newroot@physicsa.mcgill.ca (Operator) (09/08/89)
We are running OSv3.5 on a 3/180 fileserver and its 5 client 3/50's and standalone 3/60. Although talk seems to work correctly on the 3/180, I get a "can't bind control socket: couldn't assign address (###)" error message on the 3/50's. I have no real idea of the cause of this problem. Talk used to work correctly some time ago but for reasons unknown something seems to have changed. There have been no significant changes to the system in the recent past. Any suggestions? E-Mail direct, please A dozen thanks in advance, Loki Jorgenson node: loki@physicsa.mcgill.ca Physics, McGill University fax: (514) 398-3733 Montreal Quebec CANADA phone: (514) 398-6531
dupuy@cs.columbia.edu (09/25/89)
In article <1593@brazos.Rice.edu> newroot@physicsa.mcgill.ca (Operator) writes: > We are running OSv3.5 on a 3/180 fileserver and its 5 client 3/50's and > standalone 3/60. Although talk seems to work correctly on the 3/180, I > get a "can't bind control socket: couldn't assign address (###)" error > message on the 3/50's. This is probably another case of the better-known ftp problem with diskless clients. You can check that by using ftp on the 3/50 to see if it gives you the same "couldn't assign address" error. The cause of this problem is a bug in the kernel, where, for diskless workstations, the interface address is not set correctly by the RARP/ND code. Normally, the ifconfig in /etc/rc.boot sets the interface correctly and there is no problem. But if there is a problem (typically lack of an entry for the diskless machine in its own copy of the /etc/hosts file) the interface is up and working, but the address is wrong. Since only a few programs bother to look up the local address and ask for a particular port on that interface (ftp, and, apparently, talk, are among the few) things seem to work normally. Try using ifconfig to set the address on the diskless clients interface. If doing this allows talk to work correctly, look closely at /etc/rc.boot and /etc/hosts for the client, and you will probably see what is wrong. inet: dupuy@cs.columbia.edu uucp: ...!rutgers!cs.columbia.edu!dupuy