From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from mout1.freenet.de (mout1.freenet.de [194.97.50.132]) by dsl2.external.hp.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id C8436482A for ; Mon, 6 Aug 2001 14:38:17 -0600 (MDT) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" From: Reinhard Gimbel Reply-To: Reinhard.Gimbel@freenet.de To: parisc-linux@lists.parisc-linux.org Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2001 22:38:13 +0200 Cc: grundler@puffin.external.hp.com, rbradetich@uswest.net, rhirst@linuxcare.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: <01080622381300.01641@octopus> Subject: [parisc-linux] C180: no real progress :-( List-ID: Hi friends ! In the past days I learned a lot about HP workstations and the Linux port to hppa/parisc. After I could exchange my first used C180 (256 MB, 2*4,5 GB FWSCSI HDD, GRAPHICS(3) accelerated graphics) by a newer model of the same series (C180) I tried to get palinux-0.9.2 up-n-running on that box. Few weeks ago I posted some thoughts I had in this mailing list because palinux-0.9.2 was crashing on the older box all the time during installation. Some kernel messages led my in the false direction. I thought DINO (h/w v2.1; or better the software glue of DINO) was the root cause of "my" problems. This box had firmware v2.7. Installation via network/NFS did not work because of problems; With the older box i tried many things (100Mbps, 10Mbps, Hub, cross-over cable) but no success ... After I got the replacement on Friday (DINO v3.1 [which should be ok. according the kernel messages ...], firmware v5.1) the problems are still present. BTW: Grant, you are right ! But newer firmware seems not to solve the problem ... I tried serial console device as well as STI console [PS/2 keyboard/mouse, GRAPHICS(0) with PC-style video monitor via HP adaptor connector]. The C180 boots palinux-0.9.2 from CD (additional drive at SESCSI). The system crashes either during kernel/driver installation (1st stage) or during "software" installation (2nd stage). Only one time I could get the system installed from serial console. As I tried to switch to STI console the keyboard port problem hit me; The only chance was to reboot the box. As a result the root filesystem was corrupted so hard that fsck had problems tpo repair the corrupted filesystem ... :-( At this point I have some (foe me) important questions: Has anybody a running C180 under palinux-0.9.2 ? Has anybody similar problems with other HP w/s and could solve those problems ? How solved ? Some hints to the kernel guys: [1] Try to fix the keyboard port problem ! I don't know how many reboots I had top handle this weekend but un-/replugging the keyboard is very boring ... :-) [2] Try to get full support of any key (at least german keyboard support lacks on essential things ...) eg. no pipe/vertical bar; no support of capslock (keyboard unusable after accidently hit capslock; nothing helped; un-/replug, too) [3] Sometimes I could see a message like "ioctl: LOOP_CLR_FD: No such device or address" short time before the C180 crashed. Any idea ? Some hints to the system guys: [1] Do real disabling of "dhcp-client" if it is set to "no" during installation. (Those kernel message caused by dhcp-client are boring; try it with open editor; great ;-) [2] Try to include a date check/set into the installation routine; user should be informed about hardware clock setting) I'm still trying to get that beast (= my C180) up-n-running ! Any help would be great ! Reinhard.