Tru64 & Digital Unix Supported Versions

Digital Unix [b:]V4.0F[/b:]
Tru64 [b:]V5.0A - V5.1B-5[/b:]

We lack the media to test versions prior to V4.0F. In theory, FreeAXP should support Digital Unix back to V3.2x If anyone cares to test this and post the results or donate media so we can test it, it would be appreciated.

Post your results here if you are able to run versions of Tru64 or Digital Unix that we don't have listed.<hr>

[b:]Digital UNIX V4.0D[/b:] runs OK on FreeAXP, as does V4.0F and also [b:]V4.0G[/b:]. Given that 4.0G was really for Wildfires, I expect there won't be much call for that version, so we've only done some initial testing with V4.0G. But V4.0D was the release that brought Y2K compliance, so quite a number of custrs moved to that version from the 3.X releases as the year 2000 approached.

John M<hr>

[b:]3.2C[/b:] installs and runs. Just for grins I tried booting the OSF/1 2.0 install media, which actually boots a kernel and then dies trying to mount the ufs on the CD (I think). Of course 2.0 isn't supposed to work, but it's interesting to see that it doesn't die immediately.

Thanks for making FreeAXP available!<hr>

Yeah - just for fun, I tried a 3.2 rev 214 CD - and got similar results.

The FreeAXP's Alphaserver 400 platform isn't recognised by V3.2 rev 214, so the PCI is not properly mapped, and thus the scsi HBA is not recognised, and thus the CD becomes 'invisible'.... and it dies.

V3.2B may be a different story ....

John M<hr>

This last week we completed a long series of builds, patching runs and soak tests with [b:]Tru64 UNIX V4.0G[/b:]. As expected, it ran well, so we've added V4.0G to the list of guest o/s suitable for FreeAXP.

John M<hr>

The older versions of Digital UNIX like to be able to 'recognise' the disks they use and have them match the definitions in /etc/disktab[A]. To facilitate this, I've been working from some pre-built empty volumes that match several of the DEC drives that shipped when V3 was new and disks were considerably smaller than today !

What I have created is a selection of empty RZ disk images that have been correctly sized and formatted with the appropriate Digital UNIX disk-label. Each image presents UNIX with an authentic DEC RZ-named volume that retains the RZxx look and feel <img src='../images/smiley/wink.gif' alt='smiley'> These canned disks facilitate migrations where volumes may need to be 'original', as well as easing installation of the early versions of OSF/1 and Digital UNIX.

The disk images are available for free download at

www.migrationspecialties.com/FreeAXP.html#Tru64_Disks

John M

(oh yes, before someone mentions it, I know the RZ27 was dropped even as it was announced, but it did exist, and a 1.5G RZ is a really useful size for a boot disk)


[A] [i:]Using the canned volumes, the disktab definition matches the disklabel which matches the disk 'name' or type (RZxx)[/i:].

[i:]Of course, Tru64 can use them as well, but it auto sizes its disk volumes, and is not reliant on accurate 'RZ' names and geometry or even on disktab itself[/i:].<hr>