chip@ateng.com (Chip Salzenberg) (11/15/89)
We've got an odd problem with a large Xenix kernel, and I'd like to know if anyone out there has had a similar problem and/or an suggestion as to what we can do. We're running SCO Xenix/386 2.3 on a 16MHz Wyse 386 with 4M RAM, a WD1007- WA2 ESDI controller and two CDC Wren V 300M drives. The BIOS is by Phoenix. The /xenix kernel is rather large. It may be larger than 640K, depending on how you measure it. (Including BSS or not; file size vs. output of "size" command; etc.) When we boot this large kernel, the Wyse acts as if we did a hardware reset -- it checks the memory and returns to the "Boot" prompt. However, if we keep trying, eventually it works! When it works, it then seems to run normally. When we boot the original, smaller kernel (about 400K in size), the Wyse works fine. Here's the weird part: The drive with the big kernel on it was built here. Before we sent the drive out to the customer, we booted this exact same kernel on an Everex Step 386/20 and it worked without a hitch! So the question is: Why is this big kernel killing the Wyse??? Please help us! I'll summarize all responses. -- You may redistribute this article only to those who may freely do likewise. Chip Salzenberg at A T Engineering; <chip@ateng.com> or <uunet!ateng!chip>