A5000 - diving in at the deep end!

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mrbombermillzy
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!

Post by mrbombermillzy »

Sort of similar to what Stephen Usher was saying, I had to buy a specific version of SCSI2SD (v5.5 external), as some of the later ones were not *at the current time* compatible with the TT implementation of SCSI. Maybe it's a similar thing with bluescsi/archies?

I'm afraid I cant tell you the specifics though. I would hazard a guess at loosely defined early 'standards'. :)
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stephen_usher
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!

Post by stephen_usher »

Don't you have to tell the system config in NVRAM which drive to boot from?

The trouble is there doesn't seem to be any list of the A5000 *configure variables from my Google searches.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: 28 Jun 2023 20:40 Don't you have to tell the system config in NVRAM which drive to boot from?

The trouble is there doesn't seem to be any list of the A5000 *configure variables from my Google searches.
Not IIRC, you simply format and add the Universal boot file. My memory is quite poor on what I did, but there seem to be no options in the SCSI tools to tell the system which is the boot disk.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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stephen_usher
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!

Post by stephen_usher »

Not the drive number?
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: 28 Jun 2023 23:33 Not the drive number?
I don't recall doing so, no, the drive is number 0 on the HBA, which is 7, so should boot automatically like my physical drive does.

I'm pulling what little hair I have left out because I have my physical IBM SCSI drive that just works, and the BlueSCSI which is visible to the OS but does not behave quite the same.

I don't recall ever setting a boot drive, but I may be remembering it wrong.

I'm just testing the BlueSCSI on my MAc Classic, and it doesn't see it, so trying to download a pre made image in case I'm missing something.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Ok, so I found more detail on installing and making a disk bootable, and it is pretty much as follows:
  1. Install drive.
  2. Use the SCSI utilities provided by Morley to partition the drive and configure the HBA.
  3. Copy the universal boot folder to the root of the new drive.
  4. press F12: enter *configure filesystem SCSI
  5. Still in the F12 prompt, enter *configure SCSIFSDrive 4
  6. Reboot
Theoretically you should now boot from the SCSI drive, except with BlueSCSI it doesn't. I did also try with my Mac Classic, but that just wouldn't see a drive, or sometimes saw it, but couldn't initialise it.

To add to the joy that has been today, the RPT-60A arrived, and the 5V rail is insufficient. I'm just really not with it, so I think it's time I gave up and just played some games instead...
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Success!!!

I asked about my BlueSCSI woes over at Stardot and got a reply.

Once the files, including !Boot were copied over to the new drive I was missing a command - *Opt 4,2.

This command tells the A5000 to set SCSI drive 4, which is also ID0, to run the !Boot file on startup, so I now have the BlueSCSI installed in the A5000, configured as a 1GB drive and split in two and booting.

Pretty happy that is done as it takes even more load off the PSU, which I replaced with a Meanwell device. It has less power available via the 5v section, but it's modern and works, and now I have only one podule in there, a single floppy and the BlueSCSI, power requirements are further reduced :)
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!

Post by stephen_usher »

:dualthumbup: :dualthumbup:
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!

Post by HigashiJun »

:cheer: :yay2: :dualthumbup: :yay2: :cheer:
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!

Post by rubber_jonnie »

I'm also going to probably order (If CJE have any left) an ethernet podule, after asking on Stardot, the suggestion is that an econet bridge with a Pi can get expensive and you'd be better putting the money towards an ethernet podule.

They are usually 10b2 and 10b5, but I could easily find an AUI to ethernet adaptor. Annoyingly, I don't have any 10b2 stuff left. so I'll need some sort of adapter to get to RJ45.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...

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