CMS -Jumbo+ Tape Backup Problems

[Rene Bilodeau]

Maybe someone out there can assist me with this problem.  I am
really new to Xenix, so please forgive me if I'm not explaining
the problem in proper Xenix terms.

Here is my system:  386/20Mhz, running SCO Xenix 2.3.2.  The
system has 2 floppy drives and a Jumbo+ tape backup unit running
off of an adapter card.  When I install the tape driver using
   mkdev jtape     as outlined in the installation manual from
Colorado Memory Systems, I go through the process of re-linking
the kernel.  The tape backup unit works fine.  Backs up the hd
with no problems that I can tell.  In fact, I saved myself from
the problem I am about to describe the other day, only because
I had the system backed up on tape.   Under the new kernel, Xenix
appears to work fine.

However, when I try to access VP/ix (Release 1.1.0), my system
goes through the regular "dos" boot and when I'm at the "dos"
system prompt, the keyboard is totally screwed up.  I cannot even
open another multiscreen terminal to shutdown the system because
I cannot use the console's keyboard.  I shutdown the system using
an external terminal.

It took me some time to track the problem down to incompatibility
between the Jumbo device and VP/ix.  At first I had no idea what
the problem was, as I hadn't tried to access VPix until sometime
after the installation of the tape driver.

In any case, I then tried to de-install the tape driver and it
did so "successfully".  By this I mean, /xenix was the same file
size as it was prior to installing the tape device. (I made an
extra copy, fortunately of the /xenix file).  When I rebooted,
still the same problem occurred with VPix.  Complete scrambling
of the keys on the keyboard.  I deleted the newly created /xenix
file and cp'ed the one I had saved.  Rebooted the system again
and VPix ran with no problem.  I find this strange, because the
de-installed /xenix file and the one I saved are of identical
size.

So besides the obvious question .... what can I do to get my tape
backup working on the system and still be able to use VPix? I
am wondering about why would only the original kernel (prior
the mkdev jtape) work whereas the one that is the same size and
has had the jtape drive de-installed not work?

Of course I'll be trying to contact Colorado Memory Systems but
I find the behavior under the two kernels of the same size really
strange and am wondering if anyone can explain it.

Is it feasible and a safe practise to have two /xenix files. One
that is only booted when I want to do a tape backup and the other
being the normal one that I could use when I wanted to have
access to VPix?  I think I came across somewhere in the docs
that one could enter the name of the kernal one wanted to use
at bootup?


Thanks,    Rene


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