Crash on installation kit media boot

[rick.retterer]

Hello,
If you would like to evaluate the new image I will need a Name, and email address sent to SUPPORT@VMSSOFTWARE.COM.
This is for the E9.2-3 crashes experienced up on boot.

Support

[issinoho]

This patch kit contains 2 EXE files, EXCEPTION.EXE and EXCEPTION_MON.EXE - can someone more knowledgeable than I explain how to use these please? TIA

[dgordon]

Here's a skeleton outline of what needs to be done:

You will need a writeable installation kit. (It's up to you to create that.) Mount it on the system you're using to "patch" the installation.

Remember, there is what is ON the kit (what gets booted for installation) and what is IN the kit (what gets installed) so you're going to need to copy things twice.

Replace the necessary files ON the kit disk. Find the [VMS$COMMON.SYS$LDR]SYS$MD.DAT on the installation kit and use LD to mount it. Copy the two execlets. You probable need to purge the old versions after each copy since there's not much slack on the memory disk. Dismount the LD device

Boot the kit disk.

Do the upgrade.

Before exiting the installation procedure, go into the DCL option, mount the TARGET device and copy the necessary files onto the TARGET disk. See above. You might need to use $ LD CONNECT LDM to get the target memeory disk mounted.

Shut down the installation and boot the upgraded disk.

[vmseagle]

Some quick testing looks very promising.

I updated a basic E9.2-3 installation I had done on my AVX capable host. The updated system disk continued to boot on that system and now boots on my second UBUNTU/KVM system on which it previously crashed.

I will next try an updating a writable installation kit.

[issinoho]

I naively thought that creating a writable installation kit would be a matter of copying the ISO to VMS and mounting it with LD. Two problems with that... [1] LD still mounts it as write locked, [2] The mounted volume has only 2 (small) files visible: BOOT.CATALOG and SYS_EFI.TMP
So, not sure what to do next, can anyone help?

[hb]

Two problems with that... [1] LD still mounts it as write locked, [2] The mounted volume has only 2 (small) files visible: BOOT.CATALOG and SYS_EFI.TMP

ad 1) LD doesn't mount anything.
ad 2) Please read the release notes, "3.1.10. MOUNT Command Changes". Although it may not be what you expect, what you see is documented behavior.

[issinoho]

Thanks for the pointer. So for others (I'm doing this from an E9.2-3 system)...

• Copy the ISO file to VMS
• Connect to the ISO using LD
• Mount the LDA device with /media=files11
• Addendum to above notes, you're looking for, LDAx:[VMS$COMMON.SYS$LDR]SYS$MD.DSK
• Connect to that file using LD
• Mount this second LD device
• Copy the patch files to, LDAy:[VMS$COMMON.SYS$LDR]
• Purge the destination folder
• In sequence dismount and disconnect both LDA devices
• Copy the ISO folder back out to the (in my case) hypervisor host ready for boot
• Boot from image and upgrade
• After upgrade, use option 8 to drop to DCL
• Start LD
• Mount the target device
• LD connect to the memory disk, ld connect dka0:[VMS$COMMON.SYS$LDR]SYS$MD.DSK
• Mount the memory disk
• Copy the patched files from the mounted memory disk to the memory disk image on the system disk, copy/log LDMxxxx:[VMS$COMMON.SYS$LDR]exception*.exe LDAx:[VMS$COMMON.SYS$LDR]
• Logout and reboot from the system disk

And it works!