Subject: Re: AOpen mb won't boot NetBSD
To: Gunnar Helliesen <gunnar@bitcon.no>
From: Manuel Bouyer <bouyer@chassiron.ensta.fr>
List: port-i386
Date: 02/02/1998 09:28:54
On Feb 2, Gunnar Helliesen wrote
> [...]
> After installing the motherboard the system wouldn't boot. It passed the
> memory test and the disk probe, and then it just hung (no setup summary
> screen).
> [...]
> As long as there is (or has been) NetBSD bootblocks on _any_ HD
> connected to _either_ IDE controller on either an AP58 or AP5T
> motherboard it won't boot.
> [...]

I don't think it's a problem with NetBSD's bootblocks. I've seen this with
a certain drive/motherboard combination, and the bios was hung just after
probing for disks. In fact it didn't finish the disk probe: it reported
the disk name correctly, but the geometry mode (normal/large/lba) probe
made things hang. Disabling disks autoprobe and hardcoding the geometry and
adressing modes in the bios solved the problem.

PS: the disk was a 1G2 seagate. I don't know the name of the motherboard,
it's a old one we got with a p90.

--
Manuel Bouyer, LIP6, Universite Paris VI.
email: bouyer@rp.lip6.fr
       bouyer@ensta.fr
--