[comp.sys.sgi] inappropriate byte order?

rnelson@eecs.wsu.edu (Roger Nelson - Grad Student) (11/16/90)

     What is causing our 'inappropriate byte order' error on boot-up
     with the 'Start System' menu option?
     
     Specifically the error says something like:
     
     dksc(0,2,0)/unix inappropriate byte order, and throws you into sash:.
     
     We started getting this error when we turned on the network software
     for our two ethernetted IRIS 4D's. 
     (These two machines were previously part of a larger network).
     
     Using the system manager, we first specified the two hosts to be
     connected and turned on TCP/IP. We had problems doing this because we
     weren't always getting the ADD and DELETE buttons in the system manager
     networking windows.  I believe the machine rebooted itself as soon as
     the accept button was chosen).  When the system came back up, every
     thing seemed to be working OK (we could ftp, rlogin, etc..).
     
     We then turned on the NFS and Yellow Pages buttons on one machine,
     doing this cause the machine to reboot (as described in the manual).
     We let it come up before turning on NFS and YP on the second machine.
     (The first machine was set as YP master if that makes a difference).
     
     The second machine failed to boot giving the inappropriate byte order
     error on the /unix file.  Successive attempts to start the system from
     the maintenance menu also failed.  Since TCP/IP was working, we
     did a remote boot from the first machine. When the machine came up,
     we ftp'd the /unix file from the first machine to the second and 
     shut down the system (on the second machine) and it came up again
     just fine (YP and everything was working OK), except every other time
     we brought the system down, we get this byte order error, and now
     we are getting it all the time.  Reinstalling the system tapes 
     isn't fixing the error.
     
     What's causing this error?  We are only getting it on one machine.
     The error isn't listed in any of the manuals we have.
     
     Any info would be appreciated.
     
________________________________________________

   Roger Nelson          rnelson@yoda.eecs.wsu.edu
                         
 + Agricultural Engineering Dept.
   Washington State University
   Pullman, WA 99164