useful if they could run in the simulator as well.
>> Anyone succeeded in running the diagnostics in the vax750 simulator?
>>
>>
>>
>> sim> boot rq0
>>
>> Loading boot code from vmb.exe
>>
>>
>>
>> Ultrixboot - V4.0  Sat Mar 31 04:11:56 EST 1990
>>
>>
>>
>> Loading (a)vmunix ...
>>
>>
>>
>> Sizes:
>>
>> text = 664356
>>
>> data = 113152
>>
>> bss  = 342256
>>
>> Starting at 0x2b4d
>>
>>
>>
>> ULTRIX V4.0 (Rev. 161) System #2: Wed May 19 13:29:37 GMT+0100 1976
>>
>> real mem  = 8388608
>>
>> avail mem = 5818368
>>
>> using 204 buffers containing 838656 bytes of memory
>>
>> VAX 11/750, hardware level = 0x9c, microcode level = 99
>>
>> mcr0 (MS750) at address 0xf20000
>>
>> mba0 at address 0xf28000
>>
>> 0 mba's not configured
>>
>> mba0 at address 0xf2a000
>>
>> 0 mba's not configured
>>
>> uba0 at address 0xf30000
>>
>> uda0 at uba0
>>
>> uq0 at uda0 csr 172150 vec 774, ipl 15
>>
>> dz0 at uba0 csr 160100 vec 300, ipl 15
>>
>>
>>
>> machine check 2: non-existant reference error
>>
>>           sumpar            = 2
>>
>>           va        = 80001890
>>
>>           errpc    = 0
>>
>>           mdr     = 0
>>
>>           smr      = 0
>>
>>           rdtimo = 0
>>
>>           tbgpar  = 0
>>
>>           cacherr            = 0
>>
>>           buserr  = 140008
>>
>>           mcesr  = 0
>>
>>           pc        = 800991c1
>>
>>           psl       = 4150008
>>
>>
>>
>>           mcsr    = 140000
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> cpu 1 panic: mchk
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> locks held by cpu 1
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> print locks held by non-active processes
>>
>> done
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ***************************
>>
>> cpu 1 register dump
>>
>> sp       = 800017d4     ap        = 80001850     fp         = 80001830
>>
>> pc       = 80084a88     ksp      = 7ffffe88       usp      = 7fffc800
>>
>> isp      = 80001780     p0pr     = 80bd8c00     p0lr     = 00000000
>>
>> p1br   = 803d8e00     p1lr     = 001fffe4       sbr       = 000bde00
>>
>> slr      = 00008d9a     pcbb    = 00111a00     scbb     = 00000600
>>
>> ipl      = 0000001f     astlvl   = 00000004     sisr      = 00000000
>>
>> iccs    = 00000041
>>
>>
>>
>> interrupt stack:
>>
>> 80001780: 800aa989 800017ac        00000001        8010190c
>>
>> 80001790: 801018d8 80101998        800b44ba        00000080
>>
>> 800017a0: 00000178 00000020        00000000        20000000
>>
>> 800017b0: 80001818 800017d4        8004a0e2        00000003
>>
>> 800017c0: 800b44b5 00000001        800017e4        00000002
>>
>> 800017d0: 00000000 00000000 *     2fff0000          80001850 ap
>>
>> 800017e0: 80001830 fp        80084a88 pc   00000000 r0    0000001f r1
>>
>> 800017f0: 00000001 r2        8000197c r3    00000026 r4    00000000 r5
>>
>>
>>
>> kernel stack:
>>
>> 7ffffe88: 00000000   2fc00000         7ffffee0
>> 7ffffec4
>>
>> 7ffffe98: 80009bad   00000000        80189f54         00000000
>>
>> 7ffffea8: 00000000   00000000        80189f54         00000003
>>
>> 7ffffeb8: 80189f54   00000014        800edd18        00000000
>>
>> 7ffffec8: 2c000000   7fffff14           7ffffeec
>> 80076967
>>
>> 7ffffed8: 80e0509c   800925d4        00000001        80189f54
>>
>> 7ffffee8: 00000000   00000000        2f800000         7fffff48
>>
>> 7ffffef8: 7fffff30      80092914        00000000        801285d8
>>
>> 7fffff08: 00000000   800bdd48        80e05000        00000003
>>
>> 7fffff18: 800925d4   00001701        80e0509c        00000000
>>
>> 7fffff28: 00000000   80e02400        00000000        28000000
>>
>> 7fffff38: 7fffff6c      7fffff58           80092746
>> 00000006
>>
>> 7fffff48: 00000003   00001701        800e7cc8         00000000
>>
>> 7fffff58: 00000000   20000000        7fffff94
>> 7fffff78
>>
>> 7fffff68: 8003d454   00000001        00001701        800e7cc8
>>
>> 7fffff78: 00000000   2c000000        7fffffb8
>> 7fffff9c
>>
>> 7fffff88: 8003cde3    007ff800         00000006        00000000
>>
>> 7fffff98: 800a8a58    00000000        2c000000        7ffffff8
>>
>> 7fffffa8: 7fffffcc       8003c49d        007ff800         00000006
>>
>> 7fffffb8: 00000000   00000000        00000000        800e9cc0
>>
>> 7fffffc8: 00000000   00000000        2fc00000         00000000
>>
>> 7fffffd8: 00000000   80003042        00000000        00000000
>>
>> 7fffffe8: 00000000   00000000        007ff800         00000000
>>
>> 7ffffff8: 00000001    0000089b
>>
>> dump area improper
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>         Johnny
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2015-06-19 16:14, Mattis Lind wrote:
>>
>> Hello!
>>
>> I am in the process to revive an VAX-11/750 machine but since I have no
>> tape (nor install tapes) drive my idea was to  create an image which I
>> could transfer to a SCSI disk and then use a MSCP SCSI controller to
>> boot the machine.
>>
>> I thought it would be a good idea to use the SimH vax750 simulator to do
>> this work. But I encounter problem. Many of these problems are probably
>> due to the fact I am not very familiar with SimH. Although I think I
>> read though several documents and studied the source code.
>>
>> The booting process of the SimH vax750 simulator seems to differ from
>> the real VAX-11/750. On the real thing when I insert console media and
>> boot it it will read and I get a BOOT58> prompt. This doesn't happen at
>> all on the simulator. Instead it seems that it preloads vmb.exe and then
>> execute it.
>>
>> The images I have been using was found on
>> http://iamvirtual.ca/VAX11/VAX-11-software.html
>>
>> All tests below is run using SimH from github compiled on MACOS.
>> Although I have also tested to compile it on Linux with the same result.
>>
>> This is what happen on the simulator:
>>
>> sim> boot td0
>> Loading boot code from vmb.exe
>>
>>
>>
>> Please remove the volume "CONSOLE" from the console device.
>>
>> Insert the first standalone system volume and enter "YES" when ready: YES
>>
>> Resuming load operation on volume "CONSOLE", please stand by . . .
>>
>>
>> 1 BRK AT 00001C50
>> 00001C50/CF00FB01
>>
>> It seems some kind of command line is active since I get this output
>> when I press some random keys:
>>
>>
>> EH?
>> EEE
>> 00000EEE /8AAF9552
>>
>>
>> --------
>>
>> Booting a standalone backup works OK if I don't follow the instructions
>> to replace the console media the first time.
>>
>>
>> sim> attach td0 /Users/mattis_lind/Downloads/BE-CT97A-BE.TAP
>> TD: writing buffer to file
>> TD: buffering file in memory
>> sim> boot td0
>> Loading boot code from vmb.exe
>>
>>
>>
>> Please remove the volume "SYSTEM_1" from the console device.
>>
>> Insert the first standalone system volume and enter "YES" when ready: YES
>>
>> Resuming load operation on volume "SYSTEM_1", please stand by . . .
>>
>>
>> Please remove the volume "SYSTEM_1" from the console device.
>>
>> Insert the next standalone system volume and enter "YES" when ready:
>> Simulation stopped, PC: 000083D8 (MFPR #20,R0)
>> sim> attach td0 /Users/mattis_lind/Downloads/BE-CT98A-BE.TAP
>> TD: writing buffer to file
>> TD: buffering file in memory
>> sim> cont
>> YES
>>
>> Resuming load operation on volume "SYSTEM_2", please stand by . . .
>>
>>
>>
>>     VAX/VMS Version V4.0 15-SEP-1984 22:29
>>
>>
>> Please remove the volume "SYSTEM_2" from the console device.
>>
>> Insert the standalone application volume and enter "YES" when ready:
>> Simulation stopped, PC: 80008B1F (BRB 80008B1F)
>> sim> attach td0 /Users/mattis_lind/Downloads/BE-CT99A-BE.TAP
>> TD: writing buffer to file
>> TD: buffering file in memory
>> sim> cont
>> YES
>>
>> Resuming load operation on volume "BACKUP", please stand by . . .
>>
>>
>> %BACKUP-I-IDENT, Stand-alone BACKUP V4.0; the date is 17-JUN-1984
>> 22:40:44.48
>> $
>>
>> ---------
>>
>> Then trying to run various diagnostics images that are supposed to be
>> standalone and do read on the real thing but gives the following result:
>>
>> sim> attach td0 /Users/mattis_lind/Downloads/BE-S198Q-DE.TAP
>> TD: writing buffer to file
>> TD: buffering file in memory
>> sim> boot td0
>> Loading boot code from vmb.exe
>>
>>
>>
>> Please remove the volume "VMS Exchange" from the console device.
>>
>> Insert the first standalone system volume and enter "YES" when ready: YES
>>
>> Resuming load operation on volume "VMS Exchange", please stand by . . .
>>
>> ECKAL -- VAX 11/750 Cache/TB Diagnostic
>> HALT instruction, PC: 00002608 (MTPR #F,#26)
>> sim> attach td0 /Users/mattis_lind/Downloads/BE-S199T-DE.TAP
>> TD: writing buffer to file
>> TD: buffering file in memory
>> sim> boot td0
>> Loading boot code from vmb.exe
>>
>>
>>
>> Please remove the volume "VMS Exchange" from the console device.
>>
>> Insert the first standalone system volume and enter "YES" when ready: YES
>>
>> Resuming load operation on volume "VMS Exchange", please stand by . . .
>>
>> %BOOT-F-Unable to locate BOOT file
>> HALT instruction, PC: 000004C7 (BLBS 549,4C6)
>> sim> attach td0 /Users/mattis_lind/Downloads/BE-S200I-DE.TAP
>> TD: writing buffer to file
>> TD: buffering file in memory
>> sim> boot td0
>> Loading boot code from vmb.exe
>>
>>
>>
>> Please remove the volume "" from the console device.
>>
>> Insert the first standalone system volume and enter "YES" when ready: YES
>>
>> Resuming load operation on volume "", please stand by . . .
>>
>> %BOOT-F-Unable to locate BOOT file
>> HALT instruction, PC: 000004C7 (BLBS 549,4C6)
>> sim>
>>
>> As you can see the Cache/TB diagnostic do read in and seem to execute
>> but fails. The others doesn't even seems to boot correctly.  When tested
>> on the real hardware all these start (although the Cache/TB fail, alas
>> not at the same location)
>>
>> Maybe the best idea is to dump out the real BOOT PROMs from the actual
>> machine an load those into memory and start those? I haven't been able
>> to test this since the machine 100 km away.
>>
>>
>> I did successfully boot a Ultrix-4.0 tap file from bitsavers in the vax
>> andra microvax2 simulator. But how can I do that on the vax750
>> simulator? Doing "boot tq0" give "Command not allowed". Although help
>> file indicate it is a valid command!?
>>
>> Any help appreciated!
>>
>> /Mattis
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Simh mailing list
>> Simh at trailing-edge.com
>> http://mailman.trailing-edge.com/mailman/listinfo/simh
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
>>                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
>> email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
>> pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
>> _______________________________________________
>> Simh mailing list
>> Simh at trailing-edge.com
>> http://mailman.trailing-edge.com/mailman/listinfo/simh
>>
>>
>>
>
>
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