Very Computer

Hello,

I have salvaged an Model 250 from a storeroom and I am considering
putting it back in service for a few light duties.  I dug up a AIX 4.2.1
license and media for a F40 that I wasn't using and have attempted to
install it on the 250.  It seems to install without problem, but when it
boots after installation it hangs with no LED codes.

The Model 250 was equipped with an GTX150 graphics card and monitor, but
the monitor is gone and I am trying to run the unit headless with an
VT320 terminal.  I have placed the unit in service mode and booted off
the AIX 4.2.1 CD-ROM and told it to do an Complete Overwrite install.
When it completes the final step, it asks the user to switch back to
Normal mode and it reboots.  During the reboot, it presents the
following dialog.

+ swcons -c

Saving Base Customize Data to boot disk
Starting the sync daemon
Starting the error daemon
System initialization completed.
0513-059 The syslogd Subsystem has been started.  Subsystem PID is 3866.
0513-059 The sendmail Subsystem has been started.  Subsystem PID is
3360.
0513-059 The portmap Subsystem has been started.  Subsystem PID is 3622.
0513-059 The inetd Subsystem has been started.  Subsystem PID is 4140.
0513-059 The snmpd Subsystem has been started.  Subsystem PID is 4402.
0513-059 The dpid2 Subsystem has been started.  Subsystem PID is 4664.

Thoughts on the problem and my progress:

1.  The dpid2 subsystem might be causing problems.  I tracked down every
reference to it in /etc/smnpd.peers and /etc/rc.tcpip and remarked it
out.  I /dev/nulled the /var/tmp/dpid2.log, just in case.  I then
rebooted with No Joy.  It stopped just after the snmpd subsystem
started.

2.  The console is somehow switching to graphics mode and I am losing
output.  I tracked down all references to the console and it is all
pointing to /dev/tty0 like it should.  I then rebooted with No Joy.

3.  During install, AIX is detecting the GTX150 and makes changes to the
ODM that conflict with smit or chdev. I physically removed the GTX150
from the box.  I then rebooted in diag mode and checked to see if the
card was present.  I would have thought that it should have given me an
dialog that a resource was present and is now missing. Diag showed me
the normal equipment with the exception of the GTX150.  I then rebooted
in normal mode and what do you think, No Joy.

I have run out of thoughts and I need help to continue farther. I am
crossposting this message to AIX-L and AIX-Digest in a attempt to
encourage discussion that might help me track down the issue.

Thank you for time

Systems Analyst
Charleston Area Medical Center

how long did you wait after the first reboot?  sometimes it takes forever...
i've seemed this problem in some 990's before...  just let it sit there for
a couple hours if you want to make sure.

if it still stucks, i'll start looking at inittab one line at a time.  check
all the lines that have runlevel 2 and action wait.  turn them off if you can
and go from there...  probably should start from the snmpd line down...

good luck.

Orphy! :-)
Dallas, TX

You have the wrong tty cable.  It's missing the DCD signal.  You
can work around this by changing a tty attribute, but I'm not
sure which one it is.

: Hello,

: I have salvaged an Model 250 from a storeroom and I am considering
: putting it back in service for a few light duties.  I dug up a AIX 4.2.1
: license and media for a F40 that I wasn't using and have attempted to
: install it on the 250.  It seems to install without problem, but when it
: boots after installation it hangs with no LED codes.

You need to change the tty settings:

smitty chgtty
    select your console tty
    change the settings in
        STTY attributes for RUN time:
            add clocal to the list
        STTY attributes for LOGIN:
            add ixon,ixoff,clocal to the list

You might need to change the last item 'Apply change to DATABASE only'
to yes, since you can't change the run-time settings of the tty while
using it.  

Reboot...done.

Hope that helps,
--

# Department of Physical Chemistry          |      just when I am hating it?"
# The Technical University of Denmark       |---------------------------------
# Building 206                              | phone: (+45) 45 25 24 81
# DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark                   | http://www.fki.dtu.dk/~bernd/

Looks like you did good work trying to get that gem going.
AIX 4+ has a normal user interface of CDE if you install using
a graphics console.

Check your inittab and see if you have a line like:
dt:2:respawn:/usr/sbin/dtlogin
and either remove it or comment it out by putting
a leading COLON in the line.

--
Norman Levin
vm/dynAmIX inc.

AIX diagnostics and install can run with out full hand shaking on the
tty console cable.  Actually running AIX 4.2 in normal mode does
require full handshaking.  

My advice is to get a cable with all 25 pins straight through.  Then
add on a Radio Shack null modem cable for about $6.  It provides all
the handshaking required.

Quote:>Hello,

>I have salvaged an Model 250 from a storeroom and I am considering
>putting it back in service for a few light duties.  I dug up a AIX 4.2.1
>license and media for a F40 that I wasn't using and have attempted to
>install it on the 250.  It seems to install without problem, but when it
>boots after installation it hangs with no LED codes.