Alphastation ARC/Alphabios Boot Readme



September, 1996

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Introduction



This file describes how to build an ARC or Alphabios bootable floppy

that can be booted from the SRM console. This functionality was

first introduced on the V3.6 Firmware Update CD, but the overall

process has been greatly simplified for the V3.7 and follow-on CD

releases.



The ARC or Alphabios console can be booted from the V3.7 CD. For

instructions see the AlphaStation 200/400 Series Firmware Update

Procedures doumentation shipped with the V3.7 CD.



If you do not wish to boot the ARC or Alphabios console from the CD

but instead wish to boot from the floppy device, follow these steps:



Step 1.



Boot your standard operating system; OpenVMS or Digital UNIX and

mount the V3.7 Firmware Update CD.



Copy the proper file based on the chart below to your system



System Type         OS Type    Required Boot File



Alphastation 200    UNIX       /alpha200/arcboot.exe

Alphastation 250    UNIX       /alpha200/arcboot.exe

Alphastation 255    UNIX       /alpha255/abboot.exe

Alphastation 400    UNIX       /alpha200/arcboot.exe

Alphastation 200    VMS        [alpha200]arcboot.exe

Alphastation 250    VMS        [alpha200]arcboot.exe

Alphastation 255    VMS        [alpha255]abboot.exe

Alphastation 400    VMS        [alpha200]arcboot.exe



If your system type is VMS use Method 1 to build the boot floppy,

otherwise for UNIX use Method 2. Where 'filename' is noted below

substitute the proper file name from the chart above.



Method 1, 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) filename.exe

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



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

     dva0.



     $ mount dva0: filename

     $ create/dir dva0:[alpha200]





     Note: Use an appropriate directory name for your system. This example

     shows one for an AlphaStation 200.



     $ copy/contiguous fwupdate.exe dva0:[alpha200]

     $ mcr writeboot

     No

     Yes

     [enter AXP bootfile:] dva0:[alpha200]filename.exe



     $ dismount dva0:



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

     console:



     >>> boot dva0





Method 2, Boot Floppy (Digital UNIX systems)



To create a bootable floppy using Digital UNIX:



  1. Download the file mkbootfirm.tar.



     You can untar mkbootfirm on your target Digital UNIX system with the

     command:



     tar xvf mkbootfirm.tar



  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 mkbootfirm on the filename.exe firmware image that you downloaded.



     mkbootfirm uses a .exe 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:



     ./mkbootfirm filename.exe | dd of=/dev/rfd0c bs=64k



     NOTE: This assumes the mkbootfirm 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 dva0