bug: 2.4.[<=6] kernel has Cyrix 'coma' bug?

bug: 2.4.[<=6] kernel has Cyrix 'coma' bug?

[Steven Lass]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 937 bytes --]


dev-list,

Every 2.4 kernel that I've tried freezes my Cyrix MediaGX system at boot
up.

Typically the last messages displayed are:

Working around Cyrix MediaGX virtual DMA bugs 
CPU: Cyrix Media GX Core/Bus Clock Stepping 02 
Checking 'hlt' instruction

Occasionally, the "Checking 'hlt' instruction" is not displayed before
it freezes.

My system is a PowerSpec Model 1810 (no laughs please), my Phoenix BIOS
reports "Cyrix GX 3.2 180MHz".

I've compiled/installed numerous 2.2.x kernels w/o any trouble.  The
Redhat 7.1 CDROM image freezes at boot.  I've compiled the 2.4.4, 2.4.5,
& 2.4.6 kernels with various config settings, but they all freeze at
boot.  I'm currently running redhat 7.0, so I've tried compiling with
gcc (gcc 2.96 20000731) & kgcc (egcs 1.1.2 release), no luck.
 
I'm willing to compile the 2.4.[<4} kernels or try any other
pre-compiled kernels is anyone has a suggestion.

Please CC: me on any response
-steve

[-- Attachment #2: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 1254 bytes --]

From: Steven Lass <stevenlass1@home.com>
To: stevenlass@mail.com
Subject: bug: 2.4.[<=6] kernel has Cyrix 'coma' bug?
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 22:15:10 -0500
Message-ID: <3B5A453E.15B631F9@home.com>


dev-list,

Every 2.4 kernel that I've tried freezes my Cyrix MediaGX system at boot
up.

The point at which it hangs varies, but typically the last messages
displayed are:

Working around Cyrix MediaGX virtual DMA bugs
CPU: Cyrix Media GX Core/Bus Clock Stepping 02
Checking 'hlt' instruction

My system is a PowerSpec Model 1810 (no laughs please), my Phoenix BIOS
reports "Cyrix GX 3.2 180MHz".

I've compiled/installed numerous 2.2.x kernels w/o incident.  The Redhat
7.1 CDROM image freezes.  I've compiled the 2.4.4, 2.4.5, & 2.4.6
kernels with various config settings, but they all freeze.  I'm
currently running redhat 7.0, so I've tried compiling with gcc (gcc 2.96
20000731) & kgcc (egcs 1.1.2 release), no luck.
 
I'm willing to compile the 2.4.[<4} kernels or try any other
pre-compiled kernels is anyone has a suggestion.

Please CC: me on any response
-steve

Re: 2.4.[<=6] kernel has Cyrix 'coma' bug?

[Rob Turk]

"Steven Lass" <stevenlass1@home.com> wrote in message
news:cistron.3B5AD0DF.8DDC5D1E@home.com...
>
> dev-list,
>
> Every 2.4 kernel that I've tried freezes my Cyrix MediaGX system at boot
> up.
>

For what it's worth, I use the Slackware 8.0 distribution, and have no
trouble running 2.4.[5-7] on my Cyrix MediaGX 233 MHz. Make sure MTTR is off
in your configuration, this has bit me in the *ss once...

Rob

======
CPU: Before vendor init, caps: 00808131 01818131 00000000, vendor = 1
Working around Cyrix MediaGX virtual DMA bugs.
CPU: After vendor init, caps: 00808121 00818131 00000000 00000001
CPU:     After generic, caps: 00808121 00818131 00000000 00000001
CPU:             Common caps: 00808121 00818131 00000000 00000001
CPU: Cyrix MediaGXtm MMXtm Enhanced stepping 02
Checking 'hlt' instruction... OK.
POSIX conformance testing by UNIFIX
=======
robtu@pi8nos:/proc$ cat cpuinfo
processor       : 0
vendor_id       : CyrixInstead
cpu family      : 5
model           : 7
model name      : Cyrix MediaGXtm MMXtm Enhanced
stepping        : 2
cache size      : 16 KB
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 2
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu msr cx8 cmov mmx cxmmx
bogomips        : 76.80

Re: bug: 2.4.[<=6] kernel has Cyrix 'coma' bug?

[Steven Lass]

Just tried the 2.4.7 kernel & it freezes too.

-steve

Steven Lass wrote:
> 
> dev-list,
> 
> Every 2.4 kernel that I've tried freezes my Cyrix MediaGX system at boot
> up.
> 
> Typically the last messages displayed are:
> 
> Working around Cyrix MediaGX virtual DMA bugs
> CPU: Cyrix Media GX Core/Bus Clock Stepping 02
> Checking 'hlt' instruction
> 
> Occasionally, the "Checking 'hlt' instruction" is not displayed before
> it freezes.
> 
> My system is a PowerSpec Model 1810 (no laughs please), my Phoenix BIOS
> reports "Cyrix GX 3.2 180MHz".
> 
> I've compiled/installed numerous 2.2.x kernels w/o any trouble.  The
> Redhat 7.1 CDROM image freezes at boot.  I've compiled the 2.4.4, 2.4.5,
> & 2.4.6 kernels with various config settings, but they all freeze at
> boot.  I'm currently running redhat 7.0, so I've tried compiling with
> gcc (gcc 2.96 20000731) & kgcc (egcs 1.1.2 release), no luck.
> 
> I'm willing to compile the 2.4.[<4} kernels or try any other
> pre-compiled kernels if anyone has a suggestion.
> 
> Please CC: me on any response
> -steve