Yes, it is possible to install MILO to FLASH on a Multia, since a Multia is
really just a Noname with builtins, and MILO has been FLASHed on there. The
console FW on Multia is different in a number of (small) ways, so you'd not
want to re-install Noname FW to a Multia if the MILO install went awry. I do
not know if the Multia FW is available on the net, as the Noname FW is, but
I could find out. The same facility (Fail-Safe Loader) is present on Multia
as on Noname, activated via motherboard jumper. This does allow re-install
of whatever FW is desired, from off floppy (this I've done... :-).
Note that none of us working on Linux at DEC have tried FLASHing MILO onto a
Multia, but believe it to be straightforward. Note also that the FLASH image
(updateflash.gz or whatever) available on gatekeeper.dec.com for a Noname is
*NOT* appropriate since it is built with VGA, and *not* TGA. One would have
to build their own "updateflash" image configured appropriately for Multia.
BTW, I dislike having a DOS partition and booting via ARC console, too, but
it *does* have advantages: if you have hardware problems, DEC field service
won't know how to help you via MILO, and will need to re-install ARC/SRM in
order to run diagnostics.
> Will I need to build a special version of Milo that *does* initialize the
> keyboard?
I believe the latest versions of MILO do init the keyboard appropriately.
> Hmmm... I wonder if my keyboard problems described in my previous message
> have to do with Milo assuming that ARC has initialized it, but somehow it
> hasn't?
Nah, it's just that the earlier init code is bogus; my fault... :-(
--Jay++
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American Non Sequitur Society: we don't make sense, but we do like pizza...
Jay A Estabrook Alpha Migration Tools
Mailstop: TAY1-2 (DTN) 227-4202
Digital Equipment Corp. (external) (508) 952-4202
151 Taylor Street enet: jestabro@amt.tay1.dec.com
Littleton, MA 01460-1407 decnet: tallis::jestabro
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