EFI console gets to Shell> prompt and loops.

[Brian Schenkenberger]

OK... first things first... it is an rx2600... I fat fingered and wrote rx3600 in the inial question.

History:

System has been up and down more times that I can remember because I am doing system level development on VMS. I was shutting down the system to "decluster" it and run it standalone for some testing. The system went down and I got to the usual "Hit any key to continue (or reboot, whatever it says)". The system starts its report of devices being scanned and then clears the screen to put up the menu with [EFI Boot} option (which I have as the first option. It immediately continues showing me the fs*: and blk*: devices and then to the Shell> prompt where it loops.


I have two identical rx2600s (save for the front faceplate -- one white, one black). I've swapped console cable connections on both and the results are the same. As for autobaud, it would be on the console side if that somehow got enabled, not on the terminal.

I need to get to the Shell> prompt so that I can boot it with options for VMS. I can't get to Boot Maint if it immediately drops into the [EFI Boot] option (unless somebody knows another route to it through his console.

[Antoniov.]

Brian,
you are blessed! I'm a vms developer too.
After of this thread, call for other gurus in vms forum!
On my RX2600 I use old VT400 terminal. It set with 9600 baud, 8 bit, 1 stop, no parity, no modem control, no autobaud.
I connected my VT terminal to 25 pin db connector, called UPS/console, not to any 9 pin db connector.
EFI shell works fine.

Antonio Vigliotti

[Brian Schenkenberger]

I have defined services on one of my DECservers and do a $ SET HOST/LAT RX2600{B/W}_CONSOLE

The port is set 9600.

I have even tried connecting my VT200 and my VT525. No go. I used the same bluetooth-serial connector and my Powerbook G4 17" and the xterm under eXodus like I did during the Intel/Itanium get a box for $2K seminar. Nothing gets by this problem. ...and all is well on the other (white) rx2600. I'd even swap the face plates if anybody thought it would matter.

[Antoniov.]

Brian,
check for console parameter.
At console level choice CM (Command Menu).
In CM type SA and check for system asynchronous parameters.

HTH
Antonio Vigliotti

[Brian Schenkenberger]

After several weeks of distraction, I am finally ready to get back to this. I've had this box powered off for all this time and it still hasn't made any difference.

I've looked at the CM> SA as suggested... What am I looking for?

[Stefan Stechemesser]

Hi Brian,

it looks like you have an autoboot option that results in the infinite loop. Either your default boot options point to a faulty bootloader or EFI script, or on you boot partition there is a bad startup script "startup.nsh" that will be executed automatically during every boot. To get out of this situation, I would unplugg all disks to avoid starting the bad scripts/loaders (don't forget the DVD Rom). In this case the standart EFI shell will start or at least the boot manager will be available and you can run the efi shell.

After that, plug in your disks and run the commands

reconnect -r
map -r

which will scan the busses and disks.

After that you will have the filesystems fs0: fs1: etc. available and you can check if there are any startup.nsh scripts ("edit startup.nsh").
You can also enter from the boot manager the boot options maintenance menu and check what is the default boot option (I would recomend to enter a timeout to give you the chance to stop the autoboot process).

I hope this helps

Stefan