Subject: Two troubling problems (CDR and and some bad luck)
To: None <current-users@netbsd.org>
From: Dave Burgess <burgess@neonramp.com>
List: current-users
Date: 04/11/1999 22:50:04
These aren't really huge problems, but they are nagging little things that
I just can't seem to get working.

1)  I can't access my CD-R.  It's a Sony 926S (SCSI).  When I was using the
regular cdrecord program, I was able to build CDs all day.  Now that I've
switched to the packaged one, I can't seem to get the mojo to go.

Whenever I try to access the drive (as uk0), the system will hit it a
couple of times and then freeze hard.  I almost got a CD written with it
early in my last set of tests, but a data under-run ruined the disk and no
attempts to generate a CD have been successful since.

In the way of confessions, I am running several SCSI devices (1 2G HD, 3
CD-ROM drives, a tape drive, and my CD-R).  The CD-R is terminating the
cable.   I'm using an Adaptec PCI SCSI controller.  I built the cable to
spec, so I doubt it's that.

Suggestions?  I'd really like to avoid just tearing into it, since I have
so little time for this stuff as is.  I'm really at wit's end with it.

2)  The other little problem is mostly a matter of bad luck.  One of my
SCSI drives on my Web Server developed a bad spot in the swap space.
Whenever the system hit it, it would generate a bunch of errors and
eventually kill the machine.  While I'd rather not, I can probably
reproduce the error, given enough time.  I was in kind of a huge hurry to
get the system back on-line, so I didn't bother to note the error.  The fix
was to simply add another drive and move the sd1b to another spot on the
disk.  The question (if it is one) is "Has anyone looked at the swap code
WRT error recovery in case of a medium error?"  I doubt that this requires
a PR, it's just kind of a general poser.
--
Dave Burgess                   Network Engineer - Nebraska On-Ramp, Inc.
*bsd FAQ Maintainer / SysAdmin for the NetBSD system in my spare bedroom
"Just because something is stupid doesn't mean there isn't someone that
doesn't want to do it...."