3.51a keeps dying; even HDB is a mess; any ideas out there?

[Lenny Tropiano]

In article <1041 at flatline.UUCP> erict at flatline.UUCP (j eric townsend) writes:
|>In article <422 at kosman.UUCP>, kevin at kosman.UUCP (Kevin O'Gorman) writes:
|>
|>> I am distressed because my machine keeps freezing on me.  It seems pretty
|>> clearly related to uucp traffic.  Just about 15 minutes ago, it froze for
|>> the first time while I was watching it.  It was just at the end of an
|>> incoming uucp call (my unix-pc feed, to be exact), and it left something
|>> for cunbatch in /lost+found.  This means that the freezing is costing me
|>> dropped news, which is something I have suspected for some time.
|>

 [A quick sidenote on Kevin's problem]

 I get the same thing, but it happens at no specific uucico transfer.  The 
 "freezing" symptoms of the console that you mention happens on systems
 that are heavy with uucico traffic.  There is *NO* reason the UNIX PC can't
 handle a lot of traffic, I know a lot of people using these machines just
 for networking.  The lockup problems seems to be a problem with [uu]getty
 getting a high volume of data ... my suspicions is that a "control-S" is
 being sent, and then the connecting system keeps transmitting locking up
 the UNIX PC console.

 How can we avoid this... I don't have the answer.  Another "rumor" I've
 heard is that the OBM (ph device driver) generates a lot of interrupts
 again locking up the system.   I hope there will be a better release 
 of the ph-driver (in the UNIX kernel) that has less bugs!! 

|>> What I'm looking for is some opinions from you folks who have been paying
|>> attention.  I want to know what configuration is the most reliable.  I can
|>> back off to 3.51 or even 3.50 kernel, I can play with uucp versions, I can
|>
|>Okedoke.  I'm still running 3.0, and I *never* have uucico/uucp problems.
|>
...
|>
|>This is after about 1.5 years of unix-pc uptime and constant usage.
|>
|>Personally, I'd be %100 content with 3.0 if I could have the 3.5
|>development set and libraries (flexnames, real curses, etc), but....
|>
Yes, but you're running an operating system that is quite old.  It's not
supported by the AT&T Hotline.  3.5 and 3.51 gave the UNIX PC a lot of
useful enhancements.  Like any upgrade the system matured.  The Curses/Terminfo
packages makes the UNIX PC a more compatible system.  Especially if you
do a lot of Curses development (like the company I work for).

|>An idea:  run one machine as the "newsbox" with 3.0 and HDB (HDB under
|>3.0 is a godsend) and don't use it for much else.  Rogue, maybe, and
|>a few other things. :-)

I can't see spending the money for a machine and an operating system that
is riddled with bugs and kludges... I wouldn't spend all my money just to
run something that is *REAL* old, not supported, and not as compatible with
other System V machines to just run Netnews and UUCP.   If I'm going to have
a machine I am going to do development, uucp, news, and other "normal"
operating things with the machine, not just let 99% be stagnent!

Seriously, if UNIX3.51a wasn't causing all these problems, why wouldn't
you upgrade?  Now we just have to hope those people at AT&T don't for
get us all!!   :-)

|>-- 
|>Skate UNIX or go home, boogie boy...
|>J. Eric Townsend ->uunet!nuchat!flatline!erict smail:511Parker#2,Hstn,Tx,77007
|>             ..!bellcore!tness1!/

-Lenny
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