Earlier this morning, I wrote:

> In lieu of SRM, I now get a 1-1-4 beep code, which the Digital 
> AlphaStation 255 Family User Information manual tells me means:
>
>     (1) The SROM code could not read the DROM (diagnostic read only 
> memory)
>     or flashROM headers, or (2) there was a checksum failure.
>
> [ ... ]
>
> I notice that there's a setting on the config switch to boot from 
> floppy. I only hope that there's a floppy image out there that I can 
> use to correct this problem. I can't reflash by typing commands at the 
> SRM, of course, because I can't get that far. Does the boot floppy 
> technique just Do The Right Thing, without needing to type at a 
> prompt? Does anyone know where I might find such a floppy image?

Well, I've done a lot of web searching, and it seems that what I want 
is a failsafe load (FSL) floppy. I am hopeful that the instructions on 
the page

     http://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Alpha/firmware/archive/astn255.html

for building a bootable firmware update floppy disk will get me such a 
thing. However, it gives a firmware updater program and a program to 
turn that into a bootable floppy -- from Tru64 or OpenVMS. Does anyone 
happen to have a Tru64 or OpenVMS/Alpha system, and would you be 
willing to send me the output of

     ./mkbootfirm fwupdate.exe > bootfloppy-image

or something similar, using the files from the indicated web page? 
(That would be the Tru64 Unix command; the commands on OpenVMS would 
differ, of course.) Or, alternatively, just point me to where I could 
find a pre-built firmware update floppy, or where would be a better 
place to ask.

I'd really appreciate it.

- Geoff