HP-ux 9.04!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nalin Uduwawala]

We have a hp9000/g30 which upon a powedr up does not seem to locate the kernel.

We are at an iSL prompt.

We are new to this system.

How can we get the machine to look in the tape drive to look for a new kernel ?

Thanks in advance for any response.

[Andy Monks]

At the isl prompt try the following :-

hpux ls /

It should list the root directory. See if you have any files around 2mb in size. Long time since I've touched 9.X, but I think the backup kernel is called 'sysbck' or similiar.

Once found try :-

hpux /sysbck (or whatever it's called)

[Nalin Uduwawala]

Thanks. We do not seem to have the stand/ or any oher similar directories.

so we have to ask the machine to look at the tape.

Would you know the command ?

[Andreas Voss]

To boot from tape:

Interrupt the boot sequence.
Type : SEARCH
You get a list of devices which are numered with P0, P2, P2 ....
Choose the tape device (look within the hardware path for the last digit, this is the scsi address (for DAT usual 3))
Then type for e.g.: BOOT P2

Greetings

Andrew

[Nalin Uduwawala]

around what point can I iterrupt ? Is the key stroke CTRL+B ?

I can see it checking memory and in no time it is at the isl prompt.

Regards,

NAlin

[Andy Monks]

9.04 doesn't have /stand. the kernel should be in the root directory. See what's there with the command I already gave you.

[Patrick Wessel]

Nalin,

There is no /stand directory at hp-ux 9.XX The kernel files are located in the root directory. As Andy mentioned, they are 2Gbyte or lager. Look for hp-ux or SYSBCK.
If the system was able to boot to ISL try to execute the 'lsa' command. This command displays the autofile. It contains the normal bootstring, which will be executed if you do not boot to ISL.
It contains something like:
hpux (;0)/hp-ux

Type in exactly that line that lsa returns. If the bootprocess fails provide us the detailed error message


Unfortunately a G30 is not able to search for bootable devices like Andreas described. You have two chances to find the tape device.
a) you know the address
b) you use iomap

Start iomap at the ISL prompt and look for the tape
Reset the box and wait until it prompts you to interrupt the bootprocess

It comes up with the question if it should boot from primary bootpath. No, we don't want to do that. Answer with no. The next question is, if you want to boot from alternate bootpath. Well, I think we can give it a try. If you answer that question again with no the box asked you for a path to boot. Now you can type in the path of the tape you figured out with iomap

Good luck

[Venu_2]

Hi,

Have you tried this command at ISL for the system to boot

ISL> hpux (;0)/hpux

This should should work if your machine has the operating system loaded, if not try the below.

Equivilent to search we can use IOMAP to find the devices.

For this at ISL>

give the following

ISL> ls

ls list the ISL utilities if you could see IOMAP just type

ISL> IOMAP

carefull it is destructive if not used properly.

If you have IOMAP you will find the tape drive address.

reboot the system and break autoboot process

Main>boot address_of_the_tape_drive


Hope this helps

venu

[Nalin Uduwawala]

Thank you guys.

IS ctrl+b the way to stop the boot process ?

At around what point shoud I do this ?

[Bill Hassell]

CTRL-B is used to disconnect from any running operating system and activate the processor ROMs. However, you *must* be on the RS-232 console to have this happen and the CPU must not be in a locked mode (ie, CTRL-B doesn't do anything).

The only reason you would use CTRL-B is to force a crash dump (the TC command). It is not needed to reboot as you just cycle power. As the system comes up, watch the selftest and when the processor ROMs state that you have 10 seconds to interrupt the boot process, press a key on the keyboard. Then state you want to boot from the primary path, and yes to interact with IPL.

The boot string for 9.04 must be longer to ensure that it finds the kernel. There are normally 2 kernels: /hp-ux and /SYSBCKUP. Try either with:

hpux -is (;0)/hp-ux

or

hpux -is (;0)/SYSBCKUP

If neither are found, then someone has removed these files and you will most likely have to reinstall. A common reason they get removed is someone needed the disk space...
While you can try using the Support tape or CDROM to recover your system without a reinstall, the steps are complex-you'll need the Supoort Tape/CDROM manual and of course, the tape or CD.

[Nalin Uduwawala]

I have found the address of the tape to be 52.0.0 and gave the boot command after breaking the boot process.

However it is not giving any response yet.

I gave a command of boot52.0.0

[Nalin Uduwawala]

I gave the boot command and it said "hard booted."

Now I have a larger list of commands to run
than previously.

How should I proceed ?

[Patrick Wessel]

Depends on the tape you are booting from. If this is an install tape hp-ux 10.X you must do nothing. Don't interact with ISL, let the system simply boot up and it does every thing to do by itself.
The question is what kind of tape are you booting from?

[Patrick Wessel]

...and to install 9.x you need to type the following string at the ISL prompt:

ISL> hpux install to (physical_path_of_disk)