SCO Xenix 286 2.2.1 panics during backup

[barton]

In article <229 at libove.UUCP>, root at libove.UUCP (Jay M. Libove) writes:
> In article <226 at libove.UUCP>, I wrote:
> > Oh dear, do _I_ have a problem!  I have a PCs Limited AT running at
> > 6 MHz, with SCO Xenix for the 80286, version 2.2.1.
> > 
> > I have tried using afio and pax to backup the system to the high
> > density (1.2 megabyte) floppy drive, and both times the system panicked
> > Does someone have any suggestions, or have experienced the same

Several years ago, BTD (before tape drive) I experienced a similar
problem.

During backups to floppy, the system would occasionally panic
or the controller would go crazy returning errors streaming
endlessly off the screen while the floppy drive clicked like
it was making butter.

I was told that certain drive/controller combos exhibited this
problem and one possible solution was to patch the kernal with
the following:

	mount -r /dev/fd096 /mnt	#mount N1 floppy
	cp /mnt/bin/adb /bin/adb	#copy general debugger
	umount /dev/fd096		#unmount N1
	cp /xenix /xenix.good		#make copy of xenix
	adb -w /xenix			#invoke debugger
	$x                              #set input/output to hex
	flparam/w 10df			#slow floppy load time
	$q                              #exit

Although I changed my controller before I had the chance to
try it, it slows the floppy head load time, which may correct
the problem for some controllers. Changing the controller did
eliminate my problem.

Standard disclaimers apply...

Barton A. Fisk          | UUCP: {texbell,killer,uunet}!warble!holston!barton
PO Box 1781             | INTERNET: barton at holston.UUCP
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318-439-5984            | +++++ "Hal, open the pod bay doors" --- Dave