[HECnet] integrity and alpha hardware

[John H. Reinhardt]

On 9/6/2020 9:38 PM, Dave McGuire wrote:
> On 9/6/20 10:22 PM, Peter Lothberg wrote:
>> Yepp, this is how it looks...
>>  >https://h20195.www2.hpe.com/v2/gethtml.aspx?docname=c04282845
>>
>> Any hack to run VMS on it?
>
>   All you need is to run the correct PALcode, right?  How tough would that be?  I know some of the low-end systems had insufficient flash space for other-than-NT PALcode, but I doubt that's an issue with a higher-end system like this.
>
>              -Dave
>
This all was discussed years ago on C.O.V.  Check out the following threads:

<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.vms/c/uiT3beMMLS8/m/UH0B7NP00PgJ> "Press Release DS20L" May 29, 2002

<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.vms/c/n9ADEquu9No/m/vueMt710SQ8J> "AlphaServer DS20L with OpenVMS?" June 8, 2002

<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.vms/c/_PBnvCzUmT0/m/ABj_EFHDrbcJ> "VMS for DS20l/SC20" May 16, 2005

For those who don't want to deal with Google Groups, the gist of it is that the DS20L is a rebadging of the API Networks CS20 dual Alpha system.  API used a different chipset for the glue than DEC/Compaq used for the DS10 so the basic HAL interface layer won't work. There was also a SCSI chip that VMS didn't have drivers for (maybe it doe now?)  In short, no go for OpenVMS.  You can get an old Linux or Tru64.  I don't know if NetBSD would work or not.

-- 

John H. Reinhardt