Subject: Random compiler death on Sun4c
To: None <port-sparc@netbsd.org>
From: Dan Debertin <airboss@nodewarrior.org>
List: port-sparc
Date: 11/11/2002 00:19:19
I'm seeing completely random compiler deaths while building a kernel
with a new 1.6 install on my ELC. It tends to die on the
high-memory-usage bits like nfs_vnops.c, though it is not at all
predictable. Even the signal is sometimes SIGSEGV and other times
SIGBUS.

Common wisdom says to suspect my hardware. I have 64MB of ram in 4
SIMMs, each of which I have swapped with a new one. Strangely, the
problem does not occur -- or at least I can complete the entire kernel
compilation -- if I back my memory down to 16MB, but I don't want to
run in that configuration forever.

I'm running completely diskless, mounting from a Solaris machine and
swapping to a file (tried a range of swap sizes; 16, 64 and 128MB).

There are a few posts in the archive about issues with sun4c
machines. Is this a known issue (hopefully with a known workaround?)?

More information available upon request.

Dan
--
/^Dan Debertin$/         
airboss@nodewarrior.org  | Did I sleep a little too late,
www.nodewarrior.org      | or am I awake?        --Byrne