Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 15:57:37 -0700 From: "Mike Cochran" <wab@sbcglobal.net> To: "Wilko Bulte" <wkb@freebie.xs4all.nl>, "Chris Brotherton" <chris@evilelement.net> Cc: <freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: Will my machine run freeBSD? Message-ID: <01bb01c2342e$ac46db60$6e787043@salamundi.com> References: <00bc01c2341b$80c32830$6e787043@salamundi.com> <3D406582.5040700@evilelement.net> <20020725230434.A972@freebie.xs4all.nl>
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Thanks for the input, everyone thus far on the string. Let me know if I'm still sending out html instead of 75 char asci. Certainly I have IDE drives sitting around. I also have a spare adaptec 29160 pci card and a few UW seagate scsi drives sitting around doing nothing. My main concern was making sure that either the existing firmware in these machines had a simple toggle to change into srm mode or that the firmware could be changed to the firmware used in the -au version. I don't want to be stuck with NT! Am I understanding you all correctly, that I should not worry about this? Mike ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wilko Bulte" <wkb@freebie.xs4all.nl> To: "Chris Brotherton" <chris@evilelement.net> Cc: "Mike Cochran" <wab@sbcglobal.net>; <freebsd-alpha@FreeBSD.ORG> Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 2:04 PM Subject: Re: Will my machine run freeBSD? On Thu, Jul 25, 2002 at 02:54:26PM -0600, Chris Brotherton wrote: > > > Mike Cochran wrote: > > Howdy, > > > > > > > > I have freebsd installed on an old intel machine, and I am enjoying > > working with the OS from a hobbyist's perspective. I'm kinda bored with > > x86 and want to pick up an old alphaserver. I have access to an older > > alpha machine, a (compaq) "Digital Ultimate Workstation 533a" that I can > > pick up for VERY cheap. So I'd like to try installing freeBSD on this > > unused alpha if possible. > > > > > > > > This alpha, which is basically an alphaserver 1200, originally shipped > > with NT and I'm sure it boots into alphabios. There is another version > > of the machine that shipped with digital unix or vms that is called the > > 533au. > > > > > > > > My question is: Is there a setting in the firmware that allows you to > > choose between alphabios and srm? If not, can I update/change the > > firmware on this "Digital alpha workstation 533a" to load the firmware > > that supports digital unix, and therefore possibly freeBSD or failing > > that, some other linux, as well? > > > > > > > > Any help would be very cool. This is a new area to me, I've never played > > around on these machines before, and I don't even have one in front of > > me to know if my question even makes sense. > > > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > > > Mike > > > Mike, > > Many of the "a" series came with adaptec SCSI controllers. These > controllers cannot be booted from when using the SRM console (SRM is > required for FreeBSD). The "au" series came with Qlogic SCSI > controllers that are bootable. However, some of the newer "a" series > have Qlogic onboard SCSI controllers. These machines are easy to pick > out because they have USB. Long story short, if you have an adaptec > SCSI controller you will not be able to boot from it, but I have heard > it is possible to boot from an IDE drive and use the SCSI drives as storage. You are confusing a Personal Work Station (PWS aka Miata) with the Ultimate Workstation (UWS aka AlphaStation/Server 1200 aka Tincup). But you are right in the sense that it is very useful to check the system config for the SCSI HBA. Wilko -- | / o / /_ _ wilko@FreeBSD.org |/|/ / / /( (_) Bulte Arnhem, the Netherlands To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-alpha" in the body of the message To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-alpha" in the body of the message
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