Failing installations for various NetBSD versions on MicroVAX 3100

[Dennis <spam%dingeldein-online.de@localhost>]

As I wrote in another post, I want to install a newer version then 1.5.3 
(dated 2002) on my old MicroVAX 3100.

My goal is just to install a newer version of NetBSD on the MicroVAX 
3100, version itself is not so important.


I tried a whole bunch of CDROM install versions, but all of these failed 
for various reasons. I am listing the issues below per version I have tried.

I am willing to go to some debugging process if anyone has an idea how 
to improve the situation.

Maybe there is a known well working newer version for MicroVax 3100.

I saw that someone has success with MicroVax 3600 and 3800 (described 
here https://hawk.ro/stories/bsduvaxii/) and some older issue with CPU 
types are described and solved here 
https://muc.lists.netbsd.port.vax.narkive.com/Xj3rhjwR/netbsd-vax , but 
this does not provide me with a path to go for my situation...

Dennis

----

Details on issues per NetBSD version I experienced:


1.5.3

installed from floppy+local FTP server, works very well. I did that two 
times in last 3 days.


All versions below were trials to install, using CDROM ISO Images.


1.6.2

This is first version that has an ISO image for vax. The boot runs until 
these lines:

        >>> boot DKB500
        -DKB500
        >> NetBSD/vax boot [1.11 Wed Feb 11 09:14:20 UTC 2004] <<
        >> Press any key to abort autoboot 0
        changing bootrpb.unit from 500 to 5
        getdisklabel: no disk label
        nfs_open: must mount first.
        2371692+117752=0x25fe00
        Copyright (c) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
            The NetBSD Foundation, Inc.  All rights reserved.
        Copyright (c) 1982, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993
            The Regents of the University of California.  All rights 
reserved.

        NetBSD 1.6.2 (INSTALL) #0: Wed Feb 11 09:24:13 UTC 2004

        ...
        // some lines deleted
        ...

        boot device: cd0
        root on md0a dumps on md0b
        Clock has gained 7182 days - CHECK AND RESET THE DATE.
        root file system type: ffs
        <hangs forever>

2.0

install script runs, sysinst is executed, looks like installation is 
working ok, but installboot gave a "signal" during install, result is 
not bootable.

cpu detected correctly as: cpu: KA41/42

7.0

install script runs, sysinst is executed, but illegal instruction error 
when executing "disklabel -w -r -f /tmp/disktab sd1 'mydisk"

First version that detected cpu wrong as: cpu0 at mainbus0: KA420, CVAX, 
1KB L1 cache

I suppose all versions after 7.0 do detect wrong CPU. Maybe this is 
harmless.

7.2

install script runs, this is the first version giving this type of error:

                    cd0(si1:0:5:0):  Check Condition on CDB: 0x08 01 e6 
dc 01 00
                        SENSE KEY:  Media Error
                    INFO FIELD:  124636
                        ASC/ASCQ:  No Seek Complete

                    RRIP without PX field?
                    cd0(si1:0:5:0):  Check Condition on CDB: 0x08 01 e6 
dc 01 00
                        SENSE KEY:  Media Error
                    INFO FIELD:  124636
                        ASC/ASCQ:  No Seek Complete
        cpu detected wrong as: cpu0 at mainbus0: KA420, CVAX, 1KB L1 cache

8.1,8.2,9.0,9.3:

all fail during reading CDROMs, it looks like kernel itself cannot be 
loaded, so the initial CDROM read already fails. No output lines are 
produced, I see only the failure message of VAX Console. This looks like:

>>> boot DKB500

-DKB500DKBTDRIVER halting at relative address 041A  DKBTDRIVER base addr 
= 000F1114
REGISTERS   R0: 00000054   R1: 00000003   R2: 00000000   R3: 00101DC0
            R4: 00000000   R5: 000A1698   R6: 000F1046   R7: 200C0180
            R8: 00000800   R9: 000F0000  R10: 000FF6D0  R11: 000A1698
CMDBUF: 00000800 00000306  SENSE_BUF: 0A000000 00050070
STATUS_BUF: 02             SENSE_STATUS: 00
MSG_IN_BUF: 00             SENSE_MSG_IN: 00         SENSE_INDEX: FFFFFFFF
USER_BUF_ADDR: 000FF6D0    TOTAL_XFER_COUNT: 00000000 BYTES_LEFT: 00000800
PG_TABLE_PTR: 00000000     BASE_VPN: 000007FB       BUFFER_PTR: 000FF6D0
MAP_MODE: 00000000
STACK:  000F1515
        000F1F28
        00000000
        000F17DA
        000F1724
        000F109F
 85 RESTART SYS
 84 FAIL

Manual mount for the 9.3 version CDROM gives that "RRIP w/o PX field" 
error, even on command line when using common shell commands like "cd" 
and "ls"


7.1.2   Tried that version too, also failed, but I did not note what the 
issue was there