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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!simtel!news.kei.com!newshost.marcam.com!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!in1.uu.net!news1.digital.com!pa.dec.com!depot.mro.dec.com!nntpd.lkg.dec.com!usenet From: Jon Jenkins <jenkinsj@ozy.dec.com> Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Couple of "gotchas" for NCR and Diamomd Stealth64 users Date: 31 Aug 1995 13:12:12 GMT Organization: Digital Equipment Corp Lines: 54 Message-ID: <424cfc$gvb@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: ozyd13-p3.ozy.dec.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 1.1N (X11; I; BSD/386 uname failed) X-URL: news:comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc I finally got around to upgrading the BIOS in my oentium today to the latest release. That went fine. Then I made the mistake of trying to do it for the NCR SCSI controller and the Diamond Stealth64 VRAM card. I upgraded the flash BIOS in the NCR from 3.04.00 to 3.06.00 and whoops FreeBSD wont boot anymore neither will DOS. The MBR boot prompter comes up but says: default: F? and pressing F1 (DOS) or F2 (FreeBSD) results in nothing and the same prompt. So it looks like there may be a problem with MBR and version 3.06.00 of the NCR PCI BIOS. Reloaded the 3.04.00 BIOS and no problem. Just to check I ftp'd the 3.06.00 a couple more times and reloaded with same result. Only read on if you use Windows...... The Diamond one is specific to Windows (which I only still use to send faxes). The 1.33 version drivers the were downloaded from the makers site and installed. I run a slightly unusual setup: I have a diamond 64VRAM connected to a VGA-RGB converter and thence to an old DEC workstation monitor. This works for FreeBSD/X and Windows (never see any booting only X and Windows). Anyway when I setup the InControl tools for the monitor (I have to use a standard VGA to setup and then switch to the RGB as it is fixed frequency) I hit the Test button and adjust the screen to suit the fixed frequecy monitor. No problem looks good. However when I selct the tested mode it looks garbage. Try Test mode and works fine. To cut a long story when you select the mode for display it appears to totally ignore the test settings selected and use the default for that mode. Ok reload 1.2 and works fine again. Jon -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Name: Dr Jon Jenkins Location: Digital Equipment Corporation NaC Voice/Fax: 61-7-55-75-0151/100 Burnett Place, Research Park, Inet: jenkinsj@ozy.dec.com Bond University, Gold Coast Close Proximity: "HEY YOU !!!" QLD, AUSTRALIA 4229 "Daddy, what's outside the Universe?" (My 5 year old.....) -----------------------------------------------------------------------