Firmware problem seems like a bit of a stretch to cause this new disease,
but I say go and update, it couldn't hurt the machines... If it is the
firmware, great, you fix the video; otherwise it's only about 5 minutes
upgrading the firmware.

---   David A Woyciesjes
---   C & IS Support Specialist
---   Yale University Press
---   mailto:david.woyciesjes@yale.edu
---   (203) 432-0953
---   ICQ # - 905818

> ----------
> From: 	Todd Whitesel
> Sent: 	Friday, June 16, 2000 8:54 AM
> To: 	port-alpha@netbsd.org
> Subject: 	Fascinating Multia fact.
> 
> Something your Multias might do as they age is acquire something I have
> decided to call "squiggly video disease". This is a state in which you
> cannot read the text on the screen in SRM, and the Multia is basically
> useless for graphics console work.
> 
> Lately I have been trying to get a bunch of diskless Multias together.
> Of the 14 total units...
> 
> 	8 are known working in diskless mode.
> 	3 have trouble coming up or staying up without traps/panics/etc.
> 	3 suffer from squiggly video disease.
> 
> What's interesting is that I am starting to spot a trend: the Multia's
> with squiggly video disease all have old firmware (3.5-72 or thereabouts)
> and _all_ three of them can run ARC just fine -- with rock solid video.
> 
> Nearly all of my working Multia's have the "latest" firmware, 3.8-3 ...
> Only a couple have something older like 3.5-72, and I have to keep their
> clock batteries in good shape so they won't insist on booting into ARC
> all the time.
> 
> Is it reasonable to hypothesize that I might be able to resurrect the
> three squiggly Multia's just by upgrading their firmware?
> 
> Please cc: me as I'm many weeks behind on my netbsd email, due to this
> and other related projects sucking all of my time until July 4th.
> 
> Todd Whitesel
> toddpw @ best.com
> 
>