Return to BSD News archive
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Path: sserve!manuel!munnari.oz.au!mips!mips!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!greg
From: greg@ecse.rpi.edu (Greg)
Subject: Re: 386bsd-0.1: primary bootstrap (wdbootblk.c) problem & fix.
Message-ID: <greg.712261295@hibp1.ecse.rpi.edu>
Keywords: 386bsd boot bootstrap wdbootblk.c
Nntp-Posting-Host: hibp0.ecse.rpi.edu
References: <greg.712111605@hibp1.ecse.rpi.edu> <1992Jul27.172708.3363@gateway.novell.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 18:21:35 GMT
Lines: 39
terry@npd.Novell.COM (Terry Lambert) writes:
>In article <greg.712111605@hibp1.ecse.rpi.edu> greg@ecse.rpi.edu (Greg) writes:
>> In a recent post I described a booting problem I was having: I could only
>>boot about 20% of the time in high speed mode. I tried all the latest patches,
>>but the problem persisted. By putting a printf at the top of boot.c, I determined that it was not making it out of wdbootblk.c.
>[ ... code describing delay loop deleted ... ]
>Folks, *DON'T FIX IT THIS WAY!*
>the correct fix is to either use the patched boot files in the "unofficial"
>directory on Agate (new "dist.fs"), or to do the following (which only
>partially recreates the patch):
[ patch to wd.c deleted ]
Terry, please reread my message. THIS IS NOT THE SAME BUG!!!!!!
This problem is in wdbootblk.c. The code contained in wd.c has not
even been loaded off the disk at the point when this hang occurs!
To understand what is going on, study wdbootblk.c.
I agree that this may not be the best fix, as it treats the symptoms rather
than curing the cause of the problem, but it does work. I believe that
Bill Jolitz is working on a more insightful solution to this problem.
But for those of us who want it now, this serves as an adaquate temporary
fix.
So, to everyone having booting problems: Try the lastest bootables on
agate.berkeley.edu, but if that doesn't help, feel free to try a
solution like mine. You can determine whether the primary bootstrap is
successful by putting a printf in main() of boot.c. If you never see it,
then it is hanging in wdbootblk.c
Terry, please take some time to study wdbootblk.c and to understand the
boostrap process before you make such forceful recommendations.
Greg - greg@megas.ecse.rpi.edu