Linux-Hardware Digest #236, Volume #11 Sun, 12 Sep 99 14:13:33 EDT
Contents:
Re: HELP Mouse Problems (David Cooley)
PCMCIA CD-R or CD-RW Drive? (Patrick Stickler)
Re: LINUX and SCSI Adaptec AIC 7890-- SOLVED (Peter Hutnick)
Re: CPUs ("Aldert E. van der Laan")
Re: Linux vs. Mac OS8.5/AppleShare6.1 (Mindlink)
Re: Dual Celeron (Bryan)
Re: Seti@home wont run. (Bryan)
Re: Dual Celeron (Bryan)
serial port not usable - "modem busy" (Thomas Metschies)
Redhat 6.0, SMP Kernel, and SBLive? ("Scott Griffith")
Problems with an es1371 sound card (midi) (Jacek Sierpinski)
Re: AMD K6-3 + FX PA-2013 SIG 11 problems (OldUncleMe)
Re: NE2000 only does 80KB/sec (Chris Osborn)
Underclocking CPU ("Simon Kwan")
Re: FREE EAST TIMOR!!! STOP THE KILLING!!! (Lisa Evans)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: David Cooley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: HELP Mouse Problems
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 12:44:47 -0400
Check out the how-to for mice...
It tells how to use GPM in redirect mode.
That cures the problem
Vipul Lakhani wrote:
>
> I am a total novice - I am now screaming at the screen - so whilst i have
> some sanity left - i request someone help - please - pretty please
>
> I have just installed slackware 4.0 - using umsdos. its all fine in console
> mode. the mouse worksds fine in console mode
>
> i am using the ide/scsi kernel to boot as i have both interfaces in use. i
> have a asus p2b motherboard. on the motherboard is a mouse port (i assume
> that is known as PS/2)
>
> I have a created xf86config via the xf86 utility provided. i have a
> Creative Labs Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT card (AGP) - i am using the SVGA X
> server.
>
> now when i 'startx'
>
> the window manager runs. i have nice blue screen and menus etc appear. but
> my mouse pointer is attracted either to the top left or top right of my
> screen. no matter where i move the mouse on the mat - it hugs the top
> corners. the mouse is a Microsoft mouse - two buttons and a wheel between
> the two buttons
>
> i tried disabling gpm with 'gpm -k' same thing
>
> i have tried (see xf86config below) if you need more info - let me know
> what - although i am a novice i shall do my best to dig out what you need to
> know
>
> thanks in advance - email myself directly [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Vipul
>
> --------------------------------- XF86CONFIG ---------------- start
> Section "Pointer"
> # Protocol "PS/2"
> Protocol "Microsoft"
> Device "/dev/mouse"
> # Device "/dev/psaux"
>
> # When using XQUEUE, comment out the above two lines, and uncomment
> # the following line.
>
> # Protocol "Xqueue"
>
> # Baudrate and SampleRate are only for some Logitech mice
> # or for the AceCad tablets which require 9600 baud
>
> # BaudRate 9600
> # SampleRate 150
>
> # Emulate3Buttons is an option for 2-button Microsoft mice
> # Emulate3Timeout is the timeout in milliseconds (default is 50ms)
>
> Emulate3Buttons
> Emulate3Timeout 50
>
> # ChordMiddle is an option for some 3-button Logitech mice
>
> # ChordMiddle
>
> EndSection
> --------------------------------- XF86CONFIG ---------------- end
--
===========================================================
David Cooley N5XMT Internet: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Packet: N5XMT@KQ4LO.#INT.NC.USA.NA T.A.P.R. Member #7068
Sponges grow in the ocean... Wonder how deep it would be if they
didn't?!
===========================================================
------------------------------
From: Patrick Stickler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: PCMCIA CD-R or CD-RW Drive?
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 19:36:06 +0300
Hi,
Anyone know of a PCMCIA portable CD-R or CD-RW drive that
works with Linux (at least as only a CD-ROM drive, with CD-R(W)
under Windows...)???
Thanks,
Patrick
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------
From: Peter Hutnick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: LINUX and SCSI Adaptec AIC 7890-- SOLVED
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 11:50:46 -0500
All,
Linux is, by default, limited to 1GB. Since some space is needed for the
kernel, this means that you must have some amount of ram LESS than 1GB to
install (or to run for that matter). Physically removing the ram is
unnecessary. Per the BootPrompt HowTo (at www.linux.org), you may pass
mem=xxxm where xxx is the amount of ram, to the kernel.
This said, I doubt that memory is causing Kernel Panic : VFS : Unable to
mount root on 08:21, though I am sure that it would cause some sort of
panic. I still think that it is a CDROM access issue, though I have not
heard from Mathais.
Finally, kernel version 2.2.12 has an option for allowing up to 2GB of ram
(although, again, if you have 2GB the system will not work. Pass mem=2000m
(giving the kernel 48m to play with.) or use [1GB-2GB) of ram.) Using this
opting would allow Greg to use his full 1GB.
And as a side note; suse and simens have worked out a patch to allow 4GB, and
it is going to be added to 2.3 in the near future, and will likely be in 2.4.
-Peter
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
> Mathias Margulies <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Esben Haabendal Soerensen wrote:
> > >
> > > I have had no problems installing RedHat 6.0 on a computer with AIC
> > > 7890 based SCSI controller, what goes wrong ?
> > >
> > What goes wrong is that I get the following message :
> >
> > SCSI detected : 0
> > VFS cannot open root device 08:21
> > Kernel Panic : VFS : Unable to mount root on 08:21
> >
> > and that this message makes the installation procedure exit on error.
>
> I had the same problem, and went hunting on Deja.com. There I found lots
> of people with the same problem, lots of people giving strange answers
> because they didn't understand the problem (which occurs at the *very*
> beginning of installation, while the installer kernel is booting), and
> Neil, who suggested that there was a memory limit on the RedHat
> installer. Lo and behold, dropping my system back from 1 Gig to 256 Meg
> fixed the problem. Betcha it fixes it for you too. I hope I can add it
> back after the installation is done....
>
> -Greg Ferrar ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
------------------------------
From: "Aldert E. van der Laan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: CPUs
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 15:20:35 GMT
Darwayne Willock wrote:
> John Williams wrote:
>
> > I am trying to install Red Hat Linux 5.2 and it crashes before I get to the
> > setup area.
> >
> > But just before it dies it mutters these last words. Any suggestions what
> > might be wrong....
> >
> > Partition check:
> > hda:hda1
> > hdb:hdb1
> > RAMDISK:Compressed image found at block 0 crc errorVFS: cannot open root
>
> > device 08:22
> > Kernel panic: VFS:Unable to mount root fs on 08:22
> >
> > My PC is:
> >
> > AMD K6 - 200
> > TX chipset Motherboard
> > Quantum Fireball 6149MB as master with Seagate 528MB as slave
> > Toshiba CD-ROM XM5302TA
> > Matrox Millennium Graphics Card
>
> I believe the problem has to do with your RAM, not you processor. You might
> want to check your HDD's as a precaution.
I would go immediately to the HDD since it clearly states that it could not
mount the filesystem on the drive.
Actually I just ran into this when installing the latest version of Caldera
(2.3) on my laptop. Going back into win98 Partitionmagic showed that there was
a problem with my partitions.
Had to fdisk /mbr the harddrive, delete the Linux partitions.
As a matter of fact I had my Linux partition set to fill the harddrive as it
went along (2.5gb). Another fact could be that I was running Lorax before.
But the error means there is something wrong with the file system.
My own opinion totally.
Aldert
------------------------------
From: Mindlink <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.networking,comp.os.linux.powerpc
Subject: Re: Linux vs. Mac OS8.5/AppleShare6.1
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 13:25:53 -0400
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I have run a fairly large network of macs off a P133 linux box with no
problems. However, I would have to agree that the learning curve for
linux is not as smooth as MacOS, and if you don't plan to invest the
time learning/planning/debugging, I would recommend that you stick with
a G3 Server. You pay more, and I would say that G3s have at least the
same number if not more problems than linux (from personal experience
with them), but with the G3 you know how to fix it (if all else fails,
just reinstall :) while with the linux box there are a few more hurdles
(of which diagnosis is #1).
Hope this helps in your decision.
MindLink.
<snip>
> >My company is about to invest in a modest network. The network would
> >include 6 Macs & 6-8 PCs. The company has already priced a G3 server from
> >Apple. This of course is based solely on one man's input. I heard a lot of
> >good things about Linux. I have never heard any of any pitfalls or
> >shortcommings of the OS. (maybe I have not looked at all the right places?)
<snip>
> Here's my recommendation: Stay away from Linux.
> Not what you expected to hear here, eh?
> Your company is small. Attempting to administrate three different -- very
> different -- platforms is a strategy that you will certainly one day
> regret.
> I'm making no judgment on any OS or hardware platform, but think about it...
------------------------------
From: Bryan <Bryan@[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Dual Celeron
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 17:27:55 GMT
Elvis Chen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
: On 11 Sep 1999, Gene Heskett wrote:
: > If thats the case, then I must be running pretty stably. I'm running
: > both the rc5-64, and seti gismos. slowly reaching for an >80% rank in
: > setiathome.
: don't bother. I'm stuck on somewhere between 9,000-10,000th (99.1%) place
: for the past 3 weeks. There are many more people in this world with more
: CPU cycle to waste than me.
I'm stuck at 98.25% and its very slowly growing, but VERY VERY slowly.
with whole labs worth of SGI o2k boxes (a lot of folks I know at sgi
run s@h and have top 20 rankings...) there's no way a simple user
(sans mega-huge lab of supercomputers) can compete ;-)
--
Bryan, http://www.Grateful.Net - Linux/Web-based Network Management
->->-> to email me, you must hunt the WUMPUS and kill it.
------------------------------
From: Bryan <Bryan@[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Seti@home wont run.
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 17:29:12 GMT
Kevin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
: On Sat, 11 Sep 1999 18:47:05 GMT, Bryan
: <Bryan@[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
: >simple: its not in your path.
: >
: >cd to where it is located and do:
: >
: >./setiathome
: >
: >that's all ;-)
: >
: >
: I was in it's directiry when I tried to run it.
: Is this a problem with being logged on as root ?
its a 'problem' of not having PATH setup right.
--
Bryan, http://www.Grateful.Net - Linux/Web-based Network Management
->->-> to email me, you must hunt the WUMPUS and kill it.
------------------------------
From: Bryan <Bryan@[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Dual Celeron
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 17:26:24 GMT
Gene Heskett <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
: > seti@home is a grand test. a real torture test for cpus (heat, ram,
: > bios settings, etc).
: If thats the case, then I must be running pretty stably. I'm running
: both the rc5-64, and seti gismos. slowly reaching for an >80% rank in
: setiathome.
I don't know why, but on some of my dual celerons running 2 jobs of
seti@home, I get total system lockups after 4-10 days.
initially I was overclocking (300->450) and only under EXTREME load
did I see heat problems. so I backed all my systems back to 66mhz
busses. I still got some lockups.
maybe its the dual video cards and metro-x and a problem with heavy
load and lots of shared interrupts? I tried various 2.2 kernels (from
2.2.7->.12) hoping that might give some clues.
one of my dual cel's has no video going on at all; its just a
webserver with a single pci video card and I don't even use it - I
just ssh to that box when I need to run stuff on it. IT locks up
every now and then, too.
my ram is first-rate - nothing shady about the parts I use. mobo's
are asus p2bd - those are quite stable as well. except at work I'm
using the bp6 (abit) with some non-overclocked cel 433's. THAT system
hangs in a few days as well! but it also runs dual video cards..
I stopped running s@h on -all- my systems. I can't afford the lockups
anymore. but every so often, I'll see if something new will cure the
lockups.
seeing some 'suspicious' traffic on the linux kernel list makes me
wonder if the 2.2 kernel is REALLY 100% production quality with SMP.
unless I read the comments incorrectly, under the heaviest of loads,
SMP just isn't 100.0% perfect. so maybe that's whats happening here
(?)
--
Bryan, http://www.Grateful.Net - Linux/Web-based Network Management
->->-> to email me, you must hunt the WUMPUS and kill it.
------------------------------
From: Thomas Metschies <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: serial port not usable - "modem busy"
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 19:10:54 +0100
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Hi,
I use SUSE Linux 6.1, and I have a problem connecting my computer to my
modem, which is plugged into COM 1 (working well with windows 98). I
configured it via yast and checked that the entries in rc-config were
right (/dev/modem -> ttyS0). I tried the other port, but it's the same.
The LEDs at the modem don't even flicker for one moment using minicom,
and using kPPP "query modem" it says "modem is busy". I tried every
device in the device list, but none works.
I have a Computer with ATX motherboard, Pentium II, 233 and the computer
has two USB-ports. Can it be that the USB-ports are the reason?
When I run minicom in a terminal-window under kde, it says "modem is
locked". Is there en entry in a system file that I have to alter?
I hope anyone has the right answer for me.
By, Thomas
------------------------------
From: "Scott Griffith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Redhat 6.0, SMP Kernel, and SBLive?
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 17:38:52 GMT
Hi All,
Set up the SBLive OK with single CPU kernel. Anyone got their SBLive
working in SMP (dual) mode? If so, how?
Thanks,
Scott
------------------------------
From: Jacek Sierpinski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: linux.dev.config
Subject: Problems with an es1371 sound card (midi)
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 16:15:16 GMT
I have Caldera OpenLinux 2.2 and a SoundBlaster PCI 128 card - really
Ensoniq. It uses es1371 driver and I can play *wav, *mpeg or *mp3 files
without any problem. But there is a big problem with midi files. Neither
kmid, nor kmidi, nor rosegarden is able to play them - I get messages
that /dev/sequencer is busy, there is no device driver, or an
application hangs without any message. Kmidi can play some sounds but
for a short moment only.
I read Thomas Sailer's readme in /usr/src/Documentaton/sound but I don't
understand. He wrote that midi synthesis has to be done in software. He
suggested timidity but, as I see, this program converts midi files to
*wav format and then play them as *wav's. Is it really the only way to
play midis using this card? In Windows, the default midi player works
fine and it (as I think) doesn't convert midi files to *wav's. But I
can't find any driver or application that enable it in Linux.
Please help.
--
Jacek Sierpinski
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (OldUncleMe)
Subject: Re: AMD K6-3 + FX PA-2013 SIG 11 problems
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 17:16:29 GMT
It was: 10 Sep 1999 22:42:10 GMT and with STARTLING insight, "Rod Roark
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>"
posted "Re: AMD K6-3 + FX PA-2013 SIG 11 problems"
to "comp.os.linux.hardware" :
-->Mike Frisch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
-->>On 10 Sep 1999 20:14:19 GMT, Rod Roark <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
-->>>This is usually the CPU. Don't home-build a system with an AMD CPU.
-->>>About 10-20% of the AMD systems I build fail the overnight multiple
-->>>kernel compilations test. This seems to be across the whole range of
-->>>K6-2 and K6-3 CPUs.
-->
-->>It's definitely not the CPU! Did you ever think it was inferior cooling,
-->>a bad motherboard, or RAM? I've build a dozen AMD K6-2 machines and every
-->>one of them has been rock solid stable under Linux (and any other OS, for
-->>that matter).
-->
-->Define "rock solid stable". Just because it doesn't crash running
-->whatever you happen to want to run doesn't mean it's stable. Do you
-->really test every one? If so, how exactly? If not, you better start
-->testing.
-->
-->By the way I always use AMD-recommended motherboards, mainstream
-->SDRAM and decent fans. When you take out a CPU from a consistently
-->failing system and substitute a different (same model) CPU and nothing
-->else and it works, I think the conclusion is pretty clear. That has
-->been the case for me with each bad CPU.
-->
-->Hell I've even sat down with a distributor at his own test bench and
-->proved that a whole batch of K6-2/300's were defective where
-->substituting 333's underclocked to 300 worked. I asked him to give me
-->333's at the price of the 300's; he refused, saying "that's what you
-->should expect, if you want reliability go with Intel".
-->
-->By the way I have nothing to gain from bashing AMD, and would much
-->prefer that Intel have better competition. I'm just stating my
-->observations as one who ought to know and who cares about quality.
-->
-->-- Rod
Er, ahm, are we ahead of ourselves here? The original poster should check
the FIC web site and also with the alt....motherboards.fic n.g. It seems
there have been a lot of problems with the PA2013 (2mb/L-2) board, it might
even have been recalled, or be exchangeable. I would try disabling
external cache, make sure you are not overclocking, check pci steering,
remove all cards but video and add back one at a time checking for
stability and proper setup along the way, and recheck all jumpers and bios
settings (go with real conservative bios setup to start, make changes and
test over time/with bechmarks and stability tipping software tasks: such as
compiling kernels or running seti@); also check for reasons to flash bios
to newer/different version: such as curing your specific problems.
Additionally, the PA2013 has always been extremely finicky about memory.
Try to run it with fsb reduced to agp speed: 66mhz instead of 100, 112
etc. It has been implied that there is a series of the 2mb boards with
poor implementation..... YMMV /ts
tenox @ home dat com
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Chris Osborn)
Subject: Re: NE2000 only does 80KB/sec
Date: 12 Sep 1999 11:05:33 PDT
In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
Christian Reiser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>One thing even more important than the card-type are the used protocols.
>To get peak-values transfer a cached file over FTP directly to
>/dev/null.
Been there, done that. That's how I know I'm only getting 80kB/sec.
What can I do to convince these cards to go faster? Is performance
specific to the brand and/or the settings I put the card into from the
DOS software?
--
Chris Osborn Full System, Inc.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] 2160 Jefferson St., #240
http://www.fullsystem.com/ Napa, CA 94559
------------------------------
From: "Simon Kwan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Underclocking CPU
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 01:16:18 +0800
Hi,
I have two old motherboard that supports 233 and 300 MHz, P, P MMX, AMD,
Cyrix and Winchip. Nowadays, you cannot buy CPU at that low clock rate.
Can a higher speed CPU be used in LOWER clock setting. News was reported
that CPU maker are putting in 'clock lock' to prevent user from clocking
their CPU ABOVE the norminal clock rate. Wonder if the 'lock' prevent
clocking UNDER the norminal rate?
TIA. Appreciate email reply also.
Simon
------------------------------
From: Lisa Evans <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.m68k,comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: FREE EAST TIMOR!!! STOP THE KILLING!!!
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 17:59:01 GMT
In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> James Knott wrote:
> >
> > In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "Pedro RA" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
> > >Sorry to post off topic but this is EXTREMELY important!
> > >
> > >FREE EAST TIMOR NOW!
> > >STOP THE KILLING KNOW!
> > >
> > >Please take a look at the nearest
> > >internacional news broadcast.
> > >
> > >Remember KOSOVO, RUANDA,
> > >BOSNIA, CAMBODJA, KURDISTAN,
> > >or the HOLOCAUST. Or remember all
> > >of them. You may as well add
> > >EAST TIMOR to this list.
> > >
> > >DO SOMETHING!
> > >
> > >Do what ever you can.
> > >
> > >Better even:
> > >STOP SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED!
> > >
> > > FREE EAST TIMOR
> >
> > Let's all send them our old Linux CDs!!!
>
> That's actually not a bad idea... We can lobby congress and the UN to
send
> a Peacekeeping mission over and then train the Timorians(?) on how to
> sharpen the edge of the used CD we send them. They can then use them
as
> weapons and achienve their freedom. Or we could keep the old CDs and
use
> them for coasters. ;-)
>
> Bill
You people are disgusting. Remind me to make jokes at your expense the
next time you and your family are shipped to a concentration camp and
slaughtered, because that's what's happening in East Timor right now.
Lisa Evans
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
------------------------------
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End of Linux-Hardware Digest
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