>Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 09:21:12 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Phil Nelson <phil@cs.wwu.edu>

>The machine is an HP Vectra XU.

>From all I've read and heard Vectras have some oddities, but I don't
think that's your problem here.

>It hangs just after printing the line:
>
>   biomask 8240 netmask 8640 ttymask 86c2

This may indicate a problem with interrupts; IIRC the kernel enables
interrupts immediately after printing that message.  (If you UTSL look
for where the kernel calls spl0()).

>Here is a dmesg from the 9/31/97 working kernel.  (The new kernel also
>finds the atapi CD-ROM.)

>lpt0 at isa0 port 0x378-0x37b irq 7
>sb0 at isa0 port 0x220-0x237 irq 7 drq 1 drq16 5: dsp v4.13

Your parallel port and SB are sharing the same interrupt; this is Bad.
Try disabling the parallel port (or at least its interrupt) and see if
the problem Goes Away.
-- 
Mike Long <mikel@shore.net>                http://www.shore.net/~mikel
"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands,
hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." -- H.L. Mencken