Xref: utzoo comp.os.os9:270 comp.sys.m6809:958 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!purdue!decwrl!trco01.dec.com!akermanis From: akermanis@trco01.dec.com Newsgroups: comp.os.os9,comp.sys.m6809 Subject: ARTICLE Message-ID: <8811141812.AA12030@decwrl.dec.com> Date: 14 Nov 88 18:12:31 GMT Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 70 The BLOB problem with OS-9 Level II sure has generated a lot of theories and know facts about causes and fixes. To understand what is happening both hardware and software wise is a tall chore to say the least. A comment that the BLOB problem has been possibly around since the Level I days is a surprise to me. I do not disprove this information, just that I have never experienced that problem with any of the Level I versions that were released. I have been using OS-9 since it was first released for the COCO years ago and have always obtained the latest and greatest versions to keep up to date. What I am really getting at, is some additional info on stream for the record about BLOB problem. The BLOB problem first surfaced after my third OS9GEN'd disk. At this time, all I had on the expansion port was my Floppy Disk Controller (old style, with external +12 for it) and started getting 'Write Verification Errors'. After replacing some chips on the controller and corrupting a few disks, I went out and purchased the latest version of the COCO Floppy Controller because of known problems with the old one and the COCO 3 running at 1.8meg. The new controller once installed, did the same thing as the old. This is when the BLOB problem first caught my attention. By going back to a copy of the original disk, the problem disappeared. To make the story a little shorter, as I installed some new hardware from time to time, I would make duplicates of my working disks add the hardware and run extensive tests to make sure I have created a bug free system disk. I have found that coping large files (ie Basic09, OS9Boot) from dir to dir or disk to disk would fail consistently if the 'Gen' was flaky or just format a few diskettes. The last thing I have done is install a B&B interface, WD1002A-WX1 controller and a ST225 hard disk system. (The B&B interface was modified to gate SCS and E to produce SCSE) This all sits on a CC Bus along with the RS floppy controller and the RS232 pak. The only device that ever seems to complain about errors is the floppy in any Gen that is bad. The hard disk always runs clean even when the floppy is acting up. The module order that seems to work 95% of the time has always been REL, BOOT, OS9P1, RBF, CC3DISK, F0, F1, F2 and after this, it does not seem to matter. (f0 etc is for the floppy. d0 etc is the hard disk) I also ensure that CC3Disk, RBF and descriptors are within the same 8k block. I agree with the hardware theory previously posted to some extent, this can cause some of the boot type problems, but if the system boots and you run into floppy problems, this I feel is some sort of software problem. Since with a lone COCO and Floppy Controller plugged into the expansion port exhibited the symptoms also, I would feel this backs the last statement some what. On a bad 'GEN' if you continue to push it, you will eventually crash the system. One could also look at the RS Floppy Controller and say that under certain conditions that the controller causes the problem. 1) I am curious to ask others who use SDISK driver or equivalent, have they experienced similar symptoms as with CC3DISK.dr ? 2) If so, then would you think the problem goes beyond CC3Disk ? 3) Has anyone experienced problems with their Hard Disks after a Gen ? From various pieces of information that has been posted here or on other systems as CIS, I seem to sense that CC3Disk.dr may be the other piece of the puzzle other than the hardware angle. I have ruled out RBF and other associated modules since from my experiences they work well with BBFHDISK.dr from B&B and to date have never exhibited the above symptoms like the Floppies. I know that this may have been hashed out here before, but I have recently joined this news group and do not wish to bore anyone with old topics. The topic however is quit interesting and a challenge to all of us. John Akermanis "If the shoe fits, It's ugly"