Subject: Problem with Wietek PowerUP
To: None <port-sparc@netbsd.org>
From: William Barnett-Lewis <wlewis@mailbag.com>
List: port-sparc
Date: 02/18/2001 18:32:20
Hello, 

I was running NetBSD/sparc 1.5. On Friday I upgraded my IPX with a Wietek
PowerUP chip. Immediately NetBSD stopped working correctly. On attempting
the startx command I received either an illegal instruction or alignment
fault panic. Loading Solaris 7 runs fine, if with the performance penalty
that drove me to BSD in the first place... :'p.

In NetBSD I booted up to the console prompt (not running XDM), when I logged
in as my user account and typed startx.  I got an illegal instruction panic
or an alignment fault panic. I've made sure that the chip is seated properly
and nothing else was different from a perfectly running system before. As
root it fired up fine... right up until I tried to open the system console
(which _is_ set to open automatically for my user account...hmm...). After
that, so much for root. It's blew out on all attempts after that.  If I
tried to boot from my Wasabi CDROM, I would still get a panic (of the
aforementioned types) before it finishes loading the system install utility.

My understanding is that the PowerUP is completely binary compatible,
however I was running Window Maker as a window manager. Could my local
compile of that have left some odd code that the Weitek was barfing on?

I searched the archives somewhat (is there a search utility?) but didn't
find anything on this.

Aside from ripping my hair out and sticking to Solaris, I don't see an
answer. Thanks in advance to any help anyone can help.

William