Technical data

General User Release Notes

4.1 AlphaServer GS Series Systems

4.1.3 V5.9B Console Firmware Required for OpenVMS on AlphaServer

GS80/160/320 Systems

V7.3

If you are running OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3 on AlphaServer GS80/160/320

systems, you must download console ﬁrmware V5.9B or later from the following

location:

http://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Alpha/firmware/

Note that you need the V5.9B console ﬁrmware to use the new CPU online

replace feature.

4.1.4 Device Restriction on AlphaServer GS80/160/320 Systems

V7.3

Only one set of the following devices found on the legacy bus adapter is conﬁgured

and supported per partition in OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3. These devices

include:

• Serial ports COM1 and COM2

• Parallel port

• Keyboard

• Mouse

If multiple legacy bus adapters exist, only the adapter that includes the console

port is conﬁgured and supported.

4.1.5 Booting an AlphaServer GS140

V7.3

If you are booting an AlphaServer GS140 system with a Fibre Channel HSG80

system disk using Alpha Firmware Version 5.7, the system fails to reboot when

the system is set to boot automatically. Enter the following command to show

whether the system has been set to boot automatically:

SHOW AUTO_ACTION

Compaq recommends the following workaround:

After a failed power-cycle or INIT boot startup, enter a BOOT command at the

console and press Return.

OpenVMS shutdown and reboot commands will perform as expected.

This automatic boot failure is due to a timing problem and will be corrected in a

future release of the Alpha ﬁrmware.

4.2 Booting OpenVMS Version 7.3 on a Personal Workstation with

IDE Controllers

If you are using the Compaq Personal Workstation 433au, 500au, and 600au

series systems, you can boot OpenVMS Version 7.3 from an IDE CD–ROM if the

controller chip is a Cypress PCI Peripheral Controller. You cannot boot OpenVMS

on an Compaq Personal Workstation au series system from an IDE CD–ROM

with an Intel Saturn I/O (SIO) 82378 chip in your conﬁguration. You must use a

SCSI CD–ROM if the Intel SIO chip is present.

4–2 General User Release Notes