[comp.sys.mac.hardware] Compatibility stack does not chec, was Re: How system 7 "broke" my IIfx

huff@mcclb0.med.nyu.edu (Edward J. Huff) (06/06/91)

In article <15353@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU>, klingspo@mozart.cs.colostate.edu 
(Steve Klingsporn) writes:
> In article <1991Jun5.142010.1@mcclb0.med.nyu.edu> huff@mcclb0.med.nyu.edu 
> (Edward J. Huff) writes:
> 
>>Conclusion:  the declaration ROM labeled "Still Light V2.0
>>Copyright LiquidLight 1989" is not 32 bit clean.
> 
> Then System 7 didn't "break" your machine, did it?
> 
> Steve Klingsporn
> Goof

Maybe the subject line should be "How System 7 broke :-) my IIfx".

However, installing system 7 did result in a machine which would not boot.
I spent 2 or 3 hours taking the thing apart before I found out the cause.
I expect that had I not been here, the Mac would have been sent to the
dealer, and if it had not been under warrenty (which could easily have
happened -- that card was recently moved from a different Mac which
is not under warrenty), then there would have been a minimum labor
charge.  In any case, the Mac was down for 3 hours, it could have
been down for days.  This would not have happened had I not made 
system 7 available for trial.

I guess my real complaint is with the compatibility checker.  THERE WAS
NO MENTION in the compatibility report of the possibility that firmware
on a NuBus card could cause trouble, let alone leave the machine inoperable.

Also, there is no mention in the Mac user documentation of the technique
(which I still don't know exactly) for clearing Parameter RAM.  I can't
find any mention of Parameter RAM in the manual.  (Admittedly, I don't
have the System 7 documentation). 

The original report appeared in comp.sys.mac.hardware, but since it is
really a complaint about the compatibility checker, I am cross posting
this to comp.sys.mac.system.