[legodude]

Aryseche on VCF managed to track down the HP 712 firmware upgrade:
https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?thread...h.1242144/

Anyone manage to get this installed? I've tried multiple permutations of ZuluSCSI/BlueSCSI settings without luck. The instructions just say to write to tape, then boot from tape.

mike

Code:

Step 2.  Use the "dd" command to copy the file "C7120023.frm"
                   to tape, as follows:
                      dd if=C7120023.frm of=/dev/rmt/0m bs=2k
                                            ^^^^^^^^^^^
                                       (device path dependent)
                      NOTE:  Blocksize (bs) must be = 2k
Step 1:  Install the tape you have just created into your tape
                   drive.

          Step 2.  Shutdown your system via the power switch and power back
                   on, or execute the reboot command resetting your system.

          Step 3.  When the display reads "Searching for a system to boot"
                   press [escape].  At the BOOT ADMIN prompt, type
                   <search> and press [enter] or [return] to identify
                   the tape device path.

          Step 4.  Boot from the appropriate boot path.  (You must boot
                   from the device that contains the firmware update tape.)

[Shiunbird]

Are you calling bo scsi.x.0 and that's it? - x being scsi ID of the zuluscsi tape you created?

[johnnym]

Aryseche on VCF managed to track down the HP 712 firmware upgrade:
https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?thread...h.1242144/

Alternatively it could also work to boot the firmware upgrade via network (you'd need DNS, DHCP and TFTP and possibly RARP for it), it should be a LIF image anyhow. I seem to remember that I did that for my 712/80, but I couldn't find a log of the upgrade, unfortunately.

[legodude]

Thanks for pushing me to TFTP... after a few minutes of DHCP/TFTP configuration followed by a 'boot lan' and I'm now running firmware 2.3. I forgot how easy TFTP can be...

mike

[johnnym]

Thanks for pushing me to TFTP... after a few minutes of DHCP/TFTP configuration followed by a 'boot lan' and I'm now running firmware 2.3. I forgot how easy TFTP can be...

You're welcome!

[Shiunbird]

Any feedback on the newer firmware?

I won't upgrade unless worth it. System gets used often.

[johnnym]

Any feedback on the newer firmware?

I won't upgrade unless worth it. System gets used often.

http://ftp.parisc-linux.org/firmware/712/ has a changelog (assuming this is the same firmware update image).

Depending on what you have now, "More reliable LAN operation" sounds like it could be useful, though the built-in network is very weak even after applying it. I usually limit the port speed to 10 Mbps and enable flow control on the respective switch port (an Ethernet hub would maybe even the better solution, but I don't have one) and it can (or could in the past - haven't done it recently) be used to boot Debian GNU/Linux Sid over the network successfully, but doing package upgrades usually killed it. So this was done on more powerful machines, the userland being the same for both 32-bit and 64-bit HP9000 machines comes very handy for this use case.

[legodude]

I haven't used it enough to notice any difference, and to be honest, I doubt I will notice.
"More reliable LAN operation" is indeed what pushed me to upgrade. Well, that and I enjoy maxing out these systems. With a second monitor card in there, the only place to further upgrade is a 100mhz system board with an extra 64mb ram. It is very quiet now with Noctua fans and a solid state disk

mike