Hi all:
Thanks to everyone who replied to my query regarding whether the
DE500-BA card is the proper card for our workstations:
Joel_Gallun/US/DCI_at_discovery.com
"Bjorn S. Nilsson, NBI, Copenhagen" <NILSSON_at_nbivms.nbi.dk>
alan_at_nabeth.cxo.dec.com
"Dr. Tom Blinn, 603-884-0646" <tpb_at_doctor.zk3.dec.com>
Alan had perhaps the most concise answer:
If the particular model of Ethernet adapter is supported
by a given version of Digital UNIX, you don't need a
separate driver for it. Unfortunately, the Software
Product Description isn't clear about which Fast Ethernet
adapters are support on which systems. In V4.0D some
systems explicitly call out the -BA, but others simply
list the DE500.
Before V4.0D, I suspect the -BA isn't called out because
it didn't exist when those versions were released.
The the "built-in" adapters are really just factory
installed adapters in PCI slots you should be able to
swap them and not rebuild the kernel. If they are
built-in, then the best you can do simply not use them
and you will need to upgrade the configuration file to
notice the new adapters. You can use genvmunix to rebuild
the configuration file for you, or edit by hand and rebuild.
I recommend the genvmunix route since it is documented.
So our plan is to just install the new cards and upgrade the two systems
from 4.0B to 4.0D.
Finally, my Dec rep just returned my call and says:
"Gee, you should have gotten Digital Unix docs with the cards.
I'll make sure they ship to you within 48 hours."
This is at odds with what I was told by one of the respondants to my
message, that Digital Unix docs are not included with the cards, and
that I should have a) been smart enough to know that and b) I should
have known to dig into the SPD's to find out what I needed to know.
However, as Alan mentions, the SPD's are conflicting, and it would
really only take Dec one page to convey the necessary info. This seems
like a resonable request, given that they include a multipage manual for
several other OS's with the card.
Cheers,
--Lee
Received on Mon Dec 07 1998 - 20:13:21 NZDT