[comp.unix.questions] System Dump Memory Image in Swap Device after Panic on SCO 3.2.2

basien@pemcom.pem-stuttgart.de (Tillmann A. Basien) (05/07/91)

Hy netlanders,
	after I tuned my SCO UNIX 3.2.2 System I got a panic. So far so good.
	I corrected the parameters, but after every booting I get a message
	out of /etc/dumpsave:


echo 'There may be a system dump memory image in the swap device.'
echo 'Do you want to save it? (y/n)> \c'

	After I saved the image on the tape, I think that I don`t get this
	massege after reboot. But I get it all the time.

	How can I clear the swap device to stop getting this message?


	Tillmann
-- 
					             basien@PEM-Stuttgart.de
Dipl.-Ing. Tillmann A. Basien           PEM Programmentwicklungsgesellschaft
Vaihinger Str.49, PostBox 810165                      fuer Microcomputer mbH
FRG 7000 Stuttgart 80             voice: +49-711-713045  fax: +49-711-713047

urban@cbnewsl.att.com (john.urban) (05/07/91)

In article <1171@pemcom.pem-stuttgart.de> basien@pemcom.pem-stuttgart.de (Tillmann A. Basien) writes:
>
>Hy netlanders,
>	after I tuned my SCO UNIX 3.2.2 System I got a panic. So far so good.
>	I corrected the parameters, but after every booting I get a message
>	out of /etc/dumpsave:
>
>
>echo 'There may be a system dump memory image in the swap device.'
>echo 'Do you want to save it? (y/n)> \c'
>
>	After I saved the image on the tape, I think that I don`t get this
>	massege after reboot. But I get it all the time.
>
>	How can I clear the swap device to stop getting this message?
>
>
>	Tillmann

AT&T UNIX System V/386 Release 3.2 has this same problem and had many complains
about it.  Finally AT&T fixed it in UNIX System V/386 Release 3.2 Version 2.2
Basically the fix was:

Make /etc/dumpsave a little smarter so it compares the first 512 bytes or so
of /dev/mem to /dev/swap.  If they are then same, then assume that a PANIC
occured and the dump (of memory images) was saved on /dev/swap.  If this first
512 don't match, then no dump was taken, so don't ask any questions.

Then change /etc/bcheckrc so that it does a echo "MARK" > /dev/swap (after the
call to dumpsave).  This is so that later reboots will not find the first 512
bytes of /dev/mem and /dev/swap the same.


Sincerely,

John Urban