>     Any chance the kernel you downloaded is corrupt, downloaded in text mode
> instead of binary,
> or un-tar-gzipped inproperly (i.e. on another platform with different line
> endings, etc.) ?

I don't think so. I've downloaded it twice and also downloaded NetBSD 1.4.2
and OpenBSD 2.6 and all produced the same effect.

> in a non-protected mode. Actually now that I think of it, I had problems
> with a 240 of mine where the CPU daughter card wasn't seated properly, the
> RAM tested good every time, but would randomly fail. I removed the CPU card
> and reinstalled it, been chugging along ever since. It does have something
> later than 5.1b on it though.

I've done that too (reseated the CPU card) with no effect.

>     Also, check your SCSI termination on the drive, on-drive
> active-termination may not be trustable if
> you are using a 68 <-> 50 pin adapter. And try running the self-tests
> continually with the SCSI-bus
> disconnected and connected to see if that shows any difference.

Tried with an external SCSI terminator and with the jumper on the drive, no
effect.