How to change system clock?

[segalen]

On a AlphaServer DS10 466 MHz/Compaq Tru64 UNIX V5.1A (Rev. 1885)/Firmware Rev: 6.5-15/, when we change the time in alphabios (only the time), then at the next UNIX boot of the station we have the following message:
STATION_A vmunix: WARNING: preposterous time in TOY clock -- CHECK AND RESET THE DATE!!
and then at next time we "reenter" alphabios the year is changed to 2037.

Afterward it is impossible to set it back to a correct value like 2009!

We do not know what to do? any idea?

[Steven Schweda]

Are you really using the AlphaBIOS console,
which was intended for Windows (and possibly
Linux), or are you calling the SRM console
(">>>") by the wrong name?

If you _are_ using the AlphaBIOS console,
then _why_ are you using the AlphaBIOS
console?

Why are you trying to set the time in _any_
console mode? What's the problem with
setting the time when Tru64 is running
("date", ntp, ...)? Is there some actual
problem which you are trying to solve?

> [...] it is impossible to set it back [...]

_Impossible_? You can prove that? What did
you try? What happened when you tried it?

Tru64 and VMS don't agree about how to set
the console TOY clock in Alpha systems. I
would not be amazed if Tru64 and the
AlphaBIOS also disagreed on this.

[Rob Leadbeater]

Hi,

In addition to Steven's suggestions, you might want to check/replace the lithium battery on the motherboard...

Cheers,

Rob

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] you might want to check/replace the
> lithium battery [...]

Right. _If_ there is some actual
time-keeping problem.

[Ruja]

Hello Steven,

We are proceeding like this:
1.ESC ESC RMC
2.halt in
3.the >>> prompt appears
4. ESC ESC RMC
5.The RMC> prompt appear, and type: halt out
6.At the >>> prompt type:alphabios
7.Ctrl+B(F2)
8.Change the date/time
9.Save
10.Reset

Note that we couldn't change the time to the current time if the harware clock has a value which is higher than the current time. For example: if hardware time has the year 2032 then we can't change it to 2009. We have to change it to 2037(max. 5 year more) after this we have to reset, then we have to set the year 5 year higher(2042) and so on when we will arrive to 2070 then the year will become 1995 and only after this we have to proceed again to change the year 5 by 5 years and arrive to 2009. Then when we try to change the time we can't change it. I don't understand why.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Laury

[Steven Schweda]

> 6.At the >>> prompt type:alphabios

Ok. That's the real AlphaBIOS console, then.

Unless you're running Windows (or some Linux
which requires it), DON'T DO THIS. Different
operating systems do different things with
the TOY clock, and the AlphaBIOS console will
do Windows-appropriate things, not
Tru64-appropriate things.

> Why are you trying to set the time in _any_
> console mode? What's the problem with
> setting the time when Tru64 is running
> ("date", ntp, ...)? Is there some actual
> problem which you are trying to solve?

Still wondering.

I don't have one of these system (or the
manual for one in hand). Is there an SRM
console command to set the system time?

> [...] Firmware Rev: 6.5-15 [...]

Hardly the latest version, by the way.

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/alphaserver/firmware/current_platforms/v7.3_release/DOC/ds10_v73_fw_relnote.pdf

[Rob Leadbeater]

Hi,

Like Steven, I'm struggling to see why you're trying to set the clock in this manner...

I frequently see systems booting up that display the "...preposterous time in TOY clock..." message. We just use NTP to set the date/time to what it should be.

Is there something stopping you from doing that ?

Cheers,

Rob

[Steven Schweda]

> I frequently see systems booting up that
> display the "...preposterous time in TOY
> clock..." message. [...]

My Tru64 + VMS (dual-boot) XP1000 system does
it every time I boot Tru64 after I've booted
VMS. And VMS asks the operator for the
date-time every time I boot VMS after I've
booted Tru64. So I _know_ that Tru64 and VMS
handle the TOY clock differently. I
generally avoid the AlphaBIOS, so I know
nothing there, but it seems reasonable to
expect it to do yet a third thing to the TOY
clock.

Things seem to be organized better on IA64
systems.

[Ruja]

Hi,

The problem is that we have different values for system clock and hardware clock. Our problem is that we have to have the hardware clock value the same with system clock value.
The only method that we know how to set this value is the one described above.
If you know other method, please send us a reply. We appreciate this.

Laury

[Steven Schweda]

> The problem is that we have different
> values for system clock and hardware clock.

How do you know? Why is that a problem?

> Our problem is that we have to have the
> hardware clock value the same with system
> clock value.

Why do you care? Why is that a problem?

> The only method that we know how to set
> this value is the one described above.

Setting the system date-time using, say,
"date" doesn't change the TOY clock? I
thought that it did. (Which would explain
why I need to tell VMS the date-time when I
boot it after I've run Tru64 on my XP1000.)

> If you know other method, please send us a
> reply. We appreciate this.

I use "date". I _certainly_ don't use any
AlphaBIOS operations.