From owner-freebsd-stable Tue Oct 20 10:19:22 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id KAA09751 for freebsd-stable-outgoing; Tue, 20 Oct 1998 10:19:22 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from pop.uniserve.com (pop.uniserve.com [204.244.156.3]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id KAA09746 for ; Tue, 20 Oct 1998 10:19:20 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from tom@uniserve.com) Received: from shell.uniserve.ca [204.244.186.218] by pop.uniserve.com with smtp (Exim 1.82 #4) id 0zVfPO-0000If-00; Tue, 20 Oct 1998 10:17:22 -0700 Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 10:17:20 -0700 (PDT) From: Tom X-Sender: tom@shell.uniserve.ca To: Bart Lindsey cc: bm@malepartus.de, freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: ECC memory support In-Reply-To: <199810201305.XAA01587@burra.zip.com.au> Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG On Tue, 20 Oct 1998, Bart Lindsey wrote: > Hi Burkard, > > ECC occurs between the memory modules and the motherboard. The kernel doesn't > get involved and the process is transparent to the kernel. The kernel is involved, as it will handle the NMI generated by the memory fault, and panic the system, which hopefully cleanly restart the system. Also, some systems can do more with the NMI, like shutdown whatever was contained in the bad location. FreeBSD doesn't do this. FreeBSD just calls panic. > The PC architecture doesn't handle memory problems very nicely and typically > the CPU resets without warning or just freezes without the kernel having any > opportunity to trap an error. Only on non-ECC or non-parity systems where the system will run through bad memory. > Depending on the revision of your motherboard, you might have to download > the bios patch described at URL: > > http://www.asus.com/downloads/bios/Jbios.asp?Motherboard=P/I-P55T2P4S#instructions > > There are two factors mentioned which can cause parity errors: > 1. PS2 mouse installed or > 2. AMD K6 installed and ECC/parity enabled. > > Good Luck! > > Bart. Tom To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-stable" in the body of the message