*BSD News Article 49817


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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!simtel!pravda.aa.msen.com!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!news.sprintlink.net!dorite!system1.indecent.com!partek
From: partek@indecent.com (David Anderson)
Subject: FreeBSD and the Promise 2300+ EIDE controller
Message-ID: <DE51D8.L3t@iquest.net>
Sender: news@iquest.net (News Admin)
Organization: IQuest Network Services
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 1995 19:12:43 GMT
Lines: 40

(Please send replies to partek@iquest.net)

After using Linux for 4 months, and learning more about FreeBSD, I 
decided to give it a try. (The main thing that convinced me was the 
kernel configure that's almost identical to SunOS 4.1.3)
I tried 5 times yesterday to install FreeBSD 2.1.0-950726-SNAP. Each time
the install over FTP went fine,(even though it took forever over my 28.8k
modem) but when it came to booting the system from the HD, it would lock
up looking something like this: 

------------- 
>> FreeBSD [Stuff I don't remember deleted]

Boot:
|
--------------

Then the computer was completely frozen. I was told on #FreeBSD that the
problem sounded like it originated with my hard drive controller. I've
tried every setting, and every configuration on the controller and it
still did the same exact thing when trying to boot from the HD.. Is this
controller just incompatable with FreeBSD, or am I doing something
horribly wrong? I tried setting it up with the boot manager AND the
standard MBR also.. 

Also, when installing I ran into another problem. When sysinstall went to 
write the fdisk info to wd0, it would crash saying something like this:
------
sysinstall: read input/output error
panic: running away without my init!
------
It then would force a reboot.
I don't know what caused it, but if I erased the partition table and 
started over, it seemed to work. Could this be related to the HDC too?

I refuse to go out and spend $80+ on a new EIDE controller, so I'm 
willing to help out in any way I can on getting this to work. 

(Please send any replies to partek@iquest.net)