Date: Mon, 13 Mar 95 10:03:39 MST From: terry@cs.weber.edu (Terry Lambert) To: SimsS@infi.net Cc: hackers@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Adaptek 1542 on other ports Message-ID: <9503131703.AA03264@cs.weber.edu> In-Reply-To: <199503131313.IAA15188@larry.infi.net> from "Pavlov's Cat" at Mar 13, 95 06:11:40 am
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> In response to some poor guy with Adaptec 1542 problems, Terry writes: > > At the boot prompt, instead of hitting return or just waiting, type > > /kernel -c. > > This will put you in an editor that will let you change BSD's idea > > of where the SCSI controller should be. > > Once installed this way, you will have to boot the same way each time > > or eventually rebuild your kernel. > > This has been bugging me for a while - I really appreciate the > ability to arbitrarily re-vector the hardware stuff sorta on-the-fly > like this. In fact, many times it's been the only way to get a box > up and running short of building a new kernel on another box. But... > > Why is it that if a J. Random User goes thru the drill of configuring > the plethora of non-standard locations for his misbegotten hardware > setup, must he not only remember how he got the thing to boot, but he > must also re-enter this stuff *every*flippin'*time*he*reboots*. Punishment for opening his box and playing around with the dip switches and jumpers and getting them moved away from factory defaults. It's a method of promoting the use of super-glue at the factory. Insidious, isn't it? > Now whazzup with that? Isn't this what we have computers for in the > first place -- to remember all that triviata that we humans don't > have the time/ability/inclination to remember? > > Is there any _technical_ reason that FreeBSD can't find some > sacrosanct place to stash all of this '-c' stuff and magically use > that as the default next time 'round? How do you read the 1542 base address off the disk so the kernel can find the 1542 base address so you can read it off the disk so ... The problem is that the kernel is not data-driven (or rather, not data-driven enough) in some areas. > Q: Why won't my Hack-o-Rama WonderWidget [work | load | run]? > It works under [ DOS | LINUX | WINDOWS ]!!! > > A: You've got it at the wrong address; use -c when you boot. Once > you get the box running, simply pull in the kernel sources, > hack up a new config, `config My_Config`, `make world' and > use _that_ kernel in the future. > > [Poor guy - he asks for a drink and he gets a fire hose turned on > him!] > > Anyway - any reason why FreeBSD can't remember what happened in the > last '-c' boot? There was a preliminary shot at a utility to do this, but it had some problems and was canned for now (there was a discussion of this on the hackers list). Linux handles this by cramming it into the stuff LILO gives the kernel on boot. > (Now let me run fetch my asbestos BVD's) Good choice... 8-). Terry Lambert terry@cs.weber.edu --- Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present or previous employers.
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