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Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 07:17:04 -0500 (EST)
From: Thomas David Rivers <ponds!rivers@dg-rtp.dg.com>
Message-Id: <199610311217.HAA09447@lakes.water.net>
To: dyson@freebsd.org, ponds!freefall.cdrom.com!freebsd-hackers,
        ponds!lakes.water.net!rivers
Subject: Re: Another data point in the daily panics...
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> 
> > 
> > 
> > Ok 
> > 
> >  I'm just now cleaning up from last night's panic on my 2.1.5
> > (now STABLE, not RELEASE) system.
> > 
> >  Recall, this is a 386DX-33, 8MEG, IDE controller, sio  ports, running
> > my news and mail and SL/IP connections.
> > 
> >  Last night's panic wiped out my /usr/lib/news directory (I run
> > an old version of Cnews...) - so I had to reconstruct all of this
> > from backups and files gleaned from /usr/lost+found. (I'm painfully
> > rebuilding the history file as I type this... :-) )
> > 
> Ouch!!!

  {Yeah, well, I gave up and let mkhistory crank for a few hours...}

> 
> Just want to let you know that I got your message.  Hmmm... are you having
> problems primarily on small memory machines?  Also, are you having problems
> ONLY on 386's?   (Theses questions are VM oriented.)  There are also some
> VFS problems possible.  (There is a signifcant difference between
> 386 and other X86 processors.)  In fact, there is perhaps a more important
> difference between (386 --> 486) than (486 --> 686).

 Well - yes, now that you mention it - this is now the _only_ 386
 I have left.  I wouldn't have thought that to be pertinent, but what
 do I know :-)  The machine only has 8 meg of memory, and it too is the
 smallest.

 I do have an old 386sx-25 laptop w/ 8 meg.  I can install 2.1.5R
 there and test anything you want to try out - although it wouldn't
 be my news spool and so wouldn't get too exercised.

 I have yet to see the problem anywhere else...

> 
> > 
> >  I would think that some ISP running a news system has got to run into
> > these types of problems...
> >  
> I think that many people are using 2.2-current (2.1.5 does have some
> problems.)

 That would explain that...

> 
> BTW, DO NOT use the mmap for active file on 2.1.5!!! :-(.  Note that many
> problems have been fixed in 2.2-current, and the differences between the
> "-stable" and "-current" trees have become a fiasco.  We aren't going to do
> that again!!!

  Naw - I'm basically conservative in what system software I run.  I've
been coddling along the version of Cnews I got in 1988 (at one time, I
even ran it on a '286 with XENIX.)  It doesn't do anything near as
sophisticated as mmap'd active files.. :-)

  I think all it's really doing is reading, creating and deleting a *lot*
of files...

	- Dave R. -

p.s. Thanks for the response - I was beginning to wonder if my messages
     were being thrown out with the bath-water...  Sure is a lot more
     traffic these days...