Dear Tru64 admins,
I had asked:
> [...]
> I now want to replace the (original) Digital TGA graphics card
> with a Matrox Millennium G200 (PCI version), but the ARC version
> can not handle this card. A (Compaq) expert on Alpha Linux graphics
> recommends to upgrade the ARC version.
>
> For my Tru64 machines, I get (and keep) the Alpha firmware upgrade CDs.
> AIUI, they contain the SRM console firmware and some device firmware -
> but do they also contain ARC console firmware?
Thanks to Steven C. Timm timm_at_fnal.gov who answered:
| My understanding of the firmware CD's is that they do
| contain the ARC bios (which gives you a nt-like BIOS looking screen
and
| is what is needed to run NT) but this doesn't necessarily mean that
you
| can put it on the board you have... [...]
Well, my board is an AlphaStation 200, and the firmware upgrade
(both SRM and ARC) from CD worked like a charm.
I had used firmware CD version 5.4 (my oldest one), as the ARC
version 4.58 (for my AS 200) was not changed until now (Tru64 5.1A
still comes with this version listed for AS 200).
Steven had also commented on the graphic card:
| I can say definitively that the Matrox Millenium card
| doesn't work under Tru64 with more than 16 colors 640x480 pixels.
| I have spent the last while trying to get it to work.
| the ARC bios upgrade would make it work under NT but not any other OS,
| if I understand it correctly.. I must say I don't know about Linux...
| you could get lucky there.
I can now say that ARC 4.58 does work with the new card,
and that Linux boots into text mode. I will upgrade the X server
tomorrow, but that is no subject for this list.
Aside, I would also like to mention that the new firmware correctly
identifies my old Digital card (ARC 3.5 listed it as "TGA 8 plane",
whereas ARC 4.58 calls it a "ZLXp-E1") and also knows about
SCSI adapter and ISA bridge (formerly called "Old unknown type"),
so it is definitely an improvement.
OTOH, the new SRM firmware seems to have lost the "more" capability:
With the original version ("AVANTI_SRM bl17"), the command
"isacfg -all | more" paused after each device, the new code
("AVANTI_SRM v7.0-9") displays the whole list at once, which
immediately scrolls off the screen ;-)
Regards,
Joerg Bruehe
--
Joerg Bruehe, SQL Datenbanksysteme GmbH, Berlin, Germany
(speaking only for himself)
mailto: joerg_at_sql.de
Received on Tue Sep 25 2001 - 16:24:58 NZST