Installing NetBSD 5.0.2 on the SIMH MicroVAX II

Tape file:

#!/usr/local/bin/perl -w
use strict;

# Based on mkdisttap.pl
# ftp://ftp.mrynet.com/pub/os/PUPS/PDP-11/Boot_Images/2.11_on_Simh/211bsd/mkdisttap.pl

#
# $Id: mkdisttap.pl,v 1.1 2006/09/16 23:33:46 kirk Exp kirk $
#

# Based on the example in the HOWTO using dd.  Does not work!
# add_file("cat mtboot mtboot boot |", 512);

# Based on the maketape.c program and the maketape.data data file.
add_file("boot.fs", 512);
end_file();
add_file("kern-GENERIC.tar", 10240);
end_file();
add_file("base.tar", 10240);
end_file();
add_file("etc.tar", 10240);
end_file();
add_file("games.tar", 10240);
end_file();
add_file("man.tar", 10240);
end_file();
add_file("misc.tar", 10240);
end_file();
add_file("tests.tar", 10240);
end_file();
add_file("text.tar", 10240);
end_file();
end_file();

sub end_file {
  print "\x00\x00\x00\x00";
}

sub add_file {
  my($filename, $blocksize) = @_;
  my($block, $bytes_read, $length);

  open(FILE, $filename) || die("Can't open $filename: $!");
  while($bytes_read = read(FILE, $block, $blocksize)) {
    if($bytes_read < $blocksize) {
      $block .= "\x00" x ($blocksize - $bytes_read);
      $bytes_read = $blocksize;
    }
    $length = pack("V", $bytes_read);
    print $length, $block, $length;
  }
  close(FILE);
}

ini file

set rq0 ra81
set rq1 ra81
set rq2 dis 
set rq3 dis
set rl dis
att rq0 ra81.disk0
att rq1 scratch.disk1
att tq0 502.tap
att xq 42323 23
boot cpu

boot from tape

boot mua0

VAX simulator V3.8-1
RQ: creating new file
Loading boot code from ka655x.bin


KA655-B V5.3, VMB 2.7
Performing normal system tests.
40..39..38..37..36..35..34..33..32..31..30..29..28..27..26..25..
24..23..22..21..20..19..18..17..16..15..14..13..12..11..10..09..
08..07..06..05..04..03..
Tests completed.
>>>boot mua0
(BOOT/R5:0 MUA0



  2..
-MUA0
  1..0..


>> NetBSD/vax boot [1.11 Sat Feb  6 22:37:47 UTC 2010] <<
>> Press any key to abort autoboot 3

custom installation and deselect *ALL* sets...

 The following is the list of distribution sets that will be used.
 
    Distribution set         Selected
    ------------------------ --------
 a: Kernel (GENERIC)             No
 b: Base                         No
 c: System (/etc)                No
 d: Compiler Tools               No
 e: Games                        No
 f: Online Manual Pages          No
 g: Miscellaneous                No
 h: Test programs                No
 i: Text Processing Tools        No
 j: X11 sets                    None
>x: Install selected sets

set partition sizes...

 Free space will be added to the partition marked with a '+'.
 
        MB         Cylinders   Sectors   Filesystem
        64               184    131376   /
        32                92     65688   swap
         0                 0         0   tmp (mfs)
       338               972    694008   /usr
         0                 0         0   /var
         0                 0         0   /home
    Add a user defined partition
    Change input units (sectors/cylinders/MB)
   >Accept partition sizes.  Free space 0 MB, 4 free partitions.  

Let it continue, and select progress bar... It'll finish quickly then it's time to hit CONTROL+Z when this shows up to drop to a shell.

 The extraction of the selected sets for NetBSD-5.0.2 is complete.  The system
 is now able to boot from the selected harddisk.  To complete the
 installation, sysinst will give you the opportunity to configure some
 essential things first.
 




                           +-----------------------+
                           |>Hit enter to continue |
                           +-----------------------+

manual intervention

I'm going to only extract the kernel, base & etc in this example... Although you can certainly extract more...

cd /targetroot
mt -f /dev/nrmt0 rewind
mt -f /dev/nrmt0 fsf 1
tar -xmf /dev/nrmt0
mt -f /dev/nrmt0 fsf 1
tar -xmf /dev/nrmt0
mt -f /dev/nrmt0 fsf 1
tar -xmf /dev/nrmt0

Now we need to make some device files....

cd /targetroot/dev
./MAKEDEV std
./MAKEDEV ra0
./MAKEDEV pty0

Now we are done, and can let the installer finish. Just type in:

cd /
fg

And now you can finish setting up the system with timezone selection and passwords. then 'reboot the computer' and it'll exit simh.

disk boot

Now you can just boot off the hard drive

VAX simulator V3.8-1
Loading boot code from ka655x.bin


KA655-B V5.3, VMB 2.7
Performing normal system tests.
40..39..38..37..36..35..34..33..32..31..30..29..28..27..26..25..
24..23..22..21..20..19..18..17..16..15..14..13..12..11..10..09..
08..07..06..05..04..03..
Tests completed.
>>>boot dua0
(BOOT/R5:0 DUA0



  2..
-DUA0
  1..0..


>> NetBSD/vax boot [1.11 Sat Feb  6 22:37:47 UTC 2010] <<
>> Press any key to abort autoboot 2

And then the kernel will load, and the disk will mount and it'll spend a few minutes building some databases....