[Simh] Booting the vax750 simulator.

[Henry Bent]

Out of curiosity I tried Ultrix 4.3 and 4.5 on the /750, both with
genvmunix and a custom kernel, and both showed the problem.  Whatever the
issue here is, it appears to never have been fixed.  I tried disabling just
about every device I could save for the disk, and I still got a panic every
time.  The only thing I haven't yet tried is using a different disk
controller (than the UDA50).

Interestingly, Ultrix 4.0 will boot on a /730 if you make a custom kernel
(genvmunix is too big).  I didint' try 4.3 or 4.5.

-Henry

On 21 June 2015 at 17:26, Clem Cole <clemc at ccc.com> wrote:

> 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
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Simh mailing list
>> Simh at trailing-edge.com
>> http://mailman.trailing-edge.com/mailman/listinfo/simh
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Simh mailing list
> Simh at trailing-edge.com
> http://mailman.trailing-edge.com/mailman/listinfo/simh
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.trailing-edge.com/pipermail/simh/attachments/20150623/39be13ec/attachment-0001.html>