> charles said that trap was maybe altivec, but in any case, it is a
> user trap and it shouldn't cause a kernel panic in any case.  someone
> should try this (untested) patch:
> 
> 
> Index: trap.c
> ===================================================================
> RCS file: /cvsroot/syssrc/sys/arch/powerpc/powerpc/trap.c,v
> retrieving revision 1.53
> diff -p -r1.53 trap.c
> *** trap.c	2001/10/18 01:33:48	1.53
> --- trap.c	2001/11/08 04:35:56
> *************** syscall_bad:
> *** 409,414 ****
> --- 409,420 ----
>   	}
>   
>   	default:
> + 		if (type & EXC_USER) {
> + #ifdef DIAGNOSTIC
> + 			printf("user trap type %x at %x\n", type, frame->srr0);
> + #endif
> + 			break;
> + 		}
>   brain_damage:
>   		printf("trap type %x at %x\n", type, frame->srr0);
>   brain_damage2:
> 

Didn't appear to help - instead of panicing the machine stopped dead :-(

thanks though,
Andrew