Unrecognized boot device (9.2.1)(win10)(VirtualBox7)

[rjolbrich]

Hello,
I completed a successful installation of OpenVMS 9.2.1 several months ago
under a community license. Today, it would not boot. It does not recognize
DKA0: as a bootable device.
I can boot the installation kit on DKA200 successfully. If I choose option 1
(update, install, or reconfigure) I am prompted for the target disk. A "?"
yields:

DKA0: ATA VBOX HARDDISK (no volume label) 32GB
DKA100 ATA VBOX HARDDISK (no volume label) 32GB

If I exit the update option and choose option 9 (exit) I receive a reboot
but fs0:\efi\vms\vms_bootmgr.efi yields:

Unknown or Incomplete Command.

so I can't get fs0: to associate with DKA0:

Did I erase my disk? This could be simple!
I've got backups on Win 10 if necessary.

[sms]

Code: Select all

> [...] It does not recognize DKA0: as a bootable device.

   Are you seeing a message which says "I don't recognize DKA0: as a
bootable device", or is that your interpretation of some actual output
from something?  As usual, showing actual actions (commands) with their
actual results (error messages, ...) can be more helpful than vague
descriptions or interpretations.

> [...] (VirtualBox7)

> DKA0: ATA VBOX HARDDISK (no volume label) 32GB
> DKA100 ATA VBOX HARDDISK (no volume label) 32GB

   I've never used VirtualBox, so I know nothing, but under VMware
Fusion (Mac) , I've never seen success with an IDE disc/disk, only SATA. 
With an IDE disk (like the VMDK, as supplied) I got messages like:

      %VMS_BOOTMGR-W-DEVICE, Ignoring ATAPI device...

(See: https://forum.vmssoftware.com/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=9028&p=20839 )

   At a "BOOTMGR> " prompt, what does a DEVICES report say?

[hb]

Not knowing the (U)EFI implementation of Virtual Box, a message like

Unknown or Incomplete Command.

when entering

fs0:\efi\vms\vms_bootmgr.efi

may just indicate that there is no such file vms_bootmgr.efi in this directory on the EFI file system fs0.

In EFI, you can use

Code: Select all

DIR fs0:\

to see if the file is in the expected sub-directory. You can also use the EFI command

Code: Select all

 MAP fs*

to see all the EFI partitions on disks and check for the vms_bootmgr.efi file.

If you can boot the installation DVD, when in the menu of the installation procedure, you can use "8) Execute DCL commands and procedures", mount the disks and check them. Your DKA0 (or any VMS disk you want to boot from) should contain a file [VMS$COMMON.SYS$LDR]SYS$EFI.SYS. It is the EFI partition on your (bootable) VMS disk. You can use EFI$CP to mount the EFI partition and to look at the files on this partition - different tool and syntax but essentially the same as with a DIR command in EFI.

[rjolbrich]

DEVICES shows DKA200 DVD(fs0) UEFI: v9_2_1 VMS:None 1483MB SATA DVD

That's why I said DKA0 was not recognized.

The kit guide gives the steps for an initial installation - or a reconfigure
in my case (step 1)-followed by a reboot (step 9 ). Another DEVICES command
should also show DKA0:, but in my current state it does not. Should
the reconfigure (step 1) and reboot make DKA0: visible to the DEVICES command?
By the way, I chose "Preserve" in step 1. At this point I guess I should ask was the
reconfigure step the proper choice at this point?

HB, I'm somewhat confused when you say the "EFI prompt". Do you mean the
shell prompt? Because the BOOTMGR prompt does not accept a DIR command?
I may not be doing the proper command in the proper place!Refresh my memory
regarding the commands to get a shell prompt. I know the step to get to the
image below:



Added in 18 minutes 54 seconds:
I just found I should be able to return to the shell by
typing EXIT at the BOOTMGR prompt. However, I'm in a loop!

[sms]

Code: Select all

> That's why I said DKA0 was not recognized.

   Ok, but no one else knows what "not recognized" means to you.

   In VirtualBox, how are the (virtual) storage devices (discs/disks)
defined?  In VMware, there's a ".vmx" file with lines file like:

sata0.present = "TRUE"
sata0:0.present = "TRUE"
sata0:1.present = "TRUE"
[...]

  [For a Hard disk:]
sata0:0.fileName = "Virtual Disk.vmdk"

   [For a VMS installation CD/DVD:]
sata0:1.deviceType = "cdrom-image"
sata0:1.fileName = "/Users/Shared/Software Kits/VSI/X860921OE.ISO"

If your virtual machine does not have the (virtual) storage devices
defined, then the Boot Manager can't/won't find them.


> [...] when you say the "EFI prompt". Do you mean the shell prompt?
> [...]

   I assume so.

> I just found I should be able to return to the shell by typing EXIT at
> the BOOTMGR prompt.

   It's worse than that.  At the "BOOTMGR> " prompt, immediately after
giving the "EXIT" command, hit your ESC key a few times.  That should
take you to a "Boot Manager" window where one of the choices is:

      EFI Internal Shell (Unsupported option)

which leads to a "Shell> " prompt.  (At least it does around here.)

[hb]

It's worse than that. At the "BOOTMGR> " prompt, immediately after
giving the "EXIT" command, hit your ESC key a few times. That should
take you to ...

It depends. On KVM, its EFI and maybe how I (mis)configured it, I don't get to the "Boot Manager" window and its menu.

Anyway, as someone else mentioned somewhere it is always good to show actual commands and output.

If I exit the update option and choose option 9 (exit) I receive a reboot
but fs0:\efi\vms\vms_bootmgr.efi yields:

Unknown or Incomplete Command.

It seems, you entered this "command" at the "BOOTMGR>" prompt.

BOOTMGR> FS0:\EFI\VMS\VMS_BOOTMGR.EFI
Unknown or Incomplete Command

BOOTMGR>

Showing this would have avoided your (and my) confusion.

It seems you tried to start an EFI application from the VMS Boot Manager. That's not going to work. From the VMS Boot Manager you can only boot a VMS system disk. And only one of the shown "bootable" VMS disks. A disk is identified as bootable if it contains an EFI partition. (When you try to BOOT the disk, that is load the VMS boot loader SYSBOOT, there are more checks.) Any other disk is seen as a data disk. The DEVICES command shows only bootable disks (and DVDs). If your DKA0: no longer shows with the DEVICES command, then it is either no longer correctly attached to VirtualBox or something with the partition table or the EFI partition on the disk changed. From what I understand, after booting the installation DVD, you can mount and access the disk as a VMS disk. So there is a valid ODS file system on it.

[rjolbrich]

EXIT at the BOOTMGR prompt immediately causes an auto boot
of DKA200. There is no chance to <esc>! Do I need to get out
of auto boot?

My Boot Manager (as in the previous image) does not have a EFI Internal Shell entry!
Is there another way to get the shell prompt?



When I was in the installer reconfigure (step 1) and was prompted for the disk
name and entered "?" I received the details on DKA0 and DKA100 and both
entries showed no volume label. Is this bad news?

Added in 30 minutes 26 seconds:
OK. I had been getting to Boot Manager by starting the VM and hitting
<esc> at the proper time before the auto boot takes over. Alternatively,
I finally successfully timed the <esc> after the EXIT at the BOOTMGR prompt.
This seems an easier and more reliable way to get to the Boot Manager.
The first method was very "hit or miss"!

[rjolbrich]

I noticed in Boot Manager that there is an option to add a boot
option. I selected that option and the result is shown below.
Unfortunately, it does not seem to be the EFI Internal Shell!



Since my last post I decided to post on the HP forums.
Here is the post:

---------------------------------------------------

EFI Internal Shell not present (HP Envy x360, Insyde F.19)

‎11-01-2024 01:14 PM - edited ‎11-01-2024 01:18 PM
Product: HP ENVY x360 - 15m-dr0012dx

Hello,

Months ago I successfully installed the OpenVMS OS into a

VirtualBox VM. I don't remember if I used the EFI Internal Shell.

Now my VM won't access the VM disk drive and boot. I've been

advised to use the Shell to check the status of the drives.

However, now I can't access the Shell. If I look in the Boot Manager

I see no entry for the Shell.

I've read that not all BIOS's have a feature to choose EFI. I could

not find any EFI selection in my Insyde BIOS. Should that be the

case? If it is, I've read that you can download and install a Shell.

I'm having trouble finding such a site. Could you direct me to a site?

Does one even exist? From my vantage point today, I don't know

how I ever achieved a successfull VM without the Shell.

-----------------------------------------------------

Since I made the post I found https://github.com/pbatard/UEFI-Shell.
Does this look like the way to get a Shell? Will this add an entry to
Boot Manager? Github is not always the best place for step-by-step
examples!

[hb]

It seems it is time for the third R. You have Retried, Rebooted, and the next thing is Reinstall,

If you had valuable files on DKA0, you have a backup anyway. So simply reinstall VMS on it.

If you have unsaved valuable files on DKA0, try to mount it. We do not know if this is possible. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see any output that said you could mount DKA0 as an ODS-5 volume.

Again, if you can boot the installation DVD, you can use "8) Execute DCL commands and procedures" in the installation procedure menu to mount the available volumes and check them. If you can mount DKA0, you can access/view/check your files. If that's the case, shut down the installation system and stop Virtual Box. Add another disk to the Virtual Box and install VMS on it. Boot the new system disk and find your files on the other unbootable disk. If you cannot access your files on DKA0 from the installation system, simply reinstall VMS on DKA0.

[rjolbrich]

SUCCESS…………..

Entering the DCL Command

MOUNT/OVERRIDE=IDENTIFICATION DKA0:

yielded volume dismounted improperly

And

Openvms is fixing….

DKA0 now was present in the DEVICES output

and BOOT DKA0 was successful.

Thanks