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Date:      Tue, 15 Aug 1995 15:50:18 -0400
From:      Alan Bawden <Alan@Epilogue.Com>
To:        FreeBSD-gnats-submit@freebsd.org
Cc:        Alan@Epilogue.Com
Subject:   i386/692: My modem won't let me turn my external cache off...
Message-ID:  <199508151950.PAA00363@beandorf.epilogue.com>
Resent-Message-ID: <199508152000.NAA24888@freefall.FreeBSD.org>

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>Number:         692
>Category:       i386
>Synopsis:       My modem is not found if my external cache is disabled.
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       serious
>Priority:       medium
>Responsible:    freebsd-bugs
>State:          open
>Class:          support
>Submitter-Id:   current-users
>Arrival-Date:   Tue Aug 15 13:00:04 PDT 1995
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     Alan Bawden
>Organization:
ITS Preservation Society
>Release:        FreeBSD 2.0-RELEASE i386
>Environment:

	We own two Zoom VFP 28.8 (internal) modems installed in two
	different FreeBSD machines.  The problem occurs identically on both
	machines.  One runs FreeBSD 2.0 and the other runs 1.1.5.1.  The
	2.0 machine was purchased from Insight, it's mother board is a
	4386-VC-V.  The 1.1.5.1 machine also came from Insight, but has a
	slightly different mother board (I don't have the model number
	handy).

>Description:

	If I disable the external cache (using the Setup menu before
	booting) then when FreeBSD boots it fails to find my modem.  For
	example:

	  Aug 15 12:53:47 beandorf kernel: sio2 not found at 0x3e8

	If I enable the external cache (back to Setup again), it works 
	perfectly: 

	  Aug 15 12:58:22 beandorf kernel: sio2 at 0x3e8-0x3ef irq 5 on isa
	  Aug 15 12:58:22 beandorf kernel: sio2: type 16550A

	Everything else about the machine seems to work the same with or
	without the external cache.  (Well, I suppose it might be slower
	without it...)

	The BIOS -is- able to find that serial port even when the cache is
	disabled (when it lists the ports it found at boot time), so I
	suspect that the modem itself is working just fine, it's just that
	there is something in the FreeBSD detection code that isn't
	working.

	Why should I want to turn off my cache?  Well, I'm trying to track
	down what I suspect is a much more serious FreeBSD bug that
	occasionally seems to corrupt my files (and it's happening more and
	more often to the point where it is seriously interfering with my
	work), and I have been told that some of these Insight-supplied
	mother boards have some kind of a problem with the external cache,
	so I would like to disable it to see if that might actually be my
	problem.  But I depend on the modems, so I can't afford to do
	anything that will disable them.

>How-To-Repeat:

	I suppose you could buy the same hardware I've got and it might
	happen for you too!

>Fix:
	
	I would like to get FreeBSD to do a better job at recognizing that
	modem.  I'd be happy to do further experiments to help someone to
	get a more precise handle on what going on -- just ask!
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted:



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