[comp.unix.sysv386] System on the blink

news@rushpc (Usenet news administrator) (03/01/91)

I've just recently run into a problem and was wondering if anyone may have
any ideas on how to fix it.  I have a 386 system running AT&T SVR3.2.  Just
recently rn quit working from the console.  I get the error message,
can't open /dev/tty.  Also the DELETE key on the console keyboard quit 
working as well, no more interrupt capability, and /usr/bin/pg stopped 
working, it says it can't open stdout.  All this occurred about the same
time and followed a system boot.  Has anyone else run into this problem.
If so, please email me at ...uunet!rushpc!jjr as rn does not work from the
console.

Thanks in advance
John

news@rushpc (Usenet news administrator) (03/03/91)

Recently I posted an article describing how my system went on the blink.
The symptoms were:  /bin/rn couldn't open /dev/tty, /usr/bin/pg could not
re-open stdout, and the console DELETE key quit working.  I received many
helpful suggestions and would like to thank everyone that replied to the
trouble.

I fixed the problem by removing the file /etc/default/cron.  I recently
created this file with the sole contents of: CRONLOG=YES.  This was done
to turn on cron logging after reading about it in this newsgroup.
Just to make sure it was not a fluke, I re-created the file again with the
above entry, and my problems returned.  I've read the sysadm manual and 
was not enlightened in any way.

Is it possible that this is a bug in AT&T SVR3.2.2.1 or am I overlooking
something, possibly in inittab?

-- 

J. Rushford
...uunet!rushpc!jjr
Westminster, Colorado

peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) (03/12/91)

In article <1991Mar2.212243.1131@rushpc> news@rushpc (Usenet news administrator) writes:
> I fixed the problem by removing the file /etc/default/cron.  I recently
> created this file with the sole contents of: CRONLOG=YES.

Background: /dev/console is only the control device if its "first open" is
for the leader of a process group. If it was already open it'll never become
a control terminal.

Theory: cron is printing a message about cron logging being on on the console,
and then never closes it. So no further "first open" occurs and there's no
/dev/tty, etc.

To test: does this happen on vt01, vt02, etc?

To fix: adb -w cron to make it open another file.
-- 
Peter da Silva.  `-_-'  peter@ferranti.com
+1 713 274 5180.  'U`  "Have you hugged your wolf today?"