Conference csc32::consolemanager

    Tony, have you asked them to try the CONNECT interface to the VLC?

Hi Tony,

	We here at the CSC in Colorado Springs use a VAXstation 4000 VLC
in our lab.  We are currently running the ECO2 on a VAX 4000-60 and connect
to the VAXstation 4000 VLC via Telnet and it works fine.  What version 
of PCM are you running and what are the port characteristics of the port
that you are connecting through. 

Dennis

    Tony,

    I'm managing several of these also.  I've noticed a couple of interesting
    quirks with the alternate console interface on the VAXstation 4000-VLC.

    First, if you are attempting to do a B/100 from your VLC managed system,
    the VLC console sends out a terminal n inquire escape sequence.  Your
    PCM terminal or DECwindow then then sends back the appropriate Device 
    Attributes escape sequence string.  This string of characters now becomes
    the response to the Bootfile prompt.  You need to change your terminal (or
    DECterm window) so that it does not send back a DA string.

    Second, you need to insure that your VLC firmware is at V1.4.  If you are
    not at V1.4 and you're running OpenVMS and it increases the sysgen
    parameter SPTREQ beyond about 10000, then you're going to either hang the
    system or get garbage characters when you try to reboot the system.  The
    only way to get the console port talking again is to power cycle the VLC.

    Hope this helps.

    Jim

    Ok, time to come clean on this one. It was me at a customer site.
    
    We weren't trying to do a boot/100. We couldn't even get to boot. It
    was at the power on cycle. we would turn it on and get rubbish coming
    down the line. At this point, PCM isn't even involved. I conncted it up
    to a terminal (Yes one of those VT420 things!) and it was just rubbish.
    Before you ask, the speed and parity were set correctly.
    
    Another strange thing about this is that we left by having PCM plugged
    into the alternate console port, but booting normally. We can't log
    into the port (TTA3:), but we can get text out of it (I turned on OPCOM
    so we could get the messages)
    
    I have asked them to check the firmware
    
    Any more ideas.
    
    Shaun
    

    I assume you did toggle the S3 (Alternate Console Switch), You didn't
    say so so I thought I'd mention it.
    
    Regs,
      Dan

Dan!

You have to ask?

To start at the beginning....

4000 VLC running on its graphics console. Used to have a printer connected to TTA3:
Stopped the print queue. Deleted all reference (set device nospool as well)
Switched s3 over - get cr*p on serial console (now OPA0: was TTA3:) Not a speed
or parity problem.
Switched s3 back, now is TTA3 again.
Turned OPCOM on TTA3, can get data out (i.e. can see OPCOM messages)
Can't get data in (can't log in, for example), no response
Isn't the cable, as it has been tested

Shaun

    >You have to ask?
    
    C'mon Shaun, how many times have you been bitten when you haven't asked
    the obvious....;-}
    
    This also begs another obvious question... did you power-off the system
    , flick the switch and then power it back up? If you didn't then that
    maybe your problem. 
    
    Regs,
      Dan

Dan,

yes. Anyway - for the alternate console to be used you have to power down and up
the system. Where we get the garbage seems to be where the VLC would normally
show the test bar at the top of the screen. Now, if it was sending that out down
the serial line, I could understand the complaints from the machine as it would
be expecting a 'graphics' capable device - not a VT, even though we've told it to
use a vT.

How many times have I been caught out by not asking the obvious? Too many. I wrote
a whole manual once on what to do if your terminal doesn't work. Had a flow chart 
that went:

Do you have a cursor
	no - is it plugged in?
	Yes - is the switch on?
	Yes - is the cable FIRMLY in the back of the monitor?
	Yes - is the brightness/contrast turned up to the correct level?

etc, etc

Shaun

>yes. Anyway - for the alternate console to be used you have to power down and up
    
    Exactly why I asked!! ;-}
    
    
I've got a VLC hooked up in my lab. I just power cycled it and I 
    got the POST as I expected as well as the memory test "bar"
    
    So that you can compare, the cpu/firmware ident as printed
    by the POST is
    
    KA48-A V1.3-343-V4.0
    
    I cut and pasted this right out of the CONNECT
    window.
    
    Regs,
      Dan
How many times have I been caught out by not asking the obvious? Too many. I wrote
a whole manual once on what to do if your terminal doesn't work. Had a flow chart 
that went:

Do you have a cursor
	no - is it plugged in?
	Yes - is the switch on?
	Yes - is the cable FIRMLY in the back of the monitor?
	Yes - is the brightness/contrast turned up to the correct level?

etc, etc

Shaun