Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!samsung!munnari.oz.au!cluster!metro!ipso!ipsedixit!craigb
From: craigb@ipso.rss.ips.oz.au (Craig Bevins)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: BellTech Unix woes on Micronics 25MHz system
Message-ID: <1990Jan8.123642.25409@ipso.rss.ips.oz.au>
Date: 8 Jan 90 12:36:42 GMT
Sender: craigb@ipso.rss.ips.oz.au (Craig Bevins)
Reply-To: craigb@ipso.rss.ips.oz.au (Craig Bevins)
Organization: IPS Radio and Space Services.  Sydney, Australia.
Lines: 32

I am trying to install Bell Technologies SysV/386 3.2u on a system
currently configured as follows:

	Micronics 25MHz 386 motherboard, no 387
	Eagle Technologies EGA with Phoenix Enhanced Video BIOS 1.02 00
	DPT SmartCache 3011/55 (ST-506) disc controller
	Toshiba MKM3134 disc (BIOS table type 21)
	TEAC 5.25" floppy
	Phoenix BIOS 1.10.O7

It refuses to boot Unix from the installation floppy, hanging shortly
after it gets to the "Booting the UNIX System ...." message.  It steps
out about 20 tracks on the floppy and dies roughly at the point where
I would expect the copyright banner to appear.  It then won't respond
to CTL+ALT+DEL and the floppy spins forever.  It passes all diagnostics
and is quite happy to run Xenix SysV/386 and Microport SysV/AT.  I don't
have access to other flavours of 3.2 SysV/386.

I have tried swapping the controller (genuine WD1002), the disc (several
varieties), the floppy and the video card, all of which are known to work
OK in other 386 systems running BellTech Unix.  Still no dice.

I guess this points pretty clearly to a problem between the Unix and the
Micronics board, but I'm at a loss as to how to pinpoint it.  Has anybody
seen this or a similar problem?  The local supplier of the motherboard
isn't interested in the problem and Bell are ignoring me.  Help!

-- 

Craig Bevins.
IPS Radio and Space Services.  Australian Govt Dept of Admin Services.
Internet: craigb@ipso.ips.oz.au    UUCP: uunet!ipso.ips.oz.au!craigb