Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!cbatt!ucbvax!grandi@seismo.CSS.GOV@noao.UUCP From: grandi@seismo.CSS.GOV@noao.UUCP Newsgroups: mod.computers.vax Subject: Re: Alternating Ultrix and VMS on a VAXstation 2000 Message-ID: <8702171856.AA15847@noao.ARPA> Date: Tue, 17-Feb-87 13:56:27 EST Article-I.D.: noao.8702171856.AA15847 Posted: Tue Feb 17 13:56:27 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 18-Feb-87 22:49:17 EST References: <8702161639.AA16154@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: noao!grandi@seismo.CSS.GOV (Steve Grandi) Organization: National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson AZ Lines: 32 Approved: info-vax@sri-kl.arpa In article <8702161639.AA16154@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> "Greg Hamm" writes: > >My query about running both Ultrix and VMS (alternately) on a single >Ethernetted VAXstation-2000 yielded an informative response from a DEC >person, which I summarize here: > I've just installed Ultrix 1.2a on a VAXstation II/GPX that has been running VMS for a while. Disk DUA0 contains VMS and DUA1 contains Ultrix. Using the conversational bootstrap, I can boot either one and I've had no problems (I carefully write-protect the disk that is not in use!). The kicker is installing the software on the disks. Since VMS was already running (and since I'm not a VMS expert) I left VMS on DUA0 and tried to install Ultrix on DUA1. The bottom line is that such an installation is impossible! I had to move disk drive jumpers and make DUA1 be DUA0 for a short while to complete the installation. A real pain in the rear, and I expect that I will have to do the same when I upgrade to Ultrix 2.0. It would just take a small change... Ultrix came as a bootable TK50 which boots, then copies a small "mini-root" Ultrix system to the swap area of the system disk which is used to initialize the system disk partitions and to read the real system off the TK50. The copy command asks you where to put the mini-root (defaulting to DUA0), so it is easy to put the mini-root on DUA1. HOWEVER, the mini-root has hard-wired that it is running on DUA0 and crashes quickly if it is run from DUA1. Now, the 4.2/3BSD mini-roots ASK the user what disk they are running from, so all DEC would have to do is restore this feature (with a proper default) and I would be happy and the novice installer shouldn't be hurt either. -- Steve Grandi, National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson, AZ, 602-325-9228 UUCP: {arizona,decvax,hao,ihnp4,seismo}!noao!grandi Internet: grandi@noao.arpa SPAN/HEPNET: 5356::GRANDI or DRACO::GRANDI