Folks-
Thanks for the replies and helpful hints. I finally
figured out how to get the prom-level prompt before I got
to read any of the replies. At one point I even got
Digital/Compaq support on the phone, but they couldn't
be bothered with talking to me. I guess spending $15,000
for a new computer isn't enough to entitle you to any help
in the Digital/Compaq world.
Turns out that there is a small rectangular button on
the front of the machine that will take it to the prom-level
prompt when pushed far enough. In typical Dec fashion, none
of the illustrations in the skimpy "manual" that came with
the machine show this button at all. I had been pushing
this button before I sent out the posting, but the button,
on my box at least, has to be pushed way, way, back into
the machine to initiate activity. I finally had to get a
paper clip and push for all I was worth.
Thanks again to this great list and to Tom Blinn,
Bevan Broun, Curt Cranfield, and T. S. Horsnell for their
prompt replies. Digital Support Staff: Go suck rocks.
I didn't recommend purchase of these machines, and I'll
sure never recommend a Digital or Compaq product in the
future.
Mike
> Folks-
>
>
> I've just received a new 500au workstation with
>Digital Unix pre-installed. By following the graphical
>clipboard guide, I've set up the network and DNS client,
>and was able to ping successfully, etc. Before I set up
>the NIS I added this new machine to our DNS database and
>our NIS netgroups, etc. Now after setting up NIS client
>on the 500au, and for whatever reason, the machine can't
>find its NIS master (there are two in the domain). And
>now when I try to log-in, the machine sits there like a
>lump and the console window shows:
>
>Can't find an OSF-BASE, UNIX-WORKSTATION, or UNIX-SERVER License PAK
>NIS server not responding for domain "fosdick.tracy.edu"
>
>and I can't log in. I suspect that the machine is
>broadcasting away, looking for an NIS master, and not paying
>attention to me. I'd like to hope that I can still log in
>as root or that the machine won't run NIS without having to
>add license information. I didn't add the license information
>yet because that setup icon is farther down the graphical
>clipboard of start-up tasks than is the NIS setup icon.
>
> I want to boot into single-user mode and fix this mess,
>but I can't get a prom-level prompt! When powered up, the
>machine boots automatically and nothing I do can get that
>prom-level prompt. I've tried ^c, break, F2, and just about
>every other key combination that it is possible to hit with a
>ruler, but to no good effect.
>
> Can someone please (please!) tell me how to get
>that darned prom-level prompt and how to get out of this
>mess?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Mike
Received on Sun Nov 08 1998 - 17:25:48 NZDT