On Fri, Mar 02, 2007 at 02:25:54PM -0800, Stephen Jones wrote:
> On Mar 2, 2007, at 6:49 AM, John Morrissey wrote:
> > I'm trying to install NetBSD 3.1 on an API Networks CS20. I'm installing
> > from CD, but when the installer starts exploding base.tgz, the kernel(?)
> > faults, leaving me at a db> prompt.
> 
> I assume you are using the released 3.1 ISO and not a pre-release.

Yup.

> What happens if you type 'cont'?  Will it go back to boot?  What boot
> flags are you using?  Did you know, or at least I believe its true, you
> can have a boot flag that immediately breaks to the debugger?

I got the install to finish by doing this, but had to continue the installer
(with subsequent reboot) three or four times first. I also changed to the
network as the source for packages about halfway through (instead of
grabbing them from the CD). Some representative output:

panic: ffs_valloc: dup alloc
Stopped in pid 49.1 (tar) at    0xfffffc00005bb750:     ret     zero,(ra)
db> cont
syncing disks... panic: lockmgr: locking against myself
Stopped in pid 49.1 (tar) at    0xfffffc00005bb750:     ret     zero,(ra)
db> cont

dump to dev 6,1 not possible
rebooting...


halted CPU 0

halt code = 5
HALT instruction executed
PC = fffffc0000300118

CPU 0 booting
Resetting I/O buses...
(boot dqb1.1.1.16.0 -flags 0)
block 0 of dqb1.1.1.16.0 is a valid boot block
reading 13 blocks from dqb1.1.1.16.0
failed to read dqb1.1.1.16.0
bootstrap failure

Retrying, type ^C to abort... 
[etc]

At this point, I power cycled the machine and restarted the install.

I'm not using anything exotic for boot flags; just 'boot dqb1.1.1.16.0' at
the SRM(?) prompt.

I suppose I'm making so much hay about this because I want to make sure the
machine will be stable. It'll be co-located, although the facility is about
two blocks from where I work so the occasional lockup/power cycle isn't a
huge deal. Obviously, I'd like to avoid having that happen regularly. :-)


A couple questions about the CS20 itself if you don't mind, Stephen - have
you found a reasonable source of spare parts? I'm mostly interested in a
power supply or two to keep on a shelf, since they seem fairly nonstandard.
Also, I've heard references to remote management on these machines; in
particularly, a Lawrence Livermore Labs presentation mentioned using
PowerMan for remote power control. PowerMan has several methods of control,
so I'm not sure what the actual mechanism is.

thanks,
john
-- 
John Morrissey          _o            /\         ----  __o
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