Perhaps if you could describe what problems you're having with each of
your components and what lead you to the conclusions you did, we might be
able to offer suggestions on how to proceed.  NetBSD runs fine on  most old
hardware, so I find it hard to believe that your BIOS, RAM and SCSI card
are all duff.
-Brian

On Jun 12,  5:20pm, Igor wrote:
} Subject: Trouble with BIOS,i486EISA&AHA1740
} This is a cryptographically signed message in MIME format.
} 
} --------------ms6EE32B5C917D6D6FF6327488
} Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
} Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
} 
} Hi guys!
} 
} I've finally decided to replace my outdated SCO box with NetBSD.
} However, the 1990 state-of-the-art HW stands on my way. First is the
} BIOS, following the RAM, and finally the EISA.
} 
} I wish I could just replace the motherboard to something contemporary
} but this is not an option! I gotta find the cheapest way out. At the top
} of the 2do list are the following two items:
} 
}    1.  How, or even can I replace / upgrade my BIOS without changing
} motherboard ?
} 
}    2.  I am willing to use just 1GB of my 2GB disk, providing I could
} get the geometry right.
} 
} I have tried many things with "PFDISK" but nothing really worked, except
} that I eliminated the
} initial {{ sd0(ahb 0:0:0): timed out }}, only to get to it again much
} farther down during installation.
} 
} Am I fighting a lost battle here, or is there some hope I can reuse my
} old box?
} 
} Regards, Igor
} :^)*
} 
} --------------ms6EE32B5C917D6D6FF6327488
} Content-Type: application/x-pkcs7-signature; name="smime.p7s"
} Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
} Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="smime.p7s"
} Content-Description: S/MIME Cryptographic Signature
} 
} MIILGAYJKoZIhvcNAQcCoIILCTCCCwUCAQExCzAJBgUrDgMCGgUAMAsGCSqGSIb3DQEHAaCC
} CRAwggRaMIIDw6ADAgECAhBEQV9l9552QmCTlbeOw2HcMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBBAUAMGIxETAP
} BgNVBAcTCEludGVybmV0MRcwFQYDVQQKEw5WZXJpU2lnbiwgSW5jLjE0MDIGA1UECxMrVmVy
} aVNpZ24gQ2xhc3MgMSBDQSAtIEluZGl2aWR1YWwgU3Vic2NyaWJlcjAeFw05ODA1MDEwMDAw
} MDBaFw05ODA2MzAyMzU5NTlaMIIBEjERMA8GA1UEBxMISW50ZXJuZXQxFzAVBgNVBAoTDlZl
} cmlTaWduLCBJbmMuMTQwMgYDVQQLEytWZXJpU2lnbiBDbGFzcyAxIENBIC0gSW5kaXZpZHVh
} bCBTdWJzY3JpYmVyMUYwRAYDVQQLEz13d3cudmVyaXNpZ24uY29tL3JlcG9zaXRvcnkvQ1BT
} IEluY29ycC4gYnkgUmVmLixMSUFCLkxURChjKTk2MSYwJAYDVQQLEx1EaWdpdGFsIElEIENs
} YXNzIDEgLSBOZXRzY2FwZTEWMBQGA1UEAxMNSWdvciBQaXJub3ZhcjEmMCQGCSqGSIb3DQEJ
} ARYXaGliaXRla0BnbG9iYWxzZXJ2ZS5uZXQwgZ8wDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQADgY0AMIGJAoGB
} AKPsYv2SYQgT5xZpiFQ3AxGyH6gk2eue63UA0aJiov4vEiGozV2/Y7IQgeJ0EU53nT3z+OFK
} EbjOnQxw7f5cbUBPyJCF/6L+dUcuzBo69psieWzJmXaIM/1f8VDTtrED/6+pFE+1rV5X9SpM
} UIdc6qp9DQ+aYrjQYYSIUBT2GG/RAgMBAAGjggFdMIIBWTAJBgNVHRMEAjAAMIGvBgNVHSAE
} gacwgDCABgtghkgBhvhFAQcBATCAMCgGCCsGAQUFBwIBFhxodHRwczovL3d3dy52ZXJpc2ln
} bi5jb20vQ1BTMGIGCCsGAQUFBwICMFYwFRYOVmVyaVNpZ24sIEluYy4wAwIBARo9VmVyaVNp
} Z24ncyBDUFMgaW5jb3JwLiBieSByZWZlcmVuY2UgbGlhYi4gbHRkLiAoYyk5NyBWZXJpU2ln
} bgAAAAAAADARBglghkgBhvhCAQEEBAMCB4AwgYYGCmCGSAGG+EUBBgMEeBZ2ZDQ2NTJiZDYz
} ZjIwNDcwMjkyOTg3NjNjOWQyZjI3NTA2OWM3MzU5YmVkMWIwNTlkYTc1YmM0YmM5NzAxNzQ3
} ZGE1YzVlMDE0MWJlYWRiMmJkMmU4ZmYxMmQ1NmE4ZGQwMTE0OTk2YTJiYzQ3ZmRmM2VhNDU0
} ZDANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQQFAAOBgQBJpaQi5SD+AYk6zju3RWB4md4karASS9KzIG1rxETTlPJ/
} Lf0CDgvjcvUUTlPHeC5esTO3GYP8EjFLLh0n3jQmx4sXCvyj2dssWetXoOOfwn3VOMsUHAfA
} oCgnxqpiu/EEgT/0tvU8gj05EjBvGS/6LGw1uVlLJUqDxXtdQ0EE6zCCAnkwggHioAMCAQIC
} EFIfNR3ycH4AK77KWYcE1TkwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQECBQAwXzELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxFzAVBgNV
} BAoTDlZlcmlTaWduLCBJbmMuMTcwNQYDVQQLEy5DbGFzcyAxIFB1YmxpYyBQcmltYXJ5IENl
} cnRpZmljYXRpb24gQXV0aG9yaXR5MB4XDTk2MDYyNzAwMDAwMFoXDTk5MDYyNzIzNTk1OVow
} YjERMA8GA1UEBxMISW50ZXJuZXQxFzAVBgNVBAoTDlZlcmlTaWduLCBJbmMuMTQwMgYDVQQL
} EytWZXJpU2lnbiBDbGFzcyAxIENBIC0gSW5kaXZpZHVhbCBTdWJzY3JpYmVyMIGfMA0GCSqG
} SIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQC2FKbPTdAFDdjKI9BvqrQpkmOOLPhvltcunXZLEbE2jVfJ
} w/0cxrr+Hgi6M8qV6r7jW80GqLd5HUQq7XPysVKDaBBwZJHXPmv5912dFEObbpdFmIFH0S3L
} 3bty10w/cariQPJUObwW7s987LrbP2wqsxaxhhKdrpM01bjV0Pc+qQIDAQABozMwMTAPBgNV
} HRMECDAGAQH/AgEBMAsGA1UdDwQEAwIBBjARBglghkgBhvhCAQEEBAMCAQYwDQYJKoZIhvcN
} AQECBQADgYEAwfr3AudXyhF1xpwM+it3T4dFFzvj0sHaD1g5jq6VmQOhqKE4/nmakxcLl4Y5
} x8poNGa7x4hF9sgMBe6+lyXv4NRu5H+ddlzOfboUoq4Ln/tnW0ilZyWvGWSI9nLYKSeqNxJq
} sSivJ4MYZWyN7UCeTcR4qIbs6SxQv6b5DduwpkowggIxMIIBmgIFAqQAAAEwDQYJKoZIhvcN
} AQECBQAwXzELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxFzAVBgNVBAoTDlZlcmlTaWduLCBJbmMuMTcwNQYDVQQL
} Ey5DbGFzcyAxIFB1YmxpYyBQcmltYXJ5IENlcnRpZmljYXRpb24gQXV0aG9yaXR5MB4XDTk2
} MDEyOTAwMDAwMFoXDTk5MTIzMTIzNTk1OVowXzELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxFzAVBgNVBAoTDlZl
} cmlTaWduLCBJbmMuMTcwNQYDVQQLEy5DbGFzcyAxIFB1YmxpYyBQcmltYXJ5IENlcnRpZmlj
} YXRpb24gQXV0aG9yaXR5MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQDlGb9to1ZhLZlI
} cfZn3rmN67eehoAKkQ76OCWvRoiC5XOooJskXQ0fzGVuDLDQVoQYh5oGmxChc9+0WDlrbsH2
} FdWoqD+qEgaNMax/sDTXjzRniAnNFBHiTkVWaR94AoDa3EeRKbs2yWNcxeDXLYd7obcysHsw
} uiovMaruo2fa2wIDAQABMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAgUAA4GBAFJzuppV3Nw/gn2wkJhiKoJMdgBu
} JT3VwglwVwEMD3cfGKH7HGAOoHU7SSFB/qdcLUxCSdP/KNiM6p3+yQfid4JTI95V885Ek/r6
} TL3KNvNbZrKeyPIMXl7UobQhCTPKO1n8ksI4/K3ZliTgLfqjKfUzaHhOtLyfaTXiqJiUczvE
} MYIB0DCCAcwCAQEwdjBiMREwDwYDVQQHEwhJbnRlcm5ldDEXMBUGA1UEChMOVmVyaVNpZ24s
} IEluYy4xNDAyBgNVBAsTK1ZlcmlTaWduIENsYXNzIDEgQ0EgLSBJbmRpdmlkdWFsIFN1YnNj
} cmliZXICEERBX2X3nnZCYJOVt47DYdwwCQYFKw4DAhoFAKCBsTAYBgkqhkiG9w0BCQMxCwYJ
} KoZIhvcNAQcBMBwGCSqGSIb3DQEJBTEPFw05ODA2MTIyMTIwMzRaMCMGCSqGSIb3DQEJBDEW
} BBR0NGmRwlSCXTbSuno29Upkx7uH3jBSBgkqhkiG9w0BCQ8xRTBDMAoGCCqGSIb3DQMHMA4G
} CCqGSIb3DQMCAgIAgDAHBgUrDgMCBzANBggqhkiG9w0DAgIBQDANBggqhkiG9w0DAgIBKDAN
} BgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAASBgG2yb7qh1j1g5en64CQwlWmYsJh1eAZeslQ0WEnkUZMWAldJC02V
} VzrWSmhqqEIbV3ml5rR8apzYPGj/nHgIFINuIukm7xCyLQNMET/FB/eJy/mQP0l6G+GdiJwJ
} 9dvHUmHz+R6ZPLdxYOcgri7wAv+jJq+og3W2om1MJ+Zr77KX
} --------------ms6EE32B5C917D6D6FF6327488--
} 
>-- End of excerpt from Igor