This file explains how to create an ARC/AlphaBIOS boot floppy
for either OpenVMS or Digital UNIX systems.

If you did not receive ARC or AlphaBIOS images with this tile,
the ARC/AlphaBIOS images can be found on the Firmware
subscription CD starting with revision 3.6.

The files are as follows:

For Alphastation 200/250/400 systems locate file ARC445.CMP.
This file is located on the CD in directory [ALPHA200] or [ALPHA400]

For Alphastation 255 systems locate file AB512.CMP.
This file is located on the CD in directory [ALPHA255]

Once the boot floppy has been made insure that your Alphastation
200/250/255/400 platform is running SRM version 6.1-2 or greater.
If not you will need to flash upgrade.

For Alphastation 200/250/400 use update utility 5.6 or greater.
For Alphastation 255 use update utility 7.2 or greater.

Please follow directions in section A or B depending on your
current operating system type for creating the boot floppy .

A.  Boot Floppy (Digital UNIX systems)

To create a bootable floppy using Digital UNIX:

  1. Download the file mkbootarc.tar.

     You can untar mkbootarc on your target Digital UNIX system with the
     command:

     tar xvf mkbootarc.tar

	This file contains 2 .cmp images
		ab512.cmp for Alphastation 255 platforms
		arc445.cmp for Alphastation 200/250/400 series platforms

  2. Make sure you have a floppy that has been low-level formatted.

     For example, to low-level format a floppy in drive zero:

     fddisk -fmt /dev/rfd0a

  3. Run mkbootarc on the .cmp firmware image that you downloaded.

     mkbootarc uses a .cmp firmware image to create a file that can be dd'd
     to a floppy.

     The following will create a bootable floppy from a downloaded .exe
     firmware image:

     ./mkbootarc arc445.cmp | dd of=/dev/rfd0c bs=64k

     NOTE: This assumes the mkbootarc executable is in the current
     directory and that the floppy is in drive zero.

  4. Insert the floppy on the target system and boot it from the SRM
     console:

     >>> boot -arc dva0



B.  Boot Floppy (OpenVMS systems)

To create a bootable floppy using OpenVMS:

  1. Enter the following commands:

     $ set file/attr=(rfm:fix,lrl:512,mrs:512,rat:none) arc445.cmp
                                                           or
                                                        ab512.cmp

     $ init/dens=HD/index=begin dva0: arcfirm

     Note: If your floppy drive is named otherwise, use that name instead of
     dva0.

     $ mount dva0: arcfirm
     $ create/dir dva0:[arcfirm]

     $ copy/contiguous ab512.cmp dva0:[arcfirm] for Alphastation 255 or
     $ copy/contiguous arc445.cmp dva0:[arcfirm] for all other Alphastations 
     $ mcr writeboot
     No
     Yes
     [enter AXP bootfile:] dva0:[arcfirm]ab512.cmp for Alphastation 255 or
     [enter AXP bootfile:] dva0:[arcfirm]arc445.cmp for all other Alphastations 


     $ dismount dva0:

  2. Insert the floppy on the target system and boot it from the SRM
     console:

     >>> boot -arc dva0