ICL DRS6000 boot issue 1

[KenCunningham]

Hi all,

we have a test ICL DRS 6000 sparc server which is refusing to boot. It appears to run through it's initial tests OK, but then hangs after a 'bad vtoc magic 0' message when attempting to execute /etc/vx/vx-sysboot. I'm posting in the (vain probably) hope that someone out there might know how I can interrupt this (Ctrl-C and Ctrl-Break don't work) process, or boot into single user mode to investigate what's happening and to fsck the disks. Unfortunately the original install disks appear to be lost in the mists of time and tide.

As I say, it's an old machine used for testing and I'm therefore not too concerned about getting it back, but if anyone out there has any tricks, I'd be glad to know them. Many thanks.

 

[kasparov]

Ken

Long time since I've worked on a DRS machine but isn't there a reboot button at the back which puts you into mini-root? I seem to remember it's a recessed white button on one of the processor cards. From there you may be able to mount '/'.

My memory may be failing here & perhaps you also need a boot disk ...

Good luck, Chris

 

[KenCunningham]

Chris,

thanks for that, I'll take a look. I've also telephoned an ex-colleague and he's told me where I can find a filestore repair tape, which I'll also use if possible. I'll let you know how I get on. Thanks again.

 

[KenCunningham]

Sad to say that my efforts so far have proved fruitless. There IS a reset button on the front of the box (it's a teamserver in fact), but pressing this doesn't seem to have any effect and doesn't take me to miniroot, though I feel perhaps it should. The tape mentioned above should (so far as I know) be bootable using boot 1 6 from the Input Command> prompt. The system looks to the tape drive when this command is entered, but fails to come up with anything useful thereafter. If it means anything to anyone, the tape was written using the mkfrcmt command, a new one on me. I'll keep trying, but if anyone has any other ideas I'd be glad to hear them. Thanks again for the input so far.

 

[ajigb]

Ken

There is a key in front of the server, it has 3 positions, use the 1st or 2nd point for startup in maintenance mode from here you should be able to mount the root filesystem and edit the /etc/vtoc table.


Goodluck
Gbenga

 

[KenCunningham]

Gbenga,

thanks for the advice, sorry not to have got back to you before now, but I've been on holiday. I'll give it a go! Cheers.