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Firmware doesn't load |
smithfarm
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Czech Republic
Joined: 23.08.10 |
| Posted on August 23 2010 20:07 |
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Sorry for the newbie question, but I would appreciate your help with the following problem.
I installed FreeAXP (on Vista). According to the documentation, the emulator should load the Alpha firmware when I run it. However, on the console I only get the Copyright message but nothing about ROM or firmware. The PuTTY window opens for a split second and then closes.
I noticed that I can download Alpha firmware from HP, but I don't know where to put it so FreeAXP sees it.
GEIN::SMITHFARM |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
smithfarm
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Czech Republic
Joined: 23.08.10 |
| Posted on August 23 2010 21:14 |
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Might I add that the Vista I'm running is 32 bit, and the FreeAXP is build 283. The copyright message comes up on the VLC. The console opens and then closes immediately (it just flashes).
I tried PersonalAlpha; it works just fine.
GEIN::SMITHFARM |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
VolkerHalle
Member
Posts: 104
Location: Germany
Joined: 02.04.10 |
| Posted on August 23 2010 22:02 |
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Did you check the emulator .LOG file for error messages ?
Volker. |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
smithfarm
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Czech Republic
Joined: 23.08.10 |
| Posted on August 23 2010 22:07 |
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x86 version 1.0 patch 8 build 283 (May 27 2010 12:20:50)
%XNV-w-NOREST: NVRAM could not be restored from C:\Users\Public\Documents\Alpha.nvr
GEIN::SMITHFARM |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
smithfarm
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Czech Republic
Joined: 23.08.10 |
| Posted on August 23 2010 22:17 |
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Apparently that message (which appears only in the log file, not in the VLC) is to be expected when first starting up.
Another weird thing is that the configurator refuses to create a disk image.
I am running it as administrator.
I suppose I could try running it in XP.
GEIN::SMITHFARM |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
smithfarm
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Czech Republic
Joined: 23.08.10 |
| Posted on August 23 2010 22:27 |
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When I run it from the command line with the /VERBOSE option, it displays the nvram error in the VLC.
I tried changing the port number from 9000 to 32999, but that didn't have any effect.
Here is my configuration file:
/* -- FreeAXP Config --
-1000
32999
4106
C:\Users\User\Documents\livingston\resources\openvms\freeaxp\Alpha02_dka0.img
1
1
1
1
1
1
-- */
cp = control
{
cp_log = logfile
{
filename = "C:\Users\User\Documents\livingston\resources\openvms\freeaxp\Alpha02.log";
}
alpha = alpha
{
memory=128M;
image = "C:\Users\User\Documents\livingston\resources\openvms\freeaxp\Alpha02.nvr";
pcibus = dc21071da
{
data = "C:\Users\User\Documents\livingston\resources\openvms\freeaxp\Alpha02.toy";
serial0 = i16550
{
s0_tn = telnet
{
port = 32999;
wait = true;
action = """C:\Program Files\FreeAXP\putty.exe"" telnet://localhost:32999";
}
}
pci7 = i82378
{
}
pci6 = symbios
{
disk0.0 = file
{
image = "C:\Users\User\Documents\livingston\resources\openvms\freeaxp\Alpha02_dka0.img";
autocreate_size = 4G;
}
}
}
}
}
GEIN::SMITHFARM |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
Bruce Claremont
Moderator
Posts: 623
Joined: 07.01.10 |
| Posted on August 24 2010 05:34 |
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The .nvr is created upon the first clean exit from FreeAXP. It holds the console parameters (boot device, boot flags, etc.). The warning message on first boot is normal and should appear in the VLC.
The loss of the PuTTY session that supports the Alpha console is not normal and is likely the core problem here. Any issues running PuTTY for other purposes on this system?
Try manually launching the emulator:
echo on
start "FreeAXP" "%ProgramFiles%\FreeAXP\FreeAXP.exe" /config=C:\Users\User\Documents\livingston\resources\openvms\freeaxp\Alpha02.cfg
exit
In the VLC you should see the nvr message, a ROM decompression message similar to this:
AC4-I-DECOMP: Decompressing ROM image.
0%....10%....20%....30%....40%....50%....60%....70%....80%....90%....100%
And then a message about the disk image file being created. Once the file create completes, you should see the console prompt (>>>) in the Alpha console (PuTTY session).
Post your log file if this fails.
Thanks |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
iamcamiel
Moderator
Posts: 25
Location: Wageningen, The Netherlands
Joined: 06.04.08 |
| Posted on August 24 2010 07:44 |
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It would seem that the real problem is that putty doesn't connect to the emulator properly. The emulotor won't proceed with its initialization until a connection is established. The problem could be in resolving the name 'localhost', try replacing it with 127.0.0.1 to see if that resolves the issue.
Good luck! |
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RE: Thanks, now working |
smithfarm
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Czech Republic
Joined: 23.08.10 |
| Posted on August 24 2010 08:41 |
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Thanks to all who replied! As you said, PuTTY was the problem. I disabled it and am connecting to the emulator using VTstar. I don't know what PuTTY's problem is on this system. I tried installing FreeAXP on another Vista box and everything worked straightaway. Many thanks again. I'm one step closer.
Follow-up question. Is it reasonable to run OpenVMS-in-FreeAXP directly in Vista or would it make more sense to confine it to a VM? What are the pros and cons?
GEIN::SMITHFARM |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
Bruce Claremont
Moderator
Posts: 623
Joined: 07.01.10 |
| Posted on August 24 2010 10:32 |
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It is really your choice. OpenVMS does not directly interact with Windows, so there is little risk to the host O/S. Using VMware complicates things slightly, but not enough to really matter. Choose whatever is easiest and most comfortable for you. As you browse the forum, you will see that some users have gotten quite creative using virtual machines and multiple emulators. |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
dtpoirot
Member
Posts: 15
Joined: 11.08.10 |
| Posted on August 25 2010 02:31 |
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I blame the Windows Firewall...
...one bad click and you have marked the app as 'evil'.
Disable and give PuTTY another try.
- dan |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
smithfarm
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Czech Republic
Joined: 23.08.10 |
| Posted on August 25 2010 09:44 |
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Nope, Windows firewall already disabled long ago. When I start the emulator without PuTTY I can then manually telnet in, even using PuTTY. I just have to use 127.0.0.1 as the address instead of localhost. I don't see anything in the configuration file to stop it using "localhost" and tell it to use 127.0.0.1 instead. Could it be that "localhost" is somehow hardcoded into the FreeAXP program itself?
GEIN::SMITHFARM |
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RE: More weirdness |
smithfarm
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Czech Republic
Joined: 23.08.10 |
| Posted on August 25 2010 11:11 |
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I have a disk image with an OpenVMS 8.3 installation that works in PersonalAlpha (running in Windows XP guest on a Linux host).
I just took this file and plopped it into FreeAXP running on Vista. (The Vista machine is a Lenovo R400. CPU-Z reports the processor as "Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo T5670".) Booted it up, looks OK.
I go to log in as SYSTEM. It doesn't allow me to enter a password! Here's what happens exactly. At Username: I enter "system". The Password: prompt appears but immediately after that I get the following error message:
Password:
%%%%%%%%%%% OPCOM 25-AUG-2010 22:54:03.48 %%%%%%%%%%%
Message from user AUDIT$SERVER on ALF
Security alarm (SECURITY) and security audit (SECURITY) on ALF, system id: 1
Auditable event: Local interactive login failure
Event time: 25-AUG-2010 22:54:03.48
PID: 00000097
Process name: _OPA0:
Username: SYSTEM
Terminal name: OPA0:, _OPA0:
Posix UID: -2
Posix GID: -2 (%XFFFFFFFE)
Status: %LOGIN-F-INVPWD, invalid password
User authorization failure
There is no opportunity to enter the password - the error message appears immediately upon entering the username.
The same image file works fine (i.e., I can log in) under PersonalAlpha.
GEIN::SMITHFARM |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
dtpoirot
Member
Posts: 15
Joined: 11.08.10 |
| Posted on August 26 2010 01:23 |
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smithfarm wrote:
Could it be that "localhost" is somehow hardcoded into the FreeAXP program itself?
Likely, not but then again, the Windows 'hosts' file could be corrupt.
What do you get for 'ping localhost' from the Windows command shell? |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
VolkerHalle
Member
Posts: 104
Location: Germany
Joined: 02.04.10 |
| Posted on August 26 2010 02:12 |
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smithfarm wrote:
I go to log in as SYSTEM. It doesn't allow me to enter a password! Here's what happens exactly. At Username: I enter "system". The Password: prompt appears but immediately after that I get the following error message:...
Could Putty be configured in such a way, that it sends additional characters when you press the <RETURN> key ? Like an additional <LF> ? Which might be interpreted by LOGINOUT as a terminator for the pasword: read QIO ?
Volker. |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
malmberg
Moderator
Posts: 530
Joined: 15.04.08 |
| Posted on August 26 2010 02:14 |
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I have seen the issue of not being able to enter the password under the conditions where running on an Windows XP VM on Virtualbox on a MacBook Pro.
As near as I could tell, something was incrementing the system clock at the same time that the login prompt was issued. As a result, the read timer for the log in expired.
Eventually the behavior stopped and I was able to log in. I have only seen this happen once.
The localhost is probably a parameter either in the FreeAXP configuration file or the pre-set putty configuration in the registry.
type %systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts | find "localhost"
You should see an entry for
127.0.0.1 localhost
You may also see an entry for
::1 localhost
And as stated in the previous comment, localhost should be pingable.
Now the reason that I run in VMs is that I have one VM with W7 and one with Ubuntu to have a FreeAXP/SimH VMScluster. Using the VMs allows me to have a private LAN connection between the two VMS systems for SCS and other network traffic. I can also NFS mount disks from the UBUNTU VM.
Too bad FreeAxp can not take direct advantage of the dedicated virtual NICs instead of putting them into promiscuous mode to try to share them. That might improve network speed. |
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RE: Thanks again |
smithfarm
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Czech Republic
Joined: 23.08.10 |
| Posted on August 26 2010 07:32 |
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Thanks again to all who replied. Great group of people here.
Just to summarize, the initial problem of the emulator not starting was due to PuTTY crashing immediately upon startup. The cause of this was simple: the entry "localhost 127.0.0.1" was missing from the Vista hosts file.
That problem solved, I booted (in FreeAXP build 283) a fresh OpenVMS 8.3 install from a PersonalAlpha container. Everything went peachily until the login prompt. I am able to enter a username but the system doesn't wait for me to enter a password and immediately displays an "invalid password" error, effectively locking me out of the system.
First I tried playing with the CF/LF settings in PuTTY but that didn't make any difference.
I strongly suspect the problem has something to do with CPU "timing issues" in the emulator itself. The FreeAXP release notes mention this:
"There is a known problem on AMD Athlon X2 systems that may cause various timing issues under FreeAXP. The problem is caused when the timestamp counters in each of the AMD CPU's drift apart over time since the last power-on.
"This drifting of the timestamps causes a higher timer-interrupt rate on the emulated Alpha. The fix is to install an updated processor driver from AMD that ties the Windows time routines to a single CPU core."
Interestingly enough, the system I'm having the problem on is Intel (Core 2 Duo), not AMD. I actually have an AMD Athlon X2 box here that runs Vista so I tried booting the same container on it. I can't say I was surprised when it worked fine: paradoxically then, in my case, the login problem is present on an Intel system but absent on an AMD Athlon X2 system!
Thinking it over so far, I have three ideas to try:
(1) restart Vista into safe mode - tried this already but the problem persisted.
(2) dispense with the PersonalAlpha container and do a fresh installation of OpenVMS from CD in FreeAXP - haven't tried yet.
(3) run FreeAXP in a Windows XP guest via VirtualBox - haven't tried yet.
If anyone has any other ideas on how to solve this login (timing) issue, or would like to make any other comments, that would be great.
For the time being, I'm switching back to PersonalAlpha, which appears to work quite well now that I've installed the idleloop software. I suspect FreeAXP is faster, though.
GEIN::SMITHFARM |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
Bruce Claremont
Moderator
Posts: 623
Joined: 07.01.10 |
| Posted on August 26 2010 08:39 |
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Would you mind running CPU-Z on your system and posting the CPU information?
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
smithfarm
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Czech Republic
Joined: 23.08.10 |
| Posted on August 26 2010 21:16 |
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Processor
Name Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo T5670
Code Name Merom
Package Socket P (478)
Technology 65 nm Core VID 0.900 V
Specification Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T5670 @ 1.80 GHz
CPU-Z writes more information than that - if you want anything else, let me know. Thanks for looking into this.
I just discovered that putting the laptop to sleep causes PersonalAlpha to stop the emulator and there doesn't seem to be any way to "pause" the emulator or save its state. (I guess if there was, folks wouldn't have any reason to purchase the commercial product?)
GEIN::SMITHFARM |
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RE: Firmware doesn't load |
Bruce Claremont
Moderator
Posts: 623
Joined: 07.01.10 |
| Posted on August 27 2010 03:40 |
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Try disabling the idle loop and booting under FreeAXP.
Putting a system to sleep would disrupt any Alpha emulator. At the very least it would trash the network components. The emulators are reproducing real hardware behavior. Alphas have no concept of hibernation. |
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