Date: Wed, 8 May 1996 23:50:14 -0500 (CDT) From: gordon@sneaky.lerctr.org (Gordon Burditt) To: questions@freebsd.org Subject: FreeBSD boot vs. 16MB+ problems? Message-ID: <m0uHNg7-0001lYC@hammy.lonestar.org>
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Is there any known problem with BootEasy and/or the FreeBSD 2.1R bootstrap, and having over 16 meg of memory? I recently tried upgrading my system from 8 to 20 meg, and in the process, I somehow managed to wipe out the BSD disklabel and parts of BootEasy on my IDE drive while invoking only BootEasy and the FreeBSD boot up to the point of the 'Boot:' prompt. For that matter, if I dare try 20MB again, is there anything I need to reconfigure in the kernel? (Note Adaptec 1542B SCSI controller for second disk: I *will* need bounce buffers above 16MB). The sequence went something like this: - Shut down FreeBSD (at this point running on 8 meg). - Power off machine. - Install new RAM (20MB total) - Power up machine. - BIOS doesn't like memory changes; enter setup and save it. This is more or less expected. RESET. - BIOS counts up 20MB - 384KB of memory. - Let it boot through BootEasy to the FreeBSD boot prompt. FBSD boot sees about 20MB of memory (didn't note exact number). - Oops! Forgot to check BIOS chipset settings. RESET. - Check BIOS settings. Find nothing that needs changing. RESET. - Hmm, BootEasy menu looks funny - missing letters and such. - Press F2 for FreeBSD. Get back BootEasy menu. - Press F1 for DOS. This works. Ran some memory diagnostics, CACHECHK, and Win 3.1. Everything seemed normal. However, every time I use BootEasy, the menu looks more scrambled. - Decide 20MB might be a problem. Power off machine, install 16MB, power up. This process involves removing ALL the RAM, so objections that the problem could have been badly-seated RAM are possible. But the BIOS test, simplistic as it was, passed every time. - Boot from floppy, fix FreeBSD disk label, and reinstall BootEasy. - System is now running well with 16MB (and X is a lot faster). The 16MB memory I had was new, and has been running about a week without problems. The other 4MB was from the 8MB the system has been using for over 3 years without problems. Configuration: 486DX/33 70ns RAM (old: 8 x 1Mx9, new: 4 x 4Mx9) AMI BIOS 12/12/91 This motherboard is supposed to support a configuration of 20M of RAM, and according to the BIOS, it does. wd0, IDE drive, 535 meg. Slice 1: DOS Slice 2: FreeBSD, including root partition Adaptec 1542B SCSI controller sd0, SCSI drive Slice 1: DOS Slice 2: FreeBSD Gordon L. Burditt sneaky.lerctr.org!gordon
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