7.1 to 7.2-2 display problem

[Gregg Parmentier]

I'm trying to upgrade a 4100 5/600 with an ELSA Gloria Synergy video card in it from 7.1 to 7.2-2.

If I install 7.2-2 (or 7.3-1) onto a clean disk, the video works fine. If I upgrade from the existing 7.1 to 7.2-2, the video display doesn't start properly. It looks like it does a first overlay, then hangs before adding the color.

This is complicated by the change in the error log format between those two versions. When I convert the error log file, analyze /error gives me a record too large for users buffer error and doesn't give me any information at all. The system is logging errors at a very fast rate after the upgrade. It fills the available 25 million blocks on the system disk in under 24 hours.

I checked the decw$logicals and decw$server_0 tables for differences, and don't see any. The device information also looks the save. I've tried installing the graphics patch for 7.2-2, and I've tried installing the alp4d20to1_071.a patch before upgrading. The lack of master indexes for the patch directories hasn't helped in my search for a solution. I know this video card can be a problem, but if it works for a clean install, it really should work for an upgrade.

I also have no choice but to upgrade, building up from a blank disk and installing apps isn't an option, there's way too much legacy customizing, and the system isn't expected to be in service long enough to justify the amount of work involved.

Any suggestions?

[Hoff]

Ok, you can't use VMSINSTAL-based patch kits on V7.1-2 and later. If you try, you may well stomp on stuff. And don't bother trying to load an ECO before an upgrade, as system files (all) get replaced.

If this box is going out of service real soon now, you might not want to upgrade the software. Find a PowerStorm 3D30 or PowerStorm 4D20 or such around, and use that. Or aim the display at a Mac OS X client box (which has X11) or at a Microsoft Windows box with an X Window System server package installed.

As for patch kits, do load:
ftp://ftp.itrc.hp.com/openvms_patches/alpha/V7.2-2/VMS722_GRAPHICS-V0100.txt
or rather better, load:
ftp://ftp.itrc.hp.com/openvms_patches/alpha/V7.2-2/VMS722_UPDATE-V0100.txt
...at least...

HP specifically recommended against continued use of ALP4D20T01_071 (in general), too, as that kit was for V7.1, V7.1-1H1 and V7.1-1H2. Which usually means that problems were found.

Make sure you have no drivers or other (stale) detritus lurking in the SYS$SPECIFIC:[*] directories, too. That can snarl upgrades.

And if you're working on a release this far back and lack the ECOs and lack the master list, do just grab all of the TXT files from the patch area (as a text transfer), and grab all of the kits (binary), and roll your own list of kits to install.

Stephen Hoffman
HoffmanLabs LLC

[Volker Halle]

Gregg,

you need to install DECevent V3.4 ($ DIAGNOSE command) to be able to decode those errlog entries for V7.2-2.

http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/svctools/

Volker.

[Gregg Parmentier]

"unexpected interrupt or exception" multiple times a second, which only appears when decwindows is attemptng to complete startup (decw$startup.com ends with a good status.)

I stop the decw$server_0 process and the errors stop.

time to start looking for the correct "detrius" to remove.

[Volker Halle]

Gregg,

are there some commands in SYCONFIG.COM ? I remember having seen some possible OPEN3D procedure invocation.

Volker.

[Volker Halle]

Gregg,

are these errors:

UNXINTEXC, unexpected interrupt or exception

i.e. non-fatal bugcheck entries ? Which process is reporting them ? If you would (dynamically !) set BUGCHECKFATAL=1, you would get a system-crash once such an error happens.

Volker.

[Gregg Parmentier]

Yeah, I thought of that one, but haven't tried it yet.

Right now I'm going through seven years of bad administration of the params.dat file. A previous admin liked to make changes there instead of modparams.dat. 483 lines is a bit long for params.dat, IMO. Especially when most of that is in the modparams.dat file, already.

I'm also going to look into replacing the ELSA Gloria, too. There are way too many patches that list it by name for me to be comfortable with it.

[Hoff]

The ELSA GLoria is a slow controller, but then the releases here are far enough back that the releases and the patches don't reflect, um, what has been learned.

Of the recent graphics controllers, the Radeon 7500 is probably the best choice for various reasons (and it synchronizes with LCDs), though the controller does require an EV6-class box and there's no EV6 upgrade for the AlphaServer 4100 series.

Or a client box with an X Window Server available, and a remote display or the aforementioned PowerStorm 3D30 or 4D20.

And FWIW, the PowerStorm 3D30 and 4D20 and similarly old controllers don't necessarily sync all that reliably with LCD panels; there tends to be artifact. VGA CRT works fine.