[comp.os.minix] Upgrading 1.1 to 1.5.10 or above

sehr@sp20.csrd.uiuc.edu (David Sehr) (05/06/91)

I've read with interest the postings about upgrading the PC version
of Minix from 1.1 to 1.5.10.  I'm interested because I too got v1.1
back in the Dark Ages (pre-MS, ca. 1988), and only once before tried
to bring it up to a more recent version.  I've recently tried, with
the same sad results.

My problem is this: I have a relic PC with two 360K floppies and an
ST225 (20 MB) hard disk.  Version 1.1 persistently refuses to do an
mkfs on my hard disk.  I get the same error pretty much regardless
of which partition (even if it's the whole disk):

``fatal error -1 in winchester process
  put_block failed...''

Is there some way to get a v1.1 kernel to work with my hard disk so
that I can start the upgrade process?  It would be preferable if the
solution would also allow me to use an ST251-1 (42 MB, MFM) hard disk
that I'm thinking about buying (to use with the same Everex controller
I have attached to the ST225).

Thanks in advance for answers that are surely more for the history
buffs in the group than the its edification.

David Sehr
(sehr@csrd.uiuc.edu)

si0_tb90020@debet.nhh.no (05/08/91)

...
> 
> My problem is this: I have a relic PC with two 360K floppies and an
> ST225 (20 MB) hard disk.  Version 1.1 persistently refuses to do an
> mkfs on my hard disk.  I get the same error pretty much regardless
> of which partition (even if it's the whole disk):
...
> David Sehr
> (sehr@csrd.uiuc.edu)

Well, I had the same problem, 1.1 didnt't work with my HDDrive, so what
did I do. I got the 1.5 demo disk, booted it, made a file system on my
HD transferred everything to it, and now i leave it on. I still cant
boot from 1.1 boot disks, so i avoid shuting down. But I hav started the
upgrade process. It takes some time, but I'll give it a try...

Terje (terjeb@viggo.blh.no / si0_tb90020@debet.nhh.no)