gvokalek@augean.ua.OZ.AU (George Vokalek) (07/19/90)
I am having a really nasty time installing ISC version 2.2 on
my machine, and I hope some of you may be able to help.
After inserting the INSTALL floppy (follows the BOOT floppy),
I get a menu which asks about my keyboard. So far so good.
Next comes a little ANSI text box with stripes of various
colours, and the machine asks 'Are these stripes of different
colour?'. This is where the problems begin.
At this point, I get the following message:
Fatal error in UI server (sig 11).
The installation program has crashed. I press CTRL-\ to interrupt,
and attempt a shutdown. The shutdown proceeds normally until the
line 'shutting down system' is printed, at which point I get a
BUS ERROR and CORE DUMPED. I cannot shut the system down. I press
hard RESET and try to reboot. The file system is repaired, but the
exact same fault occurs at the same position in the installation
process.
My system configuration:
Informtech 386/33MHz.
8MB memory (I have tried with 4MB main board memory, same problem)
780MEG Miniscribe 9780E with WD1007V controller
The drive works OK under DOS. I have tried with an ST506
40MEG drive instead - same problem.
EXPERT VGA card with Trident chipset, 512k RAM.
I have other sundry cards, but they have been removed for the time
being until this is problem is fixed.
Is it possible for the VGA card to corrupt main memory? I had
some experiences with QEMM-386 which showed that unless I stopped
QEMM from using memory adjacent to the 64k VGA RAM area, I would b
get crashes when using the 640x480x256 display mode. Is it
possible that the same thing is happening here? If so, why is it
happening.
Another problem: ISC claim to support the TMC830 SCSI adaptor
from Future Domain. However, with this adaptor and a Maxtor
drive plugged into my machine, the BOOT diskette from ISC would
hang at the point where it should ask for the INSTALL diskette.
I know the drive is OK since it works fine under DOS.
Another complaint: ISC Operating System Manual / Installation
Procedures / Page 8 says that the user should make a backup
of the INSTALL floppy using DOS diskcopy. Unfortunately, DOS
diskcopy will not read the disk, and reports each track as
unreadable (the same is true of the BOOT diskette, which you
are also told to backup).
Any help will be appreciated,
..G..gvokalek@augean.ua.OZ.AU (George Vokalek) (07/19/90)
> >At this point, I get the following message: > >Fatal error in UI server (sig 11). > Some additional points. During my first attempt to install ISC 2.2, I got the following messages at about the same point in the process: NOTICE: Unexpected NMI in user mode! (or system mode) WARNING: User NMI trap: unable to determine source of NMI. The messages were repeated over and over. It was not possible to shut the system down, since the shutdown command would be interrupted by another NMI. Now, an NMI can be caused by one of two things : Parity Error in RAM, or the IO_CH_CHK signal being asserted by a peripheral card. I ran the CHECKIT system test software, which said my RAM was A-OK. I therefore pulled all but the essential cards (leaving VGA and ESDI only). Note that CHECKIT tested my RAM as expanded RAM and not extended RAM. Do any peripheral cards assert IO_CH_CHK? According to my handbook, it is supposed to be there to allow peripherals to signal error conditions, but no examples are given. Is there any simple way to mask off the NMI interrupt, which will not be undone by the boot process? > >My system configuration: > >Informtech 386/33MHz. Running Phoenix 80386 BIOS PLUS Version C1.10.13 >EXPERT VGA card with Trident chipset, 512k RAM. TVGA BIOS V1.03 ..G..
beser@tron.UUCP (Eric Beser) (07/20/90)
In article <860@augean.ua.OZ.AU>, gvokalek@augean.ua.OZ.AU (George Vokalek) writes: > > Another problem: ISC claim to support the TMC830 SCSI adaptor > from Future Domain. However, with this adaptor and a Maxtor > drive plugged into my machine, the BOOT diskette from ISC would > hang at the point where it should ask for the INSTALL diskette. > I know the drive is OK since it works fine under DOS. > I am having the same problem with my PRIAM 738 scsi disk and my esix system. The culprit (thanks to information supplied from ESIX tech support) is a command sent during the initialization that is not supported by the disk - or is not handled correctly by the driver. During bootup, during driver initialization, the driver sends an inquiry command, followed by a test unit ready command. It is this test unit ready command that may be different and causes my PRIAM to\ turn on the disk light and hangs the system, because it never comes back. This problem occurs in rev D of ESIX but not in REV C. This problem does not happen with the Seagate Disk. My PRIAM disk which is about 4 years old probably interprets this command differently. Now for the solution. ESIX customer support is studying the problem, and will take suggestions. I suggested that they put a define in space.c of the driver that disables the second command checking. That will solve the problem for the short run. I would love to see other suggestions that solves the problem in the long run. It is so refreshing that you actually talk to individuals that know and understand unix and really know their product when you call ESIX customer support. Whatever they are doing, I hope they continue, because I have nothing but praise for the way our problems (which have been many) have been handled. By the way ESIX does not have a support contract yet, and I suspect that they would give the same treatment to anyone. This may or may not help your problem, I don't know what kind of support contract you bought from ISC and whether or not you can get the customer or the vendor to change his driver. Good luck. Eric Beser beser@swars.bwi.wec.com (301)-765-1010 "Captain I think we can do it." "Make it so, number one!"
small@quiche.cs.mcgill.ca (Alain PETIT) (07/22/90)
In article <617@tron.UUCP> beser@tron.UUCP (Eric Beser) writes: >In article <860@augean.ua.OZ.AU>, gvokalek@augean.ua.OZ.AU (George Vokalek) writes: > >> Another problem: ISC claim to support the TMC830 SCSI adaptor >> from Future Domain. However, with this adaptor and a Maxtor >> drive plugged into my machine, the BOOT diskette from ISC would >> hang at the point where it should ask for the INSTALL diskette. >> I know the drive is OK since it works fine under DOS. > >I am having the same problem with my PRIAM 738 scsi disk and my Do you have a TMC-830 too? Because I installed ISC 2.2 on a SyQuest 555 (dated +/- early 1989) with TMC830 and I got no installation problem NOR performance drawback NOR wierd OR stange new (special) effects with this kind of setup... For gvokalek@augean.ua.OZ.au: I think: Your configuration of the TMC-830 may be the problem? Because of a overlaped IRQ or wierd BIOS address... For anybody: Does anybody have some infos on the perfomances and features of the TMC-860 (A 16bit, ISA 16Mhz max, SCSI-1) adapter from Future Domain? I'm changing my WD7000-FASST2 by a Future Domain because of lack of a (good) driver for ISC 2.2! Thanks! -- ------------------------------------------------------------------ small@quiche.cs.mcgill.ca | McGill University | Life is the primary cause for Death. Montreal, Quebec |
todd@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Todd Ogasawara) (07/22/90)
In article <860@augean.ua.OZ.AU> gvokalek@augean.ua.OZ.AU (George Vokalek) writes: >I am having a really nasty time installing ISC version 2.2 on >my machine, and I hope some of you may be able to help. [... install halts after screen color menu ...] /* no ideas about this major problem from me */ >Another complaint: ISC Operating System Manual / Installation >Procedures / Page 8 says that the user should make a backup >of the INSTALL floppy using DOS diskcopy. Unfortunately, DOS >diskcopy will not read the disk, and reports each track as >unreadable (the same is true of the BOOT diskette, which you >are also told to backup). I ran into the same thing yesterday before starting to install my copy of ISC UNIX 2.2. I tried to use MS-DOS 3.3 from Acer on my Acer 1100/25 to make a backup copy of the boot and install disks from Interactive. DISKCOPY barfed both times. So, I went to my trusty PC Tools Deluxe 6.0 (Central Point Software, every M(es)S-DOS user should have a copy! [standard disclaimer, I'm just a satisfied customer]). PC Tools' diskcopy option copied both disks fine. I used these backup disks to perform my boot and install. One notable item. The install disk is an odd-ball format disk with 76 formatted/readable tracks (80 is the norm for 1.2M 5.25" floppies). PC Tools noted the problem but copied the disk anyway and then presented a warning on my screen. The copied disk worked fine for my install though... ISC needs to have some people go through their manuals and check for these and other inaccuracies I've seen in their 2.2 manuals....todd -- Todd Ogasawara, U. of Hawaii UUCP: {uunet,ucbvax,dcdwest}!ucsd!nosc!uhccux!todd ARPA: uhccux!todd@nosc.MIL BITNET: todd@uhccux INTERNET: todd@uhccux.UHCC.HAWAII.EDU
gvokalek@augean.ua.OZ.AU (George Vokalek) (07/22/90)
In article <3767@quiche.cs.mcgill.ca> small@quiche.cs.mcgill.ca (Alain PETIT) writes: >In article <617@tron.UUCP> beser@tron.UUCP (Eric Beser) writes: >>In article <860@augean.ua.OZ.AU>, gvokalek@augean.ua.OZ.AU (George Vokalek) writes: >> >>I am having the same problem with my PRIAM 738 scsi disk and my > > Do you have a TMC-830 too? Because I installed ISC 2.2 on > a SyQuest 555 (dated +/- early 1989) with TMC830 and I got no > installation problem NOR performance drawback NOR wierd OR > stange new (special) effects with this kind of setup... > >For gvokalek@augean.ua.OZ.au: > > I think: Your configuration of the TMC-830 may be the > problem? Because of a overlaped IRQ or wierd BIOS address... The general consensus is that the TMC830 works, but that I may have a compatibility problem with the Maxtor 4380S. Since I only have Maxtor SCSI drives here, I will have to wait on this one. >For anybody: > > Does anybody have some infos on the perfomances and features > of the TMC-860 (A 16bit, ISA 16Mhz max, SCSI-1) adapter > from Future Domain? I'm changing my WD7000-FASST2 by a > Future Domain because of lack of a (good) driver for ISC 2.2! A friend tried this card some time ago and rejected it because it did not produce faster transfer rates than the TMC830, but was 3 times the price. We are now eagerly awaiting the delivery of the new Future Domain SCSI-2 card, which promises 2x transfer rates. BTW, I now have ISC installing, the problem was the VGA card. Keep away from EXPERT VGA, TVGA BIOS V1.03. I have arranged to get an update for the BIOS, and it will hopefully cure the problem. I am installing using an OLD CGA card at the moment. Other display cards which would not work were EVEREX HERCULES Generic-brand Taiwanese EGA with Chips & Tech. Chipset. It makes me wonder what sort of nonsense peripheral manufacturers are getting away with, which works under DOS but not under anything more sophisticated. ..G..
emeyer@cup.portal.com (Eric Paul Meyer) (07/24/90)
I have similar problems installing ISC 2.2 and dealing with INTERACTIVE: 1) DISKCOPY and Install Floppy After many attempts, and after crashing my install floppy (see below) I figured out that one can use DISKCOPY to copy those floppies. Just do two DISKCOPY, the first one will scream at you telling every side 1 track is bad, and the second one will work fine. Don't ask me why... 2) Install floppy crashing When I pressed the interrupt key while installing, INSTALL destryoed my INSTALL floppy, beyhond any hope of repair. The INSTALL has some serious bug to do that. I can repeat the step easily. RESULT: I cannot install my system and I need a new disk from INTERATIVE. (See below). Note: The INSTALL software destroyed the INSTALL disk by writing 0xff in every second byte on sector 7/8/11/12 of track 0 side 0, sector 4/5/7/8 of track 0 side 1 and in the FS block (track 0 side 0 sector 1)... 3) Dealing with INTERACTIVE Since I add destroyed my floppy on Tuesday, I immediatly called ISC who told me they send me one. They refure to FEDEX it because I do not have a FEDEX number yet, so they told me I will get it thru mail on Thursday. Thursday, no sign of the disk, so I call them back, and they told me they send me another one, so I should get it on Saturday. Saturday, no sign of the disk.... Monday, I call back, complain and they tell me they FEDEX me one today so I should get it tomorrow Tuesday... That's more than a week now that I am trying to Install ISC 2.2, and that I get false promises from Interactive. They are nice on the phone and help me fast, but it is just no use. I just want my floppy. I hope Interactive will fix their INSTALL procedure, or at least give 2 INSTALL floppies in the distribution, since it is so hard to make backup of the only writable floppy in the distribution. Did anyone add similar problems to mine.... Eric P. Meyer President ELIABEL Corp. emeyer@cup.portal.com (415) 349 1021 - 1441 Beach Park Av. #217, Foster City CA 94404
dougp@ico.isc.com (Doug Pintar) (07/25/90)
In article <32012@cup.portal.com> emeyer@cup.portal.com (Eric Paul Meyer) writes: > >2) Install floppy crashing > >When I pressed the interrupt key while installing, INSTALL destryoed >my INSTALL floppy, beyhond any hope of repair. The INSTALL has some >serious bug to do that. I can repeat the step easily. RESULT: I cannot >install my system and I need a new disk from INTERATIVE. (See below). >Note: The INSTALL software destroyed the INSTALL disk by writing 0xff >in every second byte on sector 7/8/11/12 of track 0 side 0, sector >4/5/7/8 of track 0 side 1 and in the FS block (track 0 side 0 sector 1)... > This is not an INSTALL problem as stated, but rather seems to be due to a hardware conflict. Eric doesn't say, but I'd be willing to bet that he has a VGA controller set up to run with a 16-bit BIOS. Quite a few of these boards seem to drive the AT bus into 16-bit mode ALL the time, rather than just when their BIOS is being accessed. This tends to screw up 8-bit DMA to the floppy, with every other byte being written as 0xFF. The solution is to jumper- or switch-set the VGA board to being in 8-bit mode (if it is possible to do this -- it is on most) or to plug the board into an 8-bit slot. This will in no way affect system performance, as we don't use the BIOS anyway once the system boots. Most VGA chipsets use 8-bit paths internally anyway. This has fixed the problem in every instance I'm aware of. DON'T try a new diskette until you've changed your configuration, or it'll get scunged, too. If it's any consolation, this one bit the ISC VP in charge of technical product stuff, too... :-) >3) Dealing with INTERACTIVE > I hope this, at least, helps some people. We each do what we can... Doug Pintar
richard@pegasus.com (Richard Foulk) (07/25/90)
> [...] >That's more than a week now that I am trying to Install ISC 2.2, and >that I get false promises from Interactive. They are nice on the phone >and help me fast, but it is just no use. I just want my floppy. > > [...] >Did anyone add similar problems to mine.... > Sounds kinda typical for Interactive.
shwake@raysnec.UUCP (Ray Shwake) (07/25/90)
emeyer@cup.portal.com (Eric Paul Meyer) writes: >I have similar problems installing ISC 2.2 and dealing with INTERACTIVE: >I hope Interactive will fix their INSTALL procedure, or at least give >2 INSTALL floppies in the distribution, since it is so hard to make >backup of the only writable floppy in the distribution. First, it should be well known by now that not all versions of DISKCOPY are capable of reliably copying a UNIX diskette. Second, one should NEVER attempt to copy such a precious diskette without write-protecting the original. In my case, I still had 2.0.2 installed, and thus used sysadm to generate my copy. Installation went without a hitch, though I did not approve of the 4,000 block lower limit on swap space. (We run very tight, but don't run many processes, thus needed the space for user space.)
debra@alice.UUCP (Paul De Bra) (07/25/90)
In article <1990Jul24.193422.29239@ico.isc.com> dougp@ico.ISC.COM (Doug Pintar) writes: >Eric doesn't say, but I'd be willing to bet that he has >a VGA controller set up to run with a 16-bit BIOS. Quite a few of these >boards seem to drive the AT bus into 16-bit mode ALL the time, rather than >just when their BIOS is being accessed. This tends to screw up 8-bit DMA to >the floppy, with every other byte being written as 0xFF... It seems like there are also motherboards around that have a similar problem. I have an AT motherboard (286) which is unable to copy data from 16-bit bus memory to the floppy. The effect is also that every other byte is being written as 0xFF. The problem does not occur when copying data from memory on the motherboard (also 16-bit remember) to the floppy. So there seems to be a problem with the bus switching between 16-bit and 8-bit mode. Paul. -- ------------------------------------------------------ |debra@research.att.com | uunet!research!debra | ------------------------------------------------------
rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) (07/31/90)
shwake@raysnec.UUCP (Ray Shwake) writes: [some useful comments deleted] > ...Installation went without a hitch, though I did > not approve of the 4,000 block lower limit on swap space. (We run > very tight, but don't run many processes, thus needed the space > for user space.) The 2.2 installation forces the minimum swap allocation to be at least the size of physical memory (give or take a little fudging). -- Dick Dunn rcd@ico.isc.com -or- ico!rcd (303)449-2870 ...Software, not suits.