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Date: Sun, 06 Apr 1997 11:50:09 -0400
To: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org>
From: dennis <dennis@etinc.com>
Subject: Re: 2.2.1R NFS and FTP load problem FOUND
Cc: terry@lambert.org, msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au, hackers@freebsd.org
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At 04:04 PM 4/5/97 -0700, Terry Lambert wrote:
>> >There is no evidence, short of a shuffle, that will guarantee you
>> >that the problem is resolved, not masked by the additional RAM.
>> >
>> >You will need to do a full shuffle so that an 8M situation without the
>> >possibly flakey RAM is also tested (and verified to fail).
>> 
>> Ok, but why can I load any OTHER version of Freebsd on these machines,
>
>Possibly because it is a bug in FreeBSD, but since you are in
>the vast minority, probably because the usage patterns are different
>between revisions and you are just "lucky".  8-(.

Thats just it. I cant see how "usage patterns" can be an issue, as I'm
using the
same boot diskette (ie kernel) as everyone else. If its not the RAM amount,
I'd love to know just what it is because I know its going to be a problem
in the 
future. Anyone have any ideas on how to get some decent diagnostics?

I think I might try doing a reload off of a custom kernel....is there an
easy way to 
install a different kernel on the boot floppy, or to build the boot floppy
with a 
non generic kernel?

Dennis
>
>
>> and what is the chance of a random ram problem having the exact
>> same failure on 2 different machines?
>
>Small, but not non-existant.
>
>
>> I dont buy it.....sounds like a "mine works so you're wrong"
>> answer to me.
>
>Do the shuffle; if it fails in all 8M configurations on your hardware,
>you have proven it is a FreeBSD bug.  Right now, all you have is a
>strong feeling that it is a FreeBSD bug, and we have a strong feeling
>that "a million other users not having the problem can't be wrong".
>
>Circumstantially, our feeling is simpler than yours (Occam's razor)
>until you generate contradictory evidence.
>
>
>					Regards,
>					Terry Lambert
>					terry@lambert.org
>---
>Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
>or previous employers.
>
>