From owner-freebsd-questions  Sat Jul 19 12:00:16 1997
Return-Path: <owner-questions>
Received: (from root@localhost)
          by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) id MAA07341
          for questions-outgoing; Sat, 19 Jul 1997 12:00:16 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from MOGLI.rutgers.edu (mogli.rutgers.edu [128.6.46.55])
          by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id MAA07335;
          Sat, 19 Jul 1997 12:00:13 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from mogli.rutgers.edu by MOGLI.rutgers.edu with UUCP (4.1/25-eef)
	id AA08323; Sat, 19 Jul 97 15:42:41 EDT
Received: by mogli (4.1/SMI-4.1)
	id AA01223; Sat, 19 Jul 97 14:23:52 EDT
Date: Sat, 19 Jul 97 14:23:52 EDT
From: crose@mogli.rutgers.edu (Christopher Rose)
Message-Id: <9707191823.AA01223@mogli>
To: help@FreeBSD.org
Subject: stupid toshiba laptop
Cc: crose@mogli.rutgers.edu, questions@FreeBSD.org
Sender: owner-questions@FreeBSD.org
X-Loop: FreeBSD.org
Precedence: bulk


Hi Folks,

I'm not even sure you're the right folks to contact about this but
here goes anyway:

1) Toshiba laptop (tecra 510CDT with 2.xG disk)

2) Problem: disk error messages, specifically
timeout and busy errors which hang the system.
Particularly bad if you try to run a bad block check.
Drive gets into a loop which makes it go
brpbrpbrp...  until cows come home (never since I live
in a city).

3) Even more specifically:

a) Freebsd v2.2.2
b) Cdrom installation

c) Installing on second half of hard disk (enhanced ide controller)
(linux is on first half... will deep six whichever one gives more
trouble... linux has similar problems but seems to work around them [
then crash much later :)]

d) Disk Error messages:

	wd0: interrupt timeout:
	wd0: status 50 <rdy,seekdone> error 0
	wd0: interrupt timeout:
	wd0: status 50 <rdy,seekdone> error 1<no_dam>

then complete and utter disk thrashing.

e) Just wierd (to me):
	Disk is 4200/16/63 but BIOS insists that
	it's 525/128/63.  Might this be a problem?
	I have not tried forcing the geometry
	yet, but will do so soon at the rate I'm going



Here's what I want to know:

1) Is this a known OS problem with this particular type of laptop?

2) Does this in your great experience sound more like a disk
controller problem (toshiba has been singularly unhelpful... want to
sequester my machine for 2 weeks while they brood over the problem)

Any help you can provide, including scathing commentary like YOU FOOL!
You should do such and such! will be appreciated muchly.

Cheers and thanks,

Chris

******************************************************************************
Christopher Rose
Associate Professor of Electrical
and Computer Engineering
Rutgers University
crose@ece.rutgers.edu
http://winwww.rutgers.edu/pub/about/people/staff/crose/crose.html
******************************************************************************