🚀 go-pugleaf

Okay, taking the leap into SVR4.

I have a 486/50, 32MB ram, and an Ultra 24F EISA adaptor card.
Orchid Prodesigner II SVGA, and some generic SVGA monitor.

I ordered an Adaptec, and the vendor sent me an UltraStore 24FA EISA
SCSI host adaptor instead.  So, I think "What the heck, let's try to
install this anyway.  After all, UltraStore does seem to have sent
EISA drivers for every Unix under the sun with this.  Maybe I can
get it to work.  Maybe it will even work out well."

After speaking with a guy at Dell, I realize that I have my work cut
out for me.  I was wondering if there is anyone who has done this
before?

Here's what I've done so far:

Followed the instructions in the UltraStore manual about creating
a new boot diskette with their mini-Unix kernel on it.  All I had
to do was have a Unix system around (fortunately I do, SVR3.2).
So I copy the boot diskette to the new one, mount the filesystem
(f0q15d).

UltraStore sends their drivers on little 3&1/2" diskettes in tar
format.  Don't have a 3&1/2" diskette on the SVR3.2 PC I've got,
so had to use a Sun to read the diskette.  No problem, a little
dd (don't know much about using the Sun diskette -- perhaps it
would have been easier for an expert), ftp'ed the file to my SVR3.2
PC, managed to get tar to extract their 'unix' kernel (had to skip
a few bytes in the beginning).

Copied that to the new boot diskette just like the manual says,
shoved it into the new PC (hmmm -- 486/50, EISA -- should be good
if I can get it to work at all).  Even more amazing was that it
booted, then asked me to insert the 'system' diskette, which I
did, and the installation came up.

Got a few copyright notices, recognized the SCSI disk at target 0
(I've since read in the known USL bugs that this might be a problem),
and proceeds with the installation.  At least with the modified
boot diskette, the SCSI controller is recognized, and the disk
model (a Micropolis) is correctly displayed.  This was much better
than what I got with the stock Dell boot diskette.

The recognition of the drive looks like this:

	WARNING: SCSI device "MICROP 1924-21MZ1077801" at
	HA 0 TC 0 is not in the disk table (tc_data)
	but it will be configured as a disk.

This occurs early after the "system" disk has been inserted.  The
system chews on the diskette a while longer and then begins the
installation.

Unfortunately, early in the installation procedure, I  get:

	dellsetup: cannot open "/dev/rdsk/0s0": No such device

This is a somewhat critical portion of the installation.  I am
guessing that it is about to run some fdisk-like program to create
a Unix partition (current the disk only has a DOS -- or perhaps no
valid boot table at this point).

In fact, the vendor installed DOS to test it.  However, after
messing around with it a while, I've managed to make it so I cannot
even boot DOS from the hard drive.  Well, you'll see no tears from
me about loosing my DOS partition.

Any ideas out there?

My guesses fall among the following:

1.  Change the disk to SCSI  target 1.
2.  Take back the Ultra 24F and insist on an Adaptec.  Dell says
    their installation will work straight out with an Adaptec.
3.  I don't have a SCSI install (but I thought it was all pretty
    generic).
4.  Other ....

I  will probably try #1 tomorrow.  I'll post a followup, registering
success or failure, if there is any interest.
-- 
Randy Kunkee
Ferranti International Controls Corporation
12808 W. Airport Blvd.  Sugar Land, TX 77478
UUCP: uupsi!ficc!kunkee       ph: (713) 274-5132
INTERNET: kunkee@ferranti.com