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- Newsgroups: comp.unix.sys5.r4
- Path: sparky!uunet!ferkel.ucsb.edu!taco!gatech!hubcap!ncrcae!ncrhub2!ncrgw2!psinntp!ficc!kunkee
- From: kunkee@ferranti.com (randy kunkee)
- Subject: Dell Unix SVR4 Issue 2.2 and UltraStore 24F
- Message-ID: <id.GR2X.8QJ@ferranti.com>
- Organization: Unix/Xenix Support Group
- Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 03:15:27 GMT
- Lines: 87
-
- Okay, taking the leap into SVR4.
-
- I have a 486/50, 32MB ram, and an Ultra 24F EISA adaptor card.
- Orchid Prodesigner II SVGA, and some generic SVGA monitor.
-
- I ordered an Adaptec, and the vendor sent me an UltraStore 24FA EISA
- SCSI host adaptor instead. So, I think "What the heck, let's try to
- install this anyway. After all, UltraStore does seem to have sent
- EISA drivers for every Unix under the sun with this. Maybe I can
- get it to work. Maybe it will even work out well."
-
- After speaking with a guy at Dell, I realize that I have my work cut
- out for me. I was wondering if there is anyone who has done this
- before?
-
- Here's what I've done so far:
-
- Followed the instructions in the UltraStore manual about creating
- a new boot diskette with their mini-Unix kernel on it. All I had
- to do was have a Unix system around (fortunately I do, SVR3.2).
- So I copy the boot diskette to the new one, mount the filesystem
- (f0q15d).
-
- UltraStore sends their drivers on little 3&1/2" diskettes in tar
- format. Don't have a 3&1/2" diskette on the SVR3.2 PC I've got,
- so had to use a Sun to read the diskette. No problem, a little
- dd (don't know much about using the Sun diskette -- perhaps it
- would have been easier for an expert), ftp'ed the file to my SVR3.2
- PC, managed to get tar to extract their 'unix' kernel (had to skip
- a few bytes in the beginning).
-
- Copied that to the new boot diskette just like the manual says,
- shoved it into the new PC (hmmm -- 486/50, EISA -- should be good
- if I can get it to work at all). Even more amazing was that it
- booted, then asked me to insert the 'system' diskette, which I
- did, and the installation came up.
-
- Got a few copyright notices, recognized the SCSI disk at target 0
- (I've since read in the known USL bugs that this might be a problem),
- and proceeds with the installation. At least with the modified
- boot diskette, the SCSI controller is recognized, and the disk
- model (a Micropolis) is correctly displayed. This was much better
- than what I got with the stock Dell boot diskette.
-
- The recognition of the drive looks like this:
-
- WARNING: SCSI device "MICROP 1924-21MZ1077801" at
- HA 0 TC 0 is not in the disk table (tc_data)
- but it will be configured as a disk.
-
- This occurs early after the "system" disk has been inserted. The
- system chews on the diskette a while longer and then begins the
- installation.
-
- Unfortunately, early in the installation procedure, I get:
-
- dellsetup: cannot open "/dev/rdsk/0s0": No such device
-
- This is a somewhat critical portion of the installation. I am
- guessing that it is about to run some fdisk-like program to create
- a Unix partition (current the disk only has a DOS -- or perhaps no
- valid boot table at this point).
-
- In fact, the vendor installed DOS to test it. However, after
- messing around with it a while, I've managed to make it so I cannot
- even boot DOS from the hard drive. Well, you'll see no tears from
- me about loosing my DOS partition.
-
- Any ideas out there?
-
- My guesses fall among the following:
-
- 1. Change the disk to SCSI target 1.
- 2. Take back the Ultra 24F and insist on an Adaptec. Dell says
- their installation will work straight out with an Adaptec.
- 3. I don't have a SCSI install (but I thought it was all pretty
- generic).
- 4. Other ....
-
- I will probably try #1 tomorrow. I'll post a followup, registering
- success or failure, if there is any interest.
- --
- Randy Kunkee
- Ferranti International Controls Corporation
- 12808 W. Airport Blvd. Sugar Land, TX 77478
- UUCP: uupsi!ficc!kunkee ph: (713) 274-5132
- INTERNET: kunkee@ferranti.com
-