Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen
From: davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.COM (Wm E Davidsen Jr)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: ISC 2.0.2 and VP/IX Dos Emulation
Keywords: unix dos vpix
Message-ID: <1649@crdos1.crd.ge.COM>
Date: 17 Nov 89 21:23:49 GMT
References: <240@hdchq.UUCP> <36515@ism780c.isc.com> <290@minnie.UUCP>
Reply-To: davidsen@crdos1.UUCP (bill davidsen)
Organization: GE Corp R&D Center, Schenectady NY
Lines: 41

In article <290@minnie.UUCP> diamond@hdchq.UUCP (Bill Diamond) writes:
| In article <36515@ism780c.isc.com>, patrick@scrooge.ism.isc.com (Patrick Curran) writes:
| > Try unplugging the keyboard and then plugging it back in again.
| > This solves almost all of the "lockup" problems I experience.
| 
| Normally, I take these hints in the spirit given.  In this case, I'm
| afraid I cannot.
| 
| This is one of the most inutterably stupid ideas I've ever heard.  Why
| don't you imagine the scenarios with which we, your clients are faced.  "No
| problem Mr. CEO, just try unplugging your keyboard then plug it back in".
| Uh-huh.  I like my job. I want to keep my job.  My company demands top
| performance from me for each dollar.  I demand top performance for the
| several thousands of dollars I have invested in your product.
| 
| Either get your product right, or admit you can't do it and give us a
| refund.  Just be honest with us; I can accept failure.  I cannot and will
| not accept the continued levels of deception evidenced by the pervasive
| defects in the software.

  When I read the posting I sent a note To Pat saying that he might get
flamed for suggesting such action. I had in mind someone who was afraid
of melting their keyboard, not this vitriolic attack on a useful
suggestion.

  In my experience this lockup has been caused by problems in the
hardware of the keyboard rather than the software, based on having seen
a new keyboard cure the problem for one Xenix, two ix/386 and one
MicroPort. I used a Northgate keyboard, but I'm sure other brands will
do. One vendor supplied a new set of ROMs for the keyboard processor.
Unplugging the keyboard resets the controller (or whatever) inside.

  Before flaming someone for giving you a helpful hint, be sure you
understand the problem. I'm not claiming that there is no software
problem, only that I haven't seen it, and I *have* seen lockup in
several flavors of UNIX which responded to hardware fixes.
-- 
bill davidsen	(davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM -or- uunet!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen)
"The world is filled with fools. They blindly follow their so-called
'reason' in the face of the church and common sense. Any fool can see
that the world is flat!" - anon