samg@sphinx.UUCP (02/12/87)
A recent article mentioned that MINIX failed to boot on both a Compaq Portable II and a Compaq Deskpro. Has anyone tried to figure out why this happened? Was it mainly the funny display card, or something else? (I have a Compaq, but not the programming expertise to solve the problem myself). Other, non-Compaq, DOS's don't seem to boot on my machine either. (I tested a friend's generic MS-DOS 3.2). Thanks in advance, Sam -- Sam Gassel | ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!samg | (this space intentionally left blank) samg@sphinx.uchicago.edu |
comp13@tjalk.UUCP (02/20/87)
In article <1142@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP> samg@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (Sam Gassel) writes: >A recent article mentioned that MINIX failed to boot on both a Compaq >Portable II and a Compaq Deskpro. Has anyone tried to figure out why >this happened? Was it mainly the funny display card, or something else? >(I have a Compaq, but not the programming expertise to solve the problem >myself). Other, non-Compaq, DOS's don't seem to boot on my machine either. >(I tested a friend's generic MS-DOS 3.2). if Minix 'doesn't boot' the problem can be on several levels, but first about your MS-DOS. Did you try the original IBM MS/PC-DOS 3.2 ? You could call this the 'compatibility standard'. If that doesn't boot on your machine, well, forget it then (I think), your machine is not IBM-compatible. If it does, we are in a much better position. Next question, Does Minix comes up with its initial menu ? : = start minix f check filesystem a check AT hard-disk filesystem etc. ? The bootstrap procedure uses the BIOS so if it doesn't come up with it, I'm tempted to say 'there is no BIOS' (of course there is one but then it uses non-IBM standard interrupts). Next question, What happens then ? Does it say something like 'Unrecoverable I/O error reading disk 0, Diskette in drive 0 is not a filesystem' after you have inserted the root-filesystem ?? If this happens, you have a FAST machine (>6 Mhz) and there is a known timing error in the floppy- disk handler. See the BUG/FIX report I entered earlier. If it isn't anything like this, I'm afraid I can't help you without further information about what happens and what doesn't happen (including a description of the sounds of the drives, flashing screens, etc.). Paul Ogilvie @ <see above>
basile@kodak.UUCP (robert basile) (09/22/87)
I am new to this newsgroup and new to MINIX as well. Can anyone tell me how to get a legal copy of MINIX to run on my Compaq 286 (PC/AT compatible)? I am using a 20mb fixed disk , 640k memory, and (I think) a CGA video interface. What drivers do I need? Thanks in advance for any help. Please reply by mail -- doubtless there are hundreds who know the answers to my question :-). I'll summarize if there's any interest or controversy. Bob Basile Technical Support Services, Dept. 420, 1-2-EP Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, NY 14650 Disclaimer: Any opinons I may have expressed are mine only and do not reflect official Kodak thinking. Or unofficial, for that matter.