smb@datran2.uunet (Steven M. Boker) (01/19/90)
------------WARNING------------- There is a problem with the documentation sent out to NeXT developers this week. The instruction sheet for preventing the kernal corruption bug lists two methods for preventing the bug. The first method, using chmod from the shell doesn't work. My experience: After su-ing to root I used chmod to change the permissions on the /sdmach file such that execution permission was denied. (chmod a-x /sdmach). A quich check of the permissions with ls -l revealed that the change had indeed taken effect. However, after a cold boot the Directory Browser still showed the sdmach file as executable! I have never seen this discrepancy between the Directory Browser and the Shell after a cold boot. Fool that I am, I decided to give it a try. One hand poised on the power switch, I double clicked /sdmach from the Directory Browser. Astonished, I watched sdmach begin to launch. Everything seems fine after my fingers did the walking on my powerbar. Anyone have suggestions about what's going on or how to test if my kernal is corrupted? -- Steve Boker smb@datran2.uunet.uu.net Black holes are where God divides by zero.... I have my own methods.
smb@datran2.uunet (Steven M. Boker) (01/23/90)
In article <422@datran2.uunet>, smb@datran2.uunet (Steven M. Boker) writes: > There is a problem with the documentation sent out to NeXT developers > this week. The instruction sheet for preventing the kernal corruption > bug lists two methods for preventing the bug. The first method, using > chmod from the shell doesn't work. My experience: After su-ing to > root I used chmod to change the permissions on the /sdmach file such > that execution permission was denied. (chmod a-x /sdmach). A quich > check of the permissions with ls -l revealed that the change had indeed > taken effect. However, after a cold boot the Directory Browser still > showed the sdmach file as executable! I have never seen this discrepancy > between the Directory Browser and the Shell after a cold boot. > I got a call from NeXT tech support on this one. The tech was extremely friendly and helpful. The current version of the Directory Browser can at times display an out of date icon representing permissions that have been changed from a shell. This condition can even be present after a power on condition. The Directory Browser will not try to execute a file whose execute permissions are not set. Thus the shell method in the NeXT directions do work, although the Directory Browser does not appear to recognize the change by displaying the Edit document icon. > Fool that I am, I decided to give it a try. One hand poised on the > power switch, I double clicked /sdmach from the Directory Browser. > Astonished, I watched sdmach begin to launch. Everything seems fine > after my fingers did the walking on my powerbar. Anyone have > suggestions about what's going on or how to test if my kernal is > corrupted? The symptom that I saw was Edit being launched to read in sdmach. If the kernal is corrupted by this bug, the scsi disk will not boot. I guess I'm safe. The guy at NeXT asked if I would post this to clear things up. Thanks again to the staff at Next. Ali and Avie, where are you? -- #====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====# # Steve Boker # Black holes are how God divides by zero. # # smb@datran2.uunet.uu.net # ....I have my own methods. # #====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#====#