SCO OpenDesktop Crashing With Weird Disk Problems

[Jonathan Bayer]

erc at pai.UUCP (Eric Johnson) writes:


}Help!

}I've been having some terrible problems with SCO's OpenDesktop 1.0.
}I'm not sure if these are hardware, software or both. And, I'd
}appreciate any help from the net. (Please note that I really don't
}blame anyone but myself and that any and all help is requested.
}Thanks.)

}My system:

}SCO ODT 1.0, X11, Motif, DOS, TCP/IP, Software Dev.
}Avex 386 mainboard 25 MHz
}Adaptec 2322-16 ESDI disk controller
}Paradise VGA Plus 800x600x16
}Western Digital 8003EBT Ethernet (thin, and the only system on my own net)
}Imprimis Wren 6 320 MB disk
}8 MB RAM
}Phoenix BIOS
}Logitech serial Mouse (latest rev)
}Relaxed security defaults


}I normally run the X Window system and use the box for developing
}programs and writing for my next book.  My default config is two 
}large xterms and one xclock, under the Motif window manager, mwm.

}1) I cannot seem to be able to run the system with "heavy" use for more
}than four hours. (I'm developing Motif programs).  During a major make
}session, running the C compiler (stock cc), I'll see a message like
}"Killed."
}or 
}"Signal receieved"

}(I'm not typing ANYTHING at all during this time.)

}Then, the X server usually freezes and the only thing I can do is
}Alt-Sys Req to trash the X server (and my compile processes).  When I
}get back to the console (I sure wish xterm -C worked, so I could
}see console messages under X!), the screen is filled with hard disk
}errors.  These errors keep getting worse, and generally I have to hit 
}the hard reset button.  Now, this is a brand new system, but I 
}never rule out hardware (e.g., disk) problems. These disk errors
}are continuous and all the system seems to be doing is printing
}these errors to the screen.

}When I reboot, though, fsck seems to fix all the disk problems. So, 
}the hard disk bad track errors don't seem to me to really be bad
}tracks, unless fsck isn't really fixing the situation. fsck has always
}been voodoo to me, but it has always seemed to do the job on the
}many versions of UNIX I've used.

}I'm using an Adaptec ESDI controller and an Imprimis Wren 320 MB disk.
}Any ideas as to what is causing this? Is it probably hardware, or
}could it be in the software, too?

It sounds like it could be either the controller card, or the electronics 
on the drive.  Try replacing the controller and see what happens.

What appears to be happening is that something is locking up in the
electronics and prevents the system from reading/writing to the disk.



}   b) Once I had the infamous /lib/386/p2_386 file, I still could
}   not compile anything. Why? Because the /lib/386/p2_386 program
}   wasn't "serialized" (a part of SCO's copy protection scheme).
}   Now, how can I "serialize" one single file?  Remember that
}   custom dies for me every time I try to install single files,
}   so I never get to the serialization phase from custom (like I
}   did when I first installed this stuff).  I tried RTFM-ing,
}   but I didn't find any mention of how to serialize one file.
}   Anyone know how?  Even if I my main disk problem is hardware-
}   related, this is a serious issue.  I don't really mind SCO's
}   copy-protection scheme (which is also very much like Interactive's),
}   but, a copy protection scheme should be aimed at preventing
}   unauthorized users, not AUTHORIZED users!  When copy protection
}   schemes get in my way, I tend to drop the products.  

First, call SCO.  They will be able to walk you through the
serialization of a single file.

Second, instead of loading the file from the distribution disks, why not
restore the file from your backups? (you _do_ do backups, don't you :-) 
If you restore from backups (and you can restore a single file) the file
will already be serialized.





}Thanks,
}-Eric



Your welcome.





JB
-- 
Jonathan Bayer		Intelligent Software Products, Inc.
(201) 245-5922		500 Oakwood Ave.
jbayer at ispi.COM		Roselle Park, NJ   07204