Motif 1.6 on OpenVMS I64 fails to start

[Klemmari]

I'm totally lost with DECwindows Motif 1.6 on new Itanium rx1620 hardware running OpenVMS 8.3 with latest patches. I've checked and double checked that I should have all system parameters and DECwindows server parameters correctly set, BUT STILL I cannot figure out why DECwindows server fails to start - the server error log shows following:

Radeon: Init Screen Number 0
vmsInitDevice: Can't get DVI, status: 132
%SYSTEM-F-DEVOFFLINE, device is not in configuration or not available

Unrecoverable server internal error (error code = 132) found, terminating all co
nnections.
image module routine line rel PC abs PC

0 FFFFFFFF803979C0 FFFFFFFF803979C0
DECW$SERVER_DIX 0 000000000013B740 000000000015F740
DECW$SERVER_DDX_RADEON 0 0000000000030A30 00000000014B6A30
DECW$SERVER_DIX 0 00000000000EFB40 0000000000113B40
DECW$SERVER_DDX_RADEON 0 00000000000306B0 00000000014B66B0
DECW$SERVER_DIX 0 0000000000129FF0 000000000014DFF0
DECW$SERVER_DIX 0 00000000000ED120 0000000000111120
DECW$SERVER_MAIN 0 0000000000010140 0000000000010140
DECW$SERVER_MAIN 0 00000000000100E0 00000000000100E0
0 FFFFFFFF80557EC0 FFFFFFFF80557EC0


H-E-L-P !!!

[Hoff · Accepted solution]

Do check to see what sort of graphics device is connected, and that it is working. The typical hardware here usually involves the management processor (MP), as the low-end Itanium boxes tend to use that as a graphics interface. Not all of the rx1620 series boxes have an MP configured; it was (is?) an optional component.

Do also ensure a full startup (STARTUP_P1 is set to " ") was performed, and that all devices are configured.

There's a sequence around troubleshooting a failed DECwindows startup in the OpenVMS FAQ (www.hoffmanlabs.com/vmsfaq -- the text and PDF versions are easier to search). "Why is DECwindows Motif not starting?" is the section.

If you have a software support, I'd ask HP about this -- having something tip over with a stackdump is not what I'd expect for typical OpenVMS or DECwindows behavior.

Stephen Hoffman
HoffmanLabs LLC

[Klemmari]

Actually, I have 11 pcs of these boxes on my hands and this happens on 6 out of 11. So I don't think this is a HW thing.

[Volker Halle]

Start comparing a working and a non-working node regarding the contents of DECW$SERVER_0_ERROR.LOG.

I find this in a rx2620:

...
Radeon: Init Screen Number 0
Radeon: Found PCI device.
Radeon 7000 (RV100) PCI: User specified pixel depth: 24
Radeon 7000 (RV100) PCI: Screen X,Y=(1024, 768), vsync 70 Hz, depth 24
Radeon 7000 (RV100) PCI: Map the CSRs
...

Also compare:

$ ANAL/SYS
SDA> CLUE CONFIG

and look for the GHA: device.

Volker.

[Klemmari]

Solution found! The root cause was the EFI console setting. When there is no optional management card installed on the rx1620 you MUST disable the VGA console setting. When I put serial console as the only console Motif started to work properly.

So, be careful with EFI console settings - they might have undesired side effects :-)

A big thanks to all of you for the help I received!

[Klemmari]

VGA console setting must be "NC" when no optional management card is present on rx1620.