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Conference mvblab::alphaserver_4100

Title:AlphaServer 4100
Moderator:MOVMON::DAVISS
Created:Tue Apr 16 1996
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:648
Total number of notes:3158

529.0. "Problems creating FAT firmware floppy." by KERNEL::EVANSJ () Tue Mar 11 1997 09:59

    We have just had a customer who is trying to create a firmware update
    floppy on a PC for a 4100 following the alpha4100_v48_fw_relnotes.
    
    Running LFU failed to see the correct files.
    
    The instructions state the following:
    
     o  Copy the following files to diskette #1:
    
                        as4x00cp.txt
                        as4x00fw.txt
                        rhreadme.sys
                        rhsrmrom.sys
                        rharcrom.sys
    
    I tried it in the support centre and sure enough it failed. After
    playing about with various files I decided to use the  as4x00cp.sys
    file instead of the .txt file and all the files now load OK.
    
    Is it purely a misprint and/or has anybody else come across this problem
    
    Jon Evans
    Open Systems Support Group
    Customer Support Centre UK.
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529.1Expected behavior? Need more info from you..HARMNY::CUMMINSTue Mar 11 1997 11:2126
    The AS4X00FW file can be used, but it is used only when creating two
    diskettes; one for console (SRM and AlphaBIOS) and one for I/O adapter
    FW (CIPCA, KZPSA, DEFPA). The combined lot of SRM/AlphaBIOS console and
    I/O adapter FW won't fit on a single 1.44MB diskette. The AlphaServer
    4100/4000 platform doesn't support the larger, 2.88MB diskettes.
    
    AS4X00FW.TXT             AS4X00CP.TXT             AS4X00IO.TXT
    ------------------       ------------------       ------------------
    [as4x00]RHREADME         [as4x00]RHREADME         [as4x00]RHREADME
    [as4x00]RHSRMROM         [as4x00]RHSRMROM         
    [as4x00]RHARCROM         [as4x00]RHARCROM         
    [options]CIPCA315                                 [options]CIPCA315
    [options]DFXAA310                                 [options]DFXAA310
    [options]KZPSAA10                                 [options]KZPSAA10
    
    
    Is LFU telling you it can't find a file (presumably CIPCA315)? If so,
    this is expected when using AS4X00FW; it should have told you to insert
    a new diskette - did it?
    
    Note that V1.0-9 consoles (only a few system shipped with this version)
    had a problem with multiple floppy LFU support, but I assuem you're
    running a more recent version of console.
    
    Thanks,
    BC
529.2HARMNY::CUMMINSTue Mar 11 1997 11:236
    More..
    
    The V4.8 release notes talk about building two diskettes and the user
    being prompted to insert a new diskette. Hopefully this is the problem
    your customer is running into and not some yet unknown issue. Let me
    know. Thanks again. BC
529.3reply to .1 & .2KERNEL::EVANSJWed Mar 12 1997 08:5212
    Hi,
    
    Initially it loaded part of the readme and then prompted for another
    diskette. So I deleted the as4x00fw.txt and left the as4x00cp.txt file.
    When it asked for which file, I typed in as4x00cp. It then proceeded to
    load the readme and then hangs.
    
    Using the as4x00cp.sys both the customer and I have had no problems.
    
    Regards 
    
    Jon.
529.4use .sys files or if using ftp type asciiMAY21::SAVAGEWed Mar 12 1997 18:2422
    
    	I think you're running into a problem of the files not being
    ftp'd/copied via the proper tranfer type.  We note in our release
    notes for ftp to type ascii for the .txt files and bin for the .sys files.
    
    I tried copying/saving files from within MS Internet Explorer and find
    that floppies created with those .txt files did not work but using the
    .sys files were okay.  'same info. as noted in this note's replies.
    
    	The .txt file are for folks that want/need to modify the file so
    that a previous version of other adapter firmware (eg. cipca, kzpsa),
    supported under LFU, could be loaded.
    
    	We are going to change our release notes/procedure to use the .sys
    files so that folks do not run into this problem in the future.  
    
    Jon-
    	What method did you/your customer use to get the files from the Web
    pages?
    	
    
    	-Phyllis