new to this list and install problem

alex@chem.ufl.edu
Date: Thu Sep 23 1999 - 10:38:11 PDT

  • Next message: Michael Tibor: "Re: PGP Keyserver" 

    Message-Id: <199909231738.MAA13068@physical36.chem.ufl.edu>
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 12:38:11 -0500 (EST)
From: alex@chem.ufl.edu
Subject: new to this list and install problem

    Hi List,

    I have just recently subscribed to this list. The reason is: I saved an
    AlphaStation 250 4/266 from the scrapyard and am planning to use it for
    my office desktop if it works out well. I have been running Linux for
    many years (about 2 years with SuSE now) on my desktop Intel box so am
    somewhat familiar with the distribution and the basic handles on it. I
    am, however, a complete newbie to Alpha's.
    Alright, here goes my first inquiry:
    I received the SuSE Alpha-AXP 6.1 distribution in yesterday's mail and
    am now about to install it. Trouble is that my alpha station's disk had
    been scrubbed before it was thrown out by our computer dept.
    Apparently, the ARCSbios and/or NT-bios got thrown out as well and the
    machine comes up in (I suppose) SRM with the message:
    f4.eb.....ea.e9.e8.e7.e6.e5.
    X5.0-29, built on July 18 1995 at 16:20:48
    >>>

    So, I tried my luck with an aboot disk which I dd'd from the 1st CD.
    This produces the following output:
    >>>boot dva0
    (boot dva0.0.0.0.1 -flags A)
    block 0 of dva0.0.0.0.1 is a valid boot block
    reading 216 blocks from dva0.0.0.0.1
    bootstrap code read in
    base = 148000, image_start = 0, image_bytes = 1b000
    Initializing HWRPB at 2000
    Initializing page table at 13a000
    Initializing machine state
    setting affinity to the primary CPU
    jumping to bootstrap code
    aboot: Linux/Alpha SRM bootloader version 0.5
    aboot: switching to OSF/1 PALcode version 1.35
    aboot: no disklabel found
    aboot: booted_dev=`dva 1 0 0 0 0 0 0'. guessing boot_device=`fd0'
    aboot: loading plain ...
    aboot: unexpected object file format 13
    aboot: loading compressed ...

    unzip: unknown compression method
    Enter kernel name and arguments:
    aboot:

    At this point I am unsure about what I need to input next. Clearly, I
    can't switch to the install disk just yet. I am also concerned about
    the error messages I got on my way so far.

    Any helpful pointers are greatly appreciated.

    TIA, Alex. 

    -- 
Dr. Alexander Angerhofer
Associ
ate Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
The University of Florida
Box 117200
Gainesville, FL 32611-7200
USA

    Tel.: (+1) 352 846 3281
alt.: (+1) 352 392 9489
lab : (+1) 352 846 3283
FAX : (+1) 352 392 0872

    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.0 : Mon Jun 04 2001 - 04:17:22 PDT