Rui Paulo wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 23:53:33 +0200
> "Peter Fors" <pikofarad@bredband.net> wrote:
> 
> 
>>2. Why doesn't NetBSD even ask a single question before doing this kind of
>>dangerous modification to the hardware?
>>
> 
> Why are you so sure it was NetBSD's fault ? Several uncommon situations could happen that could lead to EEPROM destruction.
> 
> 
> -
> Rui Paulo <goteki@pixeloverflow.com>
> 3F1E DB64 40B0 B027 1F3C  4A4A 1384 42C6 B05A DCB7
> 
>   "Simplicity is the ultimate 
>     sophistication." 
>     -- Leonardo da Vinci      
> 
> 
Empirical methodology, last thing to change must have broken it.
Proving NetBSD did not cause it is just as hard as attempting to prove 
it do cause the problem.
However, sufficient information that would lead to a good analytical 
attack on the problem are not present in the exchange so far:
1. what is the mother board model
2. Mother board age?
3. How many writes to the eeprom?
4. any history of this type of motherboard experiencing this kind of 
problem - meaning loosing eeprom?
5. Any history of this type of board experiencing this kind of problem 
with NetBSD?
6. Any other board types/models that have experienced similar problems 
with NetBSD?
7. Any anomalous circumstances during the install - power problems, 
thunderstorms, cat jumping into the computer, environmental anomalies?

That would be a fair analytical start.  It would also provide some 
awareness if such problems have occured before.

I have no knowledge of this problem in this case, but have seen various 
manufacturers boards fail due to eeprom problems - something just 
happened - and then found out the tech building the system might have 
forgotten to put on static strap, that there was a power problem 
(mains/ac, power supply, connector forced on wrong - happens) and just 
plain = I don't know how this happened comments BUT I have also seen 
working memory fail for no reason, eeproms fail for no reason, they just 
stop working, and more strange things.
bob
-- 

What the people want is very simple - they want an America as good as 
its promise.
Barbara Jordan