Update from NS3.3 to OS4.2 in Previous?

[kokomuck]

Hiya,

I run a virtual copy of my NeXTcube Turbo in Previous. Currently I am running NS3.3, but would like to update to OS4.2.

So I tried to boot from a floppy image in Previous, but no matter what I do and which image I choose, I get a "Bad disk" message.

I could try to boot from CD (because it's a turbo), but I first want to understand why the floppy disk doesn't work.

Any ideas?

All the best,
Kokomuck

[andreas_g]

I am not sure if I correctly understand the problem. So you inserted a 4.2 boot floppy to the virutal floppy drive and the 4.2 installer CD into a virtual SCSI CD-ROM drive and tried to boot from the floppy?


Can you try with the same images but boot to ROM Monitor? Then from there type bfd and post the messages that are printed.

[kokomuck]

I am not sure if I correctly understand the problem. So you inserted a 4.2 boot floppy to the virutal floppy drive and the 4.2 installer CD into a virtual SCSI CD-ROM drive and tried to boot from the floppy?

Yes, that's what I tried.

Can you try with the same images but boot to ROM Monitor? Then from there type bfd and post the messages that are printed.

Ok, I will try this.

[kokomuck]

Ok,

I tried the bfd in the ROM Monitor, but no success:

Code Select Expand

CPU MC68040 33 MHz, memory 70 nS
Backplane slot #0
Ethernet address: 0:0:f:1:2c: f7
Memory size 32MB

NeXT>bfd
boot fd(0,0,0)
Bad version 0xb80000fa
Bad cksum
Bad cksum
Bad cksum
Bad label
NexT>

Is this because it's an 1.44MB floppy disk?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Protocol 7]

From that error it looks like you're using the Intel boot floppy. Or your image is corrupt.

If you want to upgrade you should use the Upgrader app on the 4.2 CD from inside 3.3. Booting the installer on the disc will wipe and replace the running system.

Update: So I just tried to boot the 4.2 CD in the latest softfloat build and got this error at the rom monitor:

Code Select Expand

NeXT>bsd(1,0,0)sdmach rootdev=sd1
boot sd(0,0,0)sdmach rootdev=sd1
booting SCSI target 1, lun 0
Bad version 0x80000000
Bad version 0x8a3
Bad cksum
Bad version 0x0
Bad label
Booting from the floppy gets me to the installer.

BTW you can use the m68k boot floppy from any release. I noticed that the 4.2 one is missing from Rhetorica's archive so I've uploaded it there.

[kokomuck]

Thanks for the feedback @Protocol 7 !

This was very helpful.
Most likely it was the Intel boot floppy. I tried the 4.0 m68k floppy, but that also gave me error messages.

Yeah, I definitely don't want to wipe and replace the running system, so I will skip the installation via floppy disk, and will use the Updater.app.

Thanks again,
Kokomuck

[Rhetorica]

@Protocol 7 That's definitely an oversight—I've moved the image you uploaded over to the proper location. Thumbs up!

@kokomuck Make sure you keep a backup of your 3.3 system. 4.2 is good for most things, but there are a few deficiencies if you ever dip your toes into doing development.

[kokomuck]

Update: So I just tried to boot the 4.2 CD in the latest softfloat build and got this error at the rom monitor:

Code Select Expand

NeXT>bsd(1,0,0)sdmach rootdev=sd1
boot sd(0,0,0)sdmach rootdev=sd1
booting SCSI target 1, lun 0
Bad version 0x80000000
Bad version 0x8a3
Bad cksum
Bad version 0x0
Bad label

I get the same error message running Previous 3.9.

[kokomuck]

@kokomuck Make sure you keep a backup of your 3.3 system. 4.2 is good for most things, but there are a few deficiencies if you ever dip your toes into doing development.

Yeah, I am working with a copy of my NS3.3 installation.

[andreas_g]

So I just tried to boot the 4.2 CD in the latest softfloat build and got this error at the rom monitor:

Code Select Expand

NeXT>bsd(1,0,0)sdmach rootdev=sd1
boot sd(0,0,0)sdmach rootdev=sd1
booting SCSI target 1, lun 0
Bad version 0x80000000
Bad version 0x8a3
Bad cksum
Bad version 0x0
Bad label

Are we really sure this boots on a real machine?

[Protocol 7]

Are we really sure this boots on a real machine?

We are not. I always heard that the Turbos could boot CDs. But it seems it's only NEXTSTEP...

https://nextcomputers.org/forums/index.php?topic=1711.0