Troubleshooting Your System
8-8 AlphaServer 1000A Rackmount Owner’s Guide
Table 8–4: Troubleshooting Console Problems
Symptom
Action
Startup screen does not
display.
Refer to the table "Error Beep Codes" earlier in this chapter to
interpret the startup beep codes.
Check that the keyboard and monitor are properly connected
and power is on.
If the startup screen does not display, yet the system enters
console mode when you press the Return key, check that the
console
environment variable is set correctly. If you are
using a VGA console terminal, the variable should be set to
"graphics." If you are using a serial terminal, the variable
should be set to "serial."
If you are using other than the standard on-board VGA
controller, the on-board CIRRUS VGA options must be set to
"disabled" through the ECU, the VGA jumper (J27) on the
upper-left corner of the system board disabled (off), and the
console
environment variable set to "graphics." Combining
multiple VGA controllers will produce unpredictable results.
Use of multiple VGA controllers is not recommended or
supported.
Try connecting a console terminal to the COM1 serial
communication port. If necessary use a 9-pin connector.
Check the baud rate setting for the console terminal and
system. The system baud rate setting is 9600. When using
the COM1 serial port, set the
console
environment variable
to "serial."
If you have verified that there are no monitor or terminal
problems, the problem may be with the firmware. Refer to the
section, "Using the Fail-Safe Loader."
Startup screen displays error
messages.
If startup screens or the console event log indicate problems
with mass storage devices, or if storage devices are missing
from the
show config
display, use the troubleshooting
tables in the section, "Storage Problems" to determine the
problem.
If startup screens or the console event log indicate problems
with EISA or PCI devices, or if EISA or PCI devices are
missing from the
show config
display, use the
troubleshooting table in the section, "Option Card Problems"
to determine the problem.
