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Date:      Tue, 29 Mar 2005 09:56:38 -0800
From:      "Ted Mittelstaedt" <tedm@toybox.placo.com>
To:        "Bart Silverstrim" <bsilver@chrononomicon.com>, <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Subject:   RE: Anthony's drive issues.Re: ssh password delay
Message-ID:  <LOBBIFDAGNMAMLGJJCKNAEPDFAAA.tedm@toybox.placo.com>
In-Reply-To: <6b3b25263c4e7776fd5127af2c536cd6@chrononomicon.com>

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> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Bart
> Silverstrim
> Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 6:51 AM
> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
> Subject: Re: Anthony's drive issues.Re: ssh password delay
>
>
>
> > In this case, the OS is defective, because it's not doing its job.  I
> > know the job can be done because Windows NT does it.
>
> I think, correct me if I'm wrong Ted (et al), that he's saying the
> microcode in the hardware was modified, thus has a bug proprietary to
> the HP implementation of that controller,

He is saying that the microcode was modified and that we speculate that
the mods contain a bug proprietary to the HP implementation of that
controller.

 and the driver/interface in
> NT either didn't get the error or was *ignoring* the error,

Or had whatever extra code was needed for the microcode mods.

> whereas
> FreeBSD, with a driver/interface based on the generic and marketed
> version of the controller, was saying HELLO, SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT
> HERE!, and spewed it to the error logs.  That makes it a hardware
> problem, unless you modify that driver to ignore the error (like NT
> does) or get rid of the proprietary and/or possibly failing controller
> in the first place.
>

This the problem with standards, everyone's got one.

> >> Anthony - have you ever setup a new HP/Compaq server? Ever use the
> >> SmartStart CD's?
> >
> > I don't remember if I ever did it myself.  Compaq servers are such a
> > nightmare that I tried to avoid dealing with them.
>
> Because they modify things so they're *almost* off the shelf, but
> aren't, perhaps?  Among other things they do to introduce "glitches"?
>

Yes, they do - I've got a Compaq professional workstation on my desk at
work
which has a modded microcode in an Adaptec 2940U adapter card (I know
it's
modded because the card will not work in any other non-Compaq system,
even where non-Compaq-branded 2940U cards will work) that displays
similar
disk strangeness (although it doesen't spew errors)  This is the same
scsi chipset as Anthonys Vectra.  (aic7880)

This incidentally is WHY I am speculating it's a microcode mod (and it
was
I that started this line of discussion regarding the microcode on his
SCSI chipset) because I have proof positive that modded microcode in
other
manufacturer's aic7880-based SCSI adapters has problems with the ahc
driver.

> >> In contrast, you CAN'T (hear me again) CAN'T install Windows (shrink
> >> wrap) on the above without them. It's becasue HP/C has propriatarty
> >> drivers.
> >
> > That may be, but I installed an off-the-shelf retail version
> of Windows
> > NT on this system, and it ran without any problems at all.
>
> If you want to keep insisting on how superior it is, then reinstall it
> and ignore the warnings.  Why is this not an option to consider?
>

He doesen't want to run Windows (on this system at least)

He wants the FreeBSD ahc driver modded so that it won't generate errors
and
SCSI bus resets anymore under FreeBSD.

I think he thinks the way to get this done is to say the ahc driver is
full
of bugs and then the driver author will be so embarassed that he will
fall
over himself to make the mods to the ahc driver (AKA 'fix' the driver)

Unfortunately, Anthony won't do the least bit of troubleshooting (such as
pulling the Quantum disk and just running on the Seagate disk in this
system to see if perhaps the problem is execerbated by one or the other
implementations of SCSI in one or the other of the disks - granted that
is
a long shot, but it's within the realm of possibility it might fix it) so
I
doubt he would do anything that the ahc driver (who most likely isn't
even subscribed
to freebsd-questions) tells him to do in the way of troubleshooting
either.

Also long forgotten in this discussion is Anthony stated once on this
list that Mandrake Linux wouldn't even install on this Vectra system
either.
I am not sure why he's trying to hold FreeBSD up to the driver support of
Windows NT when Linux won't even talk to the card in his system.  (and
we all know that Windows has far better support for the oddest-ballist
modifications of standard computer components such as SCSI adapters than
FreeBSD does since they have unlimited money to buy oddball samples of
hardware to experiment with)

Ted



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