Bug#34606: SYSLINUX not booting

[Enrique Zanardi <ezanardi@ull.es>]

reassign 34606 kernel-image-2.0.36
retitle 34606 kernel hangs with Adaptec AIC-7895
stop

(that was for our Bug Tracking System).

On Mon, Mar 15, 1999 at 06:36:05PM +0100, Etienne Favey wrote:
> Package: boot-floppies
> Version: 2.1.8-1999-02-22 (the one on official Debian 2.1 CD (slink) image)
> 
> architecture: i386
> model: transtec 1200
> memory: 256M
> scsi: Adaptec AIC-7895 Ultra SCSI
> cd-rom: Plextor CD-Rom PX-40TS Rev. 1.00 on channel B at ID 6
> hd-drive: Seagate ST39173W Rev. 6422 on channel A at ID 0
> 
> Problem: Booting the kernel hangs after the following lines:
> (scsi0) <Adaptec AIC-7895 Ultra SCSI host adapter> found at PCI 9/0
> (scsi0) Wide Channel A, SCSI ID=7, 32/255 SCBs
> (scsi0) Downloading sequencer code... 404 instructions downloaded
> (scsi1) <Adaptec AIC-7895 Ultra SCSI host adapter> found at PCI 9/1
> (scsi1) Wide Channel B, SCSI ID=7, 32/255 SCBs
> (scsi1) Downloading sequencer code... 404 instructions downloaded
> 
> At this point I can hear the CD-Rom make the noise, when it is resetted.
> After this, nothing happens.
> 
> Even on pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL, or shift-page-up nothing happens.
> 
> This happens also when giving the kernel the option: aic7xxx=no_reset
> This happens in both cases booting from CD-Rom or from Floppy.
> 
> IMHO the adapter does not like the way, this kernel treats it.
> I have tried to boot the same hardware with a boot floppy from SuSE 6.0
> same kernel version 2.0.36, with their default boot kernel, the machine
> boots without problems. Maybe some of the aic7xxx parameters need to be tuned
> but I have no clue which ones.

No one has... The truth is none of the aic7xxx driver versions since
kernel 2.0.34 have worked on all the Adaptec cards. Some have worked on
the older ones, some on the newer ones, ... Our current kernel is using
the latest aic7xxx driver version, and it still is broken. The only hint
we can provide is trying to find a version that works, compile a custom
kernel with it, and use it on the rescue floppy.

--
Enrique Zanardi					   ezanardi@ull.es