What prefix should I use for adaptec 29160N? 1

[josel]

Howdy!

Need to install adaptec 29160N on SCO 5.0.5 but I am not sure what prefix to use (alad, cha ... ???)

Could you guys help me out with this ... I do not want to start trying all of them

Thank you all in advance!


Jose Lerebours


KNOWLEDGE: Something you can give away endlessly and gain more of it in the process! - Jose Lerebours

 

[motoslide]

I believe it is "ad160", but that driver isn't likely included with the 5.0.5 release. You may have to download it from Adaptec and include it at runtime as a BTLD.

If this is a secondary controller, you will still need to add that package.

My second most likely guess would be "alad", but that was the driver used on much older cards and embedded controllers. Such as the Adaptec 7770 chipset.

 

[motoslide]

You can still get a copy of that download here:

ftp://ftp.sco.com/pub/openserver5/drivers/OSR505/btld/ad160/

 

[josel]

Thanks guys!

I am now working on downloading/installing ...

Regards;


Jose Lerebours


KNOWLEDGE: Something you can give away endlessly and gain more of it in the process! - Jose Lerebours

 

[josel]

Well, I installed the drivers and the card. Everything went well or so it seems. Host boots find and it shows the adapter banner information just as expected ...

It was not to last, I get a panic trap every time I run command: sconf -v

Could you guys offer some advise on this?

Thanks;


Jose Lerebours


KNOWLEDGE: Something you can give away endlessly and gain more of it in the process! - Jose Lerebours

 

[josel]

OK - I removed my adaptec card, reboot the host and tried same command ... no panic.

Does this mean I have a bad adaptec card?

Regards;


Jose Lerebours


KNOWLEDGE: Something you can give away endlessly and gain more of it in the process! - Jose Lerebours

 

[motoslide]

I've never run that command, so I wasn't aware it existed. I've always added drives using the "mkdev hd" command. The "mkdev" script might run "sconf" at some point, so you may get the same PANIC, but it would be worth a try.
Are you just trying to add an additional hard drive?

 

[josel]

I need to add a tape drive. Since it is past 8:00 PM and it is Sunday, I figure I wait till tomorrow, buy a new card and see what happens with the new card.

I will let you know ...

I am shipping this server out across the country, I really do not want it to give me any trouble.

Regards;


Jose Lerebours


KNOWLEDGE: Something you can give away endlessly and gain more of it in the process! - Jose Lerebours

 

[motoslide]

You should be able to add that tape drive by installing the Adaptec and drivers, then run the "mkdev tape" command.

I don't know why it panic'd running sconf, though. The "ad160" has been very solid.

 

[josel]

I ran mkdev tape and upon entering ad160 as the prefix, I get error: sdevice.d is missing ...

thus not allowing me to use ad160.

Now what?


Jose Lerebours


KNOWLEDGE: Something you can give away endlessly and gain more of it in the process! - Jose Lerebours

 

[motoslide]

What are the contents of /etc/conf?
Here's a listing from a 5.0.4 system:
(/etc/conf is a link to this directory in /var/opt. Your exact pathname will vary due to the different release)

# pwd
/var/opt/K/SCO/link/1.1.0Eb/etc/conf

# lf
bin/ init.d/ node.d/ rc.d/ sdevice.d/
cf.d/ mfsys.d/ pack.d/ sd.d/ sfsys.d/


I don't think you'll be able to compile the kernel if you have problems here.

To check the general health of the system, run:

/tcb/bin/integrity -e

 

[josel]

motoslide,

The content is

bin init.d node.d rc.d sdevice.d
cf.d mfsys.d pack.d sd.d sfsys.d

Following your much earlier advise, I simply decided to try installing the tape drive using mkdev tape inspite of the panic error ... It turns out that mkdev tape worked OK.

As I type this, I have a backup running testing tape drive and software. That said, it scares the heck out of me to have a host with such panics since it can simply bomb-out on me if I ship it ...

I thank you very much for sticking this one out with me.

Regards;


Jose Lerebours


KNOWLEDGE: Something you can give away endlessly and gain more of it in the process! - Jose Lerebours

 

[josel]

Well, after chaning the card & the cable; I decided to simply run mkdev tape ... Once I finished this, I rebooted host ... I then ran command sconf -v and I did not get a panic error - Go figure!

I am going to put a test box together to test original card and cable. I will do this just to see if the problem was on the cable, the card or both. Problem box is not OK and shipped!

Thank you so very much!!!!



Jose Lerebours


KNOWLEDGE: Something you can give away endlessly and gain more of it in the process! - Jose Lerebours

 

[motoslide]

I certainly hope the system which was shipped proves to be problem-free. I've seen a few other instances where a certain command would cause the system to PANIC. Those instances were probably due to a bug in a driver, or in the O/S implementation of that driver. They were typically only found on specific configurations (i.e. Dual processor, multiple SCSI adapters, etc.). Each release improved, and you are running a version which was "current" about 7 or 8 years ago.

Best of luck.

 

[khafner]

if that is the card I think it is it won't work. Sco and linux say it will but adaptec says it is wins only. I spent 6 months chasing that card. The system would load and at a latter date would give HD errors. I changed the HD 2 times and the same thing. Got a newer card that adaptec says works and everything is OK.

 

[josel]

khafner,

You are obsulutely right. I have shipped two servers with this card and both came back. They both had panic errors and the one thing they both had in common was the card.

The thing is that finding the information you just provided normally comes too late and it is very hard to come by - of course, before you waste a lot of money (not to mention time).

Regards;

Jose Lerebours


KNOWLEDGE: Something you can give away endlessly and gain more of it in the process! - Jose Lerebours