craigb@ipso.rss.ips.oz.au (Craig Bevins) (01/08/90)
I am trying to install Bell Technologies SysV/386 3.2u on a system currently configured as follows: Micronics 25MHz 386 motherboard, no 387 Eagle Technologies EGA with Phoenix Enhanced Video BIOS 1.02 00 DPT SmartCache 3011/55 (ST-506) disc controller Toshiba MKM3134 disc (BIOS table type 21) TEAC 5.25" floppy Phoenix BIOS 1.10.O7 It refuses to boot Unix from the installation floppy, hanging shortly after it gets to the "Booting the UNIX System ...." message. It steps out about 20 tracks on the floppy and dies roughly at the point where I would expect the copyright banner to appear. It then won't respond to CTL+ALT+DEL and the floppy spins forever. It passes all diagnostics and is quite happy to run Xenix SysV/386 and Microport SysV/AT. I don't have access to other flavours of 3.2 SysV/386. I have tried swapping the controller (genuine WD1002), the disc (several varieties), the floppy and the video card, all of which are known to work OK in other 386 systems running BellTech Unix. Still no dice. I guess this points pretty clearly to a problem between the Unix and the Micronics board, but I'm at a loss as to how to pinpoint it. Has anybody seen this or a similar problem? The local supplier of the motherboard isn't interested in the problem and Bell are ignoring me. Help! -- Craig Bevins. IPS Radio and Space Services. Australian Govt Dept of Admin Services. Internet: craigb@ipso.ips.oz.au UUCP: uunet!ipso.ips.oz.au!craigb
karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) (01/09/90)
In article <1990Jan8.123642.25409@ipso.rss.ips.oz.au> craigb@ipso.rss.ips.oz.au (Craig Bevins) writes: >I am trying to install Bell Technologies SysV/386 3.2u on a system >currently configured as follows: > > Micronics 25MHz 386 motherboard, no 387 > Eagle Technologies EGA with Phoenix Enhanced Video BIOS 1.02 00 > DPT SmartCache 3011/55 (ST-506) disc controller > Toshiba MKM3134 disc (BIOS table type 21) > TEAC 5.25" floppy > Phoenix BIOS 1.10.O7 > >It refuses to boot Unix from the installation floppy, hanging shortly >after it gets to the "Booting the UNIX System ...." message. It steps >out about 20 tracks on the floppy and dies roughly at the point where >I would expect the copyright banner to appear. It then won't respond >to CTL+ALT+DEL and the floppy spins forever. It passes all diagnostics >and is quite happy to run Xenix SysV/386 and Microport SysV/AT. I don't >have access to other flavours of 3.2 SysV/386. This sounds familiar... There are a number of 25Mhz cache boards which will not run with ISC 2.0.2 or other AT&T 3.2-derived Unices. Strangely enough, Xenix doesn't seem to have trouble with these same machines/boards.... nor does SCO Unix! One common thread -- we have seen several of these who had the Phoenix BIOS. I don't know if that comes into the equation, but it may have something to do with it. We've yet to see an Award or AMI BIOS machine that didn't boot ISC....... of course, our tests are hardly exhaustive (how could they be with all those boards out there!) In some cases, if you can get it to boot on another system you can edit /etc/defaults/boot and get things to work. I'm not sure exactly what needs changed; try playing with the MEMRANGE=0-640K:0,1M-16M:0 line... it's possible the problem is there somehow.... Good luck! -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 708 566-8911], Voice: [+1 708 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"
craigb@ipso.rss.ips.oz.au (Craig Bevins) (01/11/90)
In article <1990Jan8.123642.25409@ipso.rss.ips.oz.au> I wrote: >I am trying to install Bell Technologies SysV/386 3.2u on a system >currently configured as follows: [ deleted ] >It refuses to boot Unix from the installation floppy, hanging shortly >after it gets to the "Booting the UNIX System ...." message. It steps >out about 20 tracks on the floppy and dies roughly at the point where >I would expect the copyright banner to appear. Thanks to all the folks who responded with suggestions. Turns out it was the Unix bootstrap being picky about the BIOS which, of course, was about the only part of the computer I hadn't swapped. Phoenix BIOS 1.10.O7 is a no go, but 1.10.B2 works fine. I'm told that the problem doesn't exist in the latest release, whatever number that is. Thanks again, Craig.
mark@brandy.UUCP (mark hilliard) (01/12/90)
>>It refuses to boot Unix from the installation floppy, hanging shortly >>after it gets to the "Booting the UNIX System ...." message. I seem to remember a problem which like yours caused the motherboard to not boot the floppy. This was cured by adding a 387. See if you can borrow one and give it a try. Mark Hilliard N2HHR
merwin@agora.UUCP (Ralph Merwin) (01/12/90)
In article <1990Jan8.123642.25409@ipso.rss.ips.oz.au> craigb@ipso.rss.ips.oz.au (Craig Bevins) writes: >I am trying to install Bell Technologies SysV/386 3.2u on a system > Micronics 25MHz 386 motherboard, no 387 ..... > Phoenix BIOS 1.10.O7 ..... >It refuses to boot Unix from the installation floppy, hanging shortly >after it gets to the "Booting the UNIX System ...." message. It steps [more description deleted...] I had this same problem with a similar hardware setup. Turned out to be the motherboard BIOS. Get the latest version that you can. Mine is rev 1.10.10 or so. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Merwin - Merwin Software Services merwin@agora.hf.intel.com 13489 SW Laurmont Ct., Tigard, OR 97223 tektronix!tessi!agora!merwin (503) 646-0871 72170.151@compuserve.com
john@design.axis.fr (John Hugues) (01/13/90)
We had a very similar problem, which was fixed by upgrading to a more recent version of the Phoenix bios. I don't remember offhand what the good version is called. (Maybe 1.10 ?) John Hughes.