Basic Operation
AlphaServer 1000A Rackmount Owner’s Guide 4-21
Table 4–3: Startup and Boot Environment Variables
Operating
System
Environment
Variable
Value
Description
Digital UNIX
OpenVMS
Alpha
auto_action
Boot
Halt
Restart
Specifies the system default startup
action. Applies only to the Digital
UNIX and OpenVMS Alpha operating
systems.
Digital UNIX
OpenVMS
Alpha
bus_probe_algorithm
New
Improves bus sizing and configuration
on systems running the Digital UNIX
and Open VMS Alpha operating
systems. Failure to set this environment
variable could result in errors.
Windows NT
autoload
YES or NO Specifies whether the Windows NT
operating system should boot. Does not
affect the OpenVMS Alpha or Digital
UNIX operating systems. If the value is
YES, the Windows NT firmware boots
the system after the COUNTDOWN
time limit expires. If the value is NO,
the system halts at the Windows NT
firmware Boot menu.
Windows NT
countdown
10 seconds
(default value)
Specifies the time limit within which
you can stop the Windows NT operating
system from booting if AUTOLOAD is
set to YES. The time limit is specified
in seconds. When you turn on the
system or reinitialize the firmware, the
system displays the seconds remaining
before the operating system boots
automatically. To stop the system from
booting automatically, you must choose
another menu item from the Boot menu.
Windows NT
Digital UNIX
OpenVMS
Alpha
os_type
NT
UNIX
VMS
Specifies the system default operating
system setting. Depending on the value,
the system either boots or restarts the
specified operating system, or halts in
the specified console. You can modify
the value from either the Windows NT
(ARC) console or Digital UNIX or
OpenVMS Alpha (SRM) console.