Re: Detailed docs for NoName Board?

Jim Paradis (paradis@amt.tay1.dec.com)
Wed, 19 Jul 1995 19:00:43 -0500 (EDT)

> I assume it would be possible to write a PALcode/console loader so one
> could swap between the ARC and Linux PALcode/consoles? If the images
> were kept on a boot partition as a kind of secondary boot program, it
> would make switching between NT and Linux easier. I do have the
> PALcode for Alpha AXP Microprocessors document, so it looks doable.

It's possible, but it's not fun. We can save you the effort, though;
we've come up with just such a beast. We call it the "Linux Miniloader",
and it will be available with the next release of BLADE, which should
take place early next week. With the miniloader, you don't need ANY
original firmware at all on the NoName!

What you do is you set a jumper which tells the NoName to get its
firmware from floppy rather than from flash. You boot the "miniloader"
floppy, then replace it with the "updateflash" floppy... the "updateflash"
utility then blows the miniloader into the flash ROM.

-- 
Jim Paradis (paradis@amt.tay1.dec.com)        "It's not procrastination, 
Digital Equipment Corporation		       it's my new Just-In-Time 
(508)952-4047				       Workload Management System!"