Problems w/U-port (longish)

[elwiz at spdyne..UUCP]

[I tried to send this to uport (like prev. message), but it has failed]

Greetings,

	Firstly, allow me to describe the computer that I'm using:

		Compaq 386/20, Drives: Type 47 (65 Meg), 17 (40 Meg)
		8 port intellegent Comm board by Digi-Board.

	I just backed up my system (105 Megs) to floppys, did a destructive
install and restored everything (didn't backup things like /usr/{lib,bin...}
basically, I just backed up the user files..)

	When I was running the Non-DOS-MERGE kernel, the system was running
noticeably faster... I was impressed, However once I had the Merge kernel
relinked (Had to add a Digi-Board Driver), and installed, the system started
to run Sloooooww again..  (This is when NO dos-tasks are running!!!)

	The reason that I got the update in the first place, was that I 
following things `were fixed' in this version:

	1) Virtual Comm function to com1 & 2
	2) Floating Point now works on a Compaq 386/20
	3) Direct attached devices now work.
	4) The Termcap works correctly.
	5) The console problems with ^S/^Q are cured.
	6) The tty driver that I had miss 5/6 keystrokes (non-consistantly)
           should work..

Well: So far I have everything I wanted EXCEPT for Items 1-6!!!!!! Yep, you
guessed it I can't tell ANY difference between this version and the OLD one
except that I have gcc out there and it works with floating point. (is this
the `fix' for #2?)

	If I put the following lines in /etc/dosdev:

com1	v	/dev/vcom1	# This is virtual com1 device
com1	r	/dev/tty00	Assign to a line


I can then run `dos +acom1' or +acom1=/dev/vcom1 or any of the rest of the
examples and I get the SAME result... Procomm can Send BUT NOT RECEIVE!
as far as I can tell, it is NOT getting any interrupts..  This is a real
pain, I wanted to use virtual access as the direct seemed to be causing
my system to crash and burn (Hang >> Power down to reset), when I had a
getty try to use the port AFTER the dos-merge did..It's too early to tell
if that problem has gone away yet.


	What if anything, am I doing wrong?


Number 2: cc still yeilds errors in the assembler trying to use floating
point.  Is there some var I could patch in the mem-version of the kernel
that will turn off floating point?  or do I have to always use the gcc?
(I heard there were some problems with it too..)


3: Direct attached devices don't work as far as I can tell, I'm using a
   IBM PC NET II card with correct novell drivers (ipx), It works fine
   under dos, croaks with the error: No adaptor installed in PC. when
   run from dos-merge, Yes, it was in place when I installed dos-merge
   (built the images).

Sully's mail on subject: (Sep 6 88)
Subject: Re: Novell Vers. 2.11
> From: John M. Sully <killer!decwrl!ucscc.UCSC.EDU!suprt!jmsully>
>>	Does anyone have a driver for a PC-Net Card to talk to Novell under
>>U-port Unix?  (This is the original Pc-Net adaptor), It will not work under
>>dos-merge as it uses DMA Chan #3, and I don't think that dosmerge currently
>>supports DMA. (Beta Vers. 0.2).

>Don't know of any for UNIX, but version 1.1 of Merge will support direct 
>attachment of devices (version 0.2's support was broken) which should allow
>you to use the DOS driver under merge.

	So, does anyone out there have a fix for this? I would really LOVE to
get a driver for UNIX for the PC-NET cards (Broadband).  I would love
running NFS or RFS to the Novell 2.11 Server.  I would be willing to 
buy the nessary UNIX kernel etc..


4: The termcap is still hopelessly screwed up for AT386, I haven't tried
using the Catie Generated one yet.  The Cute thing is that `tput init'
no longer fixes some of the problems that I had before and puts out a 7l
before I get back a prompt.  I still have problems with the 25th line
going away, as well as the cute little problem with it getting stuck in
INSERT mode.  (hitting BS causes the cursor to backup, it to insert a space,
then backspace over the space... Rather cute, at the prompt if you hit BS
twice you get ` #  `, Three times you get `  #  ', etc...the prompt just
moves across the page... tput init does NOT clear this. (vi does however).
	[Now using Catie -- Works much better.... still screwey from time to
	 time, but init seems to fix it..]

5:^S/^Q still causes the console to hang. (keyboard) as noted in recent USENET
  messages.

6: The tty driver still hung ignoring 5 out of every 6 chars, thus making
it impossible to login... The old Power off and wait 15 minutes till it's
back up (fsck 2 drives..)


	I was using the New Asy driver and the New HD driver before...


	Any idea when you will release a workable/working version of DOS-MERGE?
	Other than these few things, I really enjoy working on UNIX, having a
REAL unix to work with, and having full 32 bit ints.  I'm getting tempted to
De-install Merge to gain some preformance and keep the system up longer..
(I have yet to have it up 2 weeks solid, and it uselly goes down (due to 
hanging) every 3-5 days..


	Please respond to ALL 6 points,



		Thank you,

			Chert Pellett
			Spectra Dyne Inc.

PS: The reason I was able to convince people to shuck out the bucks for
DOS-MERGE is that It would form the basis of a bridge between UNIX (or
to-be Company Mail Server) and the LAN... So far No dice..(And it is causing
the system to run sloooooowwww..)