help ... NBIC present (?)

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2 total messages Started by Zenon Fortuna Tue, 27 Oct 1992 23:01

Author: Zenon Fortuna
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1992 23:01

36 lines
1416 bytes

I am trying to install a new version of Operating System on a NextCube Turbo
system.
For this purpose I wanted to boot from a standalone (bootable) floppy.
After hitting Command+` and then typing "bfd" the booting process starts,
but quickly hangs with the message

	NBIC present

I have tried to boot from the floppy attached to the NS3.0 CD-ROM, from the
CD-ROM alone, and finally tried to boot in the "single user" mode, by
typing

  bsd -s

All the time I get a few lines (successful test of the Memory) and the dreadful

	NBIC preset

(and hang).

I can still boot from the hard drive, without apparent problems.

What is going on ?

To make the picture more clear, I have booted from the floppy a couple
hours ago and had started a disk dump backup to the DAT tape.
After a while the system crashed to the panic. (I did not note
the messages, alas).
I have tried to reboot from the floppy again, then tried to use another
bootable floppy and finally the CD-ROM.

Does anybody know what to do in such a situation ?

Thank you for help ...

	-Z.

Re: hang on "NBIC present":solution

#24

Author: Zenon Fortuna
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1992 22:39

41 lines
2327 bytes

In article <1992Oct27.230123.4600@resonex.com> zenon@resonex.com (Zenon Fortuna) writes:
[I have asked for help having consistent hangs while booting to "single user"
 mode, or from floppy or from CD-ROM]

.. and received just one, CORRECT, hint.

Bernhard Nocker, from remote Salzburg of my beautiful country (Austria) writes:
|I have seen that sort of problem too. One workaround is to  
|save all parameters needed for booting (e.g. boot device  
|fd) and hitting the left ALT+CMD+* (the asterisk on the  
|numeric keypad).
|Seems to be a bug in ROM :-(
|-Bernhard
|--
|Bernhard Nocker                          Beware root :-)
|University of Salzburg's Department of Computing Studies
|Jakob-Haringerstr. 5    5020 Salzburg    Austria, Europe
|+43-662-8044/6750                 bnocker@cosy.sbg.ac.at

I want to add the following point: I have tried to "zero" eventual inconsistent
state on the battery-backup'ed memory by removing the battery for more than
10 hours. It DID NOT help.

The combination "leftALT+CMD+keypad*" is documented at least in
NextAdmin/09_StartShut/05_Shutdown.rtf (NS3.0), and claims to do
a "hard reset of the CPU".

First of all many thanks to Bernhard, and glory to the net-community.

The second thought is less joyful: it seems to be many bugs in the
firmware, and other low-level SW. I have experienced frequent problems
with commands from the ROM monitor (it did not want to boot from the floppy
by simple "b fd" - I had to set the "fd" as default booting device using
the "p" command; sometimes a total lock appeared with a black irregular
cursor, and the power-cord had to be pulled off). I had a lock-up of my
NeXTColor station, with the remedy to remove the battery.
It seems to be very buggy design. Cannot it be fixed by BOOT-ROM upgrade ?
And should NOT cost $$$, but (if at all) may be $$.
 I am afraid, however, that NeXT does not care.

	-Z.

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