> From: "-P.Chase" <paypachase@collegeclub.com>
> Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 06:57:58 -0800 (PST)
> To: port-i386@netbsd.org
> Subject: Re: NEC CD/Install Problem
> 
> hello all,
> I am trying to load 1.5.2 onto an old gateway p133 with 540mb hd and 16mb ram
> and an NEC cd (ATAPI) but after using the boot floppies, the system wont
> recognize the cd player in order to install the distribution sets. i tried to
> mount the cd player but i still get an error that the device is not ready. i
> tried changing the bios PnP from windows 95 to 'other system' but no success.
> i thought maybe the windows machine i burned the distribution sets onto cd
> from wasnt transferring it in a form that the install system could recognize
> but the cd player doesnt even show that its searching the disk. so, my
> questions: is there a fix to this? will i have to do a floppy install? and if
> so will the system be able to recognize the cd player after it is installed?
> any help would be greatly appreciated. thanx.

Three thoughts come to mind:

1) Look at the output of the kernel messages (more /kern/messages) to see if
the drive is detected. If so, then the issue is probably the age of the
drive versus the CD media. I've seen some really old Nec CD-ROMs (3x SCSI)
that can't read any kind of recordable CD-ROM.

2) If it's a CD-RW disk, reburn the image to a CD-R.

3) Check the master/slave jumper on the drive. Assuming it is the only
device on that controller, make sure it is set to 'master'. I recently hit a
box where a drive set to slave wasn't detected by the BIOS and never showed
up.

<<<john>>>