Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!pcrat!rick From: rick@pcrat.uucp (Rick Richardson) Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386 Subject: Re: Pic on ISC's 386/ix 2.0.2 locks system hard. Message-ID: <1989Nov28.075243.10363@pcrat.uucp> Date: 28 Nov 89 07:52:43 GMT References: Reply-To: rick@pcrat.UUCP (Rick Richardson) Organization: PC Research, Inc., Tinton Falls, NJ Lines: 24 In article larry@focsys.uucp (Larry Williamson) writes: >This happened with our 1.0.6 system as well. When ever anyone here >runs pic (DWB 2.0), our system would lock up so hard, that the only >recourse was to power off the computer. I had to remove pic. I think this is all due to floating point hardware/software troubles. We saw erroneous output from pic and xclock when a 287 was installed. Changing the coprocessor present bit in CMOS ROM fixed that. In our case, UNIX thought there was a 387 installed when there was only a 287 installed, and tried to execute instructions that didn't exist in the 287. I don't know exactly what the fix is for 387's, but I think you may need to get the 80386DX processor (yours is probably a 386 double sigma, take a look). As an aside, it really bugs me that Intel did squat for owners of buggy 80386's (multiply, FP, DMA troubles ... pretty common stuff), but promised free upgrades for owners of buggy 80486's. -- Rick Richardson | Looking for FAX software for UNIX/386 ?????? mention PC Research,Inc.| WE'RE SHIPPING your uunet!pcrat!rick| Ask about FaxiX - UNIX Facsimile System (tm) FAX # (201) 389-8963 | Or JetRoff - troff postprocessor for the HP {Laser,Desk}Jet