Re: SparcStation IPC: Data Access Exception

[Brian Buhrow <buhrow%nfbcal.org@localhost>]

	hello.  What firmware revision is running on the IPC?  I seem to
remember anything older than 2.9 is problematic for newer versions of
NetBSD where  newer means greater than 3.x or 4.x.  If you don't have
access to a newer version of the firmware or a way to burn it onto a chip,
you could try booting a NetBSD 3.x cdrom and see if that works.  If it
does, try running installboot against your hard disk and putting the 3.x
boot blocks onto your -current system.  I'm not sure if this is as true for
Sparc as it is for I386, but I have some systems running 2.x boot blocks
booting 5.x kernels and later.  (Of course, if 3.x won't boot, try 2.x and
run with that.  This might get you going.)

-Brian
On Nov 25,  3:07pm, Riccardo Mottola wrote:
} Subject: Re: SparcStation IPC: Data Access Exception
} Hi,
} 
} Erik Fair wrote:
} > The other thing that sparc firmware is picky about is the block/frag sizes for the root filesystem. I?ve had trouble with anything larger than 16k/2k.
} What's the "default" and how can i check? I just let the installer do it 
} after setting up partitions.
} Since I have sd0a root, sd0b swap, sd0d as the other partition, root 
} should have no offset at all or  minimal. I will boot again on the other 
} machine and check.
} 
} I might add that I tried to boot from CDROM and install directly from 
} the IPC but it failed to load (Same message, IIRC). I thought that the 
} old SUN caddy CDROM died, this is why I attempted the procedure by using 
} the SS20 as a "host" system. But perhaps it is not a CDROM issue, but a 
} problem that current NetBSD doesn't support the IPC anymore as Martin 
} suggests? I'll see if I can try booting SOlaris 2.5 again to prove the 
} hardware and perhaps either OpenBSD or older versions of NetBSD.
} 
} Riccardo
} 
} PS: Apparently my firm intention to start checking all my nice developed 
} GNUstep software on SPARC and BSD has an incredible strain of bad luck.
} The SS10 SCSI-cable broke when I made attempts fitting a newer disk.
} The IPC Appears to be refusing to boot.
} 
} But worst, apparently while using the SS20 as a Host, I removed the 
} internal SCA disks to make it easier to install and left the top cover 
} open. I think I fried my dual HyperSPARC? Although it wasn't so hot, I 
} could touch it, but the machine froze and now is unreliable. Perhaps it 
} would have happened anyway.
>-- End of excerpt from Riccardo Mottola