Avanti emulates the AlphaServer 400/166 SRM console variables. To preserve changes for the next launch, leave the emulator through the SRM EXIT command so it writes the current values to the configured NVRAM file.

>>> set bootdef_dev DKA0
>>> set boot_osflags 0
>>> exit

Do not rely on an abrupt process termination to preserve recently changed console variables. A controlled EXIT has been validated by setting these values, launching Avanti again with the same NVRAM file, and observing the saved device and flags during automatic OpenVMS boot.