On Tue, 8 May 2001, Ian Wells wrote:

> > > 	Here's some interesting info for some opening thoughts:
> > > / $ size dgux
> > > size: dgux: Warning - internal conversion of COFF file to ELF
> > > 2574024 + 511540 + 0 = 3085564
> > 
> > Interesting.  I wonder if the BSS size is a side-effect of the
> > conversion, or if they've simply eliminated uninitialized data
> > in the kernel...
> 
> It's not impossible to make a kernel without uninitialised data, just
> annoying...  With the right linker flags, it should be easy enough, I'd
> think.  When we have a linker ;-)

	Acording to the SysAdmin, when "compiling" a DG/UX kernel, all the
kernel modules come as objects, and just need to be linked I guess.

> > > / $ file dgux
> > > dgux:           88Open BCS pure executable not stripped
> > 
> > That's not too unexpected.  However, it makes me wonder if the ROM
> > will boot an ELF kernel...
> 
> I've noticed this before.  I suspect it is the case that the PROM will only
> boot BCS (which is a lot older than ELF and COFF, after all) and that we
> might need to write a converter from ELF to BCS.  

	Or some matter of two-stage boot loader...

> People keep talking of an AV300 manual which details lots of interesting
> hardware information.  I don't suppose that someone has one plus a digital
> camera or scanner?

	I can ask about, we have a few hard cover DG manuals around, but I
believe most of the material that is pertinent to the systems we have is
in PDF. I'll look and see what I can dig up at some point.

> Also, has anyone managed to extract the AV5500 ROM image?  I've tried in the
> past on a running DG system, but didn't have much success.  Since it's
> capable of booting from the net, booting from SCSI and doing a variety of
> diagnostic tests, it would probably make interesting reading...

	Sounds like the DEC MIPS and Alpha machines' PROM. I haven't had a
chance to sit down at one yet, but it looks pretty nifty. When I get a
system open I'll look and see if I can figure out where the ROM is stored
and what type of chip it is.


	Chris