P670 boot to Installation and Maint Menu

[rondebbs]

I just took an AIX class. We were using AIX 5.3 on P520 and P540 boxes. We used web based systems manager on our PC's to shut down and activate partitions. When we activated/rebooted, we clicked on the box to open a terminal window and then kept hitting esc 5 or esc 6 until the box booted into the Installation and Maintenance menu (different than sms). At some point we would finally get to "Start Maintenance Mode for System Recovery". This would allow us to fix booting problems related to a bad rootvg or bad inittab etc.

I have tried this same process on my p670 running 5.2 and with an older hmc. Esc 6 and esc 5 will not get me into the Installation and Maintence menu. Does anyone know how to make this work on my p670? Again, the HMC is remote so I am using Web-Based System Manager from my pc. When I activate I click the box to open terminal window.

 

[DukeSSD]

I don't believe you.

Esc (number) emulates the function keys on a dumb terminal.

RS6000 / pSeries / system P have not used the function keys to access SMS or the service boot options for years, they never did on dumb terminals, only LFTs.

just use 1, 5, 6 or 8 on the qwerty side of the keyboard for either dumb or LFT terminals.

 

[rondebbs]

I think I know what the issue is. When we were doing this remotely in class they must of had the #1 aix installation CD mounted. I think if I can get someone at the remote site to put in the aix 5.2 CD, everything might work. I'll have to add cd0 to the bootlist ahead of hdisk0.

 

[DukeSSD]

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/eserver/v1r3s/index.jsp?topic=/iphb6/postkeys.htm

May help you.

If you do a service boot from a AIX hard disk you should boot to diagnostics instead of AIX.

As it says: " Note: The program function keys (F1-F12) on a keyboard attached to the service processor are not used and are ignored. After the keyboard POST indicator is displayed, you must use the numeric number keys." - they mean the qwerty ones, NOT the numeric keypad ones.

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/eserver/v1r3s/index.jsp?topic=/iphau/aixdiagnostics.htm

Describes the service boot.

"The Vterm screen appears. At the bottom of the Vterm screen the Power On Self Test (POST) indicators begin appearing one at a time. After the POST indicator word "keyboard" displays and before the last POST indicator word "speaker" displays, press the numeric "6" key to boot standalone diagnostics. "

No mention of the Esc key.....

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/eserver/v1r3s/index.jsp?topic=/iphcd/fc5714ussmitc.htm

Is a good example of a smit screen where the console emulation is not defined, note the use of the Esc key to emulate the function keys on a dumb terminal.