Subject: MVME167A, NBSD1.4(patched), rock-solid xdm
To: None <port-mvme68k@netbsd.org>
From: John D. Baker <jdbaker@blkbox.com>
List: port-mvme68k
Date: 09/15/1999 12:26:33
My last report of my experiences with NetBSD1.4 (w/patched kernel) running
on my MVME167A board indicated some problems with remote X connections.

I was finally able to return to this machine and I think I found the problem.
The xdm-config file, freshly installed, defines an Xservers file which itself
contains at least 1 entry.

This is, of course, meaningless on the MVME1x7 boards--having no video
hardware and no X server executable besides.

I simply changed the xdm-config item to have no value and re-started xdm.
It has been rock-solid ever since.  I suspect that it was previously trying
to respawn the X server only to be met with "no such file or directory".


I had previously compiled and installed the "bash" shell (v2.02) and set it
up as the login shell for root, operator, and my own accounts.  It seems to
operate correctly...

When I log in through telnet/rlogin/console port, all works as I expect.
When I log in via X, however, my .profile (.bash_profile) is not sourced,
so my global environment definitions are not established ($PATH additions,
application-specific variables, etc.).  There is an entry in /etc/shells
for it ("/usr/local/bin/bash").

I am currently wading through the login process (xlogin, rather) to see
why this is so and how I can make it spawn a proper login shell.  (I know,
this is _not_ a port-mvme68k issue, but it's what I'm currently working on.
I have the same problem under Solaris 7...)


I'm now getting ready to lug my crate to an exotic computer user's group
meeting.  That should be some fun--I'm sure many of these folks have
never seen a VMEbus system before... :-)

I'll take a '147 along too, so I can demonstrate the use of off-board
memory.  Hmm, maybe I'll see if I can bring an analyzer from work and
show them the activity.... :-)


--
John D. Baker                                       I hear, and I forget.
jdbaker@NoSpAm!blkbox.com                          I see, and I remember.
http://www.NoSpAm!blkbox.com/~jdbaker             I do, and I understand.
Amiga, OS/2, Free Un*xes:  The cure for M$!     --Ancient Chinese Proverb