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10372 discussions

How to waste a Friday night.
by Jenny_Hopkins＠toby-churchill.com 07 Oct '02

07 Oct '02

Syd Hancock wrote: >Also willing to burn copies of Woody for the cost of CDs and >postage if anyone is interested. I have all 7 CDs if you want the >lot. Syd - may I take you upon this offer? I'll mail you off-list but thought I'd share my story of how to waste a large amount of time first: On Friday night I tried to get my winmodem going. In order to do this I had to install a bit of software from the linmodem site. In order to do that I had to upgrade my kernel from 2.2.ancientthing to 2.4.x. In order to do *that* I had to update and upgrade all my packages and dist from potato.ancient.stuff (I only have one phone line with a dialup modem connection so don't tend to do this very often)(and as the modem has been out of order for several weeks even less so). I couldn't point sourceslist to the internet obviously, so I used the main woody install disk someone had burnt for me. Guess what, the cdrom wasn't functioning. So I set up a samba share to the windows cdrom and tried that, which didn't work as samba asking for a password coincided each time with apt-get asking to insert cdrom and press enter, so it kept going in a loop. So I copied the entire 650m cdrom contents to the linux box and pointed apt at that, whooping with joy when I got the source-list right, but it kept erroring out halfway through. So on Saturday I put in a cdrom drive that worked, pointed sources list back to the cdrom, and then found out the burnt cdrom was faulty and the second half wouldn't read. Of course, I could have saved hours of time and had an internet connection simply by putting the winmodem in the windows machine, but that would have been *far* too easy. Anyhow, thanks to all for the USB and kernel answers, I'm now about to upgrade the laptop as that seems the best option. Thanks. Jenny.

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Weekly IRC reminder
by Neill Newman 07 Oct '02

07 Oct '02

This is the automated ALUG IRC meeting reminder sent to remind you that there is an IRC meeting tonight (Monday) at 8.00pm. The meeting takes place on the irc server irc.alug.org.uk in the #alug channel. Most IRC clients should allow you to get there with the commands "/server irc.alug.org.uk" and "/join #alug". Popular IRC clients include tkirc, bitchx, xchat and EPIC on Unix, and Mirc under windows. Here are some links to help you get started with irc. Unix http://www.xchat.org/ http://freshmeat.net/ http://www.epicsol.org/ Windows http://www.mirc.com (loads of help with irc for newbies!)

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Fwd: Re: [Alug] CD Sound?
by Wayne Stallwood 05 Oct '02

05 Oct '02

Also what sound card have you got ? I have a soundblaster Live 256 and I had this problem because I had connected the CD Audio via the Digital output of the Drive rather than the more conventional Analogue outputs. By default on the Soundblaster drivers, Digital inputs are muted hence no CD sound. Have you checked the volume setting of the CD inputs on your soundcard (use Kmix or someting similar) CD sound does not require any interaction of the software drivers or computer apart from setting the volume as they are simply a passthrough to the soundcard output. On Friday 04 October 2002 22:20, MJ Ray wrote: > BenEBoy <mail(a)psychoferret.freeserve.co.uk> wrote: > > 8.0. My machine beeps at me, makes whooshing noises when KDE starts up > > and XMMS works fine. Unfortunately, I can't get any sound to word when > > playing CDs. gtcd will recognise a CD and bring up the artist/title info > > but pressing play doesn't do anything. KsCD works a bit better. [...] > > Things to check: > - do you know that the CD is connected to the sound system by a cable > internally (ie, has it ever worked?) > - has the KDE sound system got your soundcard exclusively? If so, you > need to either stop it, or make the CD player use it. I know how to do > that for esd (with esddsp) but I don't know arts... anyone? -------------------------------------------------------

2 1

USB + kernel
by Jenny_Hopkins＠toby-churchill.com 04 Oct '02

04 Oct '02

Would anyone recommend a kernel other than 2.2.20 for USB support? I'm having problems, even after following many steps in many threads and howto pages. I did read kernels 2.2.x have only flaky USB support, maybe that is the problem. Thanks, Jenny.

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Re: [Alug] USB + kernel
by Jenny_Hopkins＠toby-churchill.com 04 Oct '02

04 Oct '02

Adam Bower wrote: >What kind of problems? 2.2 may not be as good as 2.4 but it should all >work ok, although maybe a jump in kernel version will fix things as I >was having problems recently with 2.4.18 until 2.4.19 came out. Well, I did a lsmod and the uSB wasn't there, so i did a modprobe usb-storage then there was stuff in lsmod, then i did insmod usb-uhci, and it said it was using uhci.o, then i did an ifup usb0 (after putting the right stuff in interfaces) and it said, don't be daft. Jen.

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Re: [Alug] USB + kernel
by Jenny_Hopkins＠toby-churchill.com 04 Oct '02

04 Oct '02

Douglas Willis wrote: >Ive been using a range of 2.4.x kernels on my IBM Thinkpad since >Feburary 2001 with little problem. The biggest problem was the >occasional Win device showing up that Linux did not have a driver for. >Winmodems arrggghhhhh..... Well, funnily enough, that is the problem I'm about to go home to. USB at work, winmodem at home, nothing is ever all working just how I'd like it. I've got 2.4.19 on my box here at work and there is no problem with the USB connection on that. Since 2.2.20 on the laptop appeared to have USB support, it would have been easier to get that going though. Thanks. Jen.

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Re: [Alug] Meeting at London Linux Expo?
by tom potts 04 Oct '02

04 Oct '02

I know it sounds daft but as we're generally talking about freeware do you think someone could organise a weekend expo somewhere? My company wont give me time off for a Linux expo and holidays are hard to come by. I'd certainly think about paying at the door if that would help. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my.yahoo.com

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Re: [Alug] Meeting at Syleham?
by Jenny_Hopkins＠toby-churchill.com 04 Oct '02

04 Oct '02

John Woodard wrote: >The hall is booked on that date but the following week 3rd November is free >so I've penciled it in for then if that's ok. Gorgeous! Jen.

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Re: [Alug] Meeting at Syleham?
by Jenny_Hopkins＠toby-churchill.com 03 Oct '02

03 Oct '02

John Woodard wrote: >As we haven't had a meeting for a while shall I go and book one at Syleham >for the third Sunday in October? I'll be up in the Lakes visiting my folks that weekend so won't make it. (were you to choose the *fourth* Sunday however... :-))) Jen.

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Sound editing
by John Woodard 03 Oct '02

03 Oct '02

I'm doing a pop music quiz for our local social club and I need to get some 10 - 15 second clips from various mp3 files and save tham as stand alone wave or mp3s. What is a good simple tool to use under either kde or gnome? Cheers, BJ

4 3

Installing WordPerfect on Debian
by Ian Douglas 03 Oct '02

03 Oct '02

Hi Folks, Is anyone running WordPerfect on Debian? If so then how did you install it? I have obtained two Corel Linux WordPerfect 8.0 tarballs (guilg00.gz and guilguk0.gz) which I would like to install on my Debian 3.0 system. I have followed the instructions and copied them into a temp directory (/opt/wp80) then used "tar xvfz" to unpack them. Amongst the unpacked files is one called "Runme" which I ran ("./Runme") as root. It asks me if I have untared all the files. I reply "y". It says "Extracting files... Please wait.". It then comes up with an error message "Linux 2.4.18-bf2.4 not certified. Continue?" to which I reply "y". I then get literally screenfulls of error messages about files not being found. The error messages scroll past far to fast to read but I managed to catch the final screen's worth and have put it below. Anyone have a clue what is going wrong? Thanks, Ian. ### Partial error output ### sed: can't read shared/.prlist: No such file or directory chmod: too few arguments Try `chmod --help' for more information. chmod: getting attributes of `/wplib/.wpbuildc': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wplib/.wpbuildx': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/lmgrd': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/lmutil': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/wplmd8': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/hyperhelp': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/cvt': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/cjpeg': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/djpeg': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.1': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.2': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.3': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.4': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.5': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.6': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.wpsahelp': No such file or directorychmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.address': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.copy': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.demo': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.errata': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.icon': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.install': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.wpmagic': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README.support': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/README': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/default.prs': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/header.wp': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/pcl4map.fil': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/pssave.prs': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/trailer.wp': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/wp.drs': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/wp.lrs': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/XKeysymDB': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/wpmerge': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wplib/wpsaus.hlp': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wplearn/report.asc': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wplib/cyrillic.map': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wplib/greek.map': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wplib/wpml31us.exc': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wplib/wpof40us.exc': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpmacros/archwpg': No such file or directory ./install.wp: /tmp/WpTmP1/linux/ins/wxar: No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/archfltr': No such file or directory ./install.wp: /tmp/WpTmP1/linux/ins/wxar: No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/license.opt': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/wplicense': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/lm_isadmin': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/servers_up': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/fonts/archbdf': No such file or directory./install.wp: /tmp/WpTmP1/linux/ins/wxar: No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/fonts/archpcf': No such file or directory./install.wp: /tmp/WpTmP1/linux/ins/wxar: No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/fonts/dofonts': No such file or directorychmod: getting attributes of `/wpbin/instadm': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpexpdocs/.junk': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpgraphics/.junk': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/wpmacros/.junk': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/wpdm.dat': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/wpmagic': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/install.lk': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/install.wp': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/readme.ftp': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/wp60dm03..all': No such file or directorychmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/wp60hp01..all': No such file or directorychmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/wp60ms01..all': No such file or directorychmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/wp60ps01..all': No such file or directorychmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/wp60ps02..all': No such file or directorychmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/wpco03n_.pfb': No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/archafm': No such file or directory ./install.wp: /tmp/WpTmP1/linux/ins/wxar: No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shlib10/archpfb': No such file or directory ./install.wp: /tmp/WpTmP1/linux/ins/wxar: No such file or directory chmod: getting attributes of `/shbin10/tenkey': No such file or directory Installation Complete. wilderbeast:/opt/wp80#

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Meeting at Syleham?
by John Woodard 02 Oct '02

02 Oct '02

As we haven't had a meeting for a while shall I go and book one at Syleham for the third Sunday in October? Cheers, BJ

2 1

Re: [Alug] Installing WordPerfect on Debian - Why no .deb?
by NuTTeR -- Not Entered -- 02 Oct '02

02 Oct '02

Why is there no deb package for wordperfect? It would make sence its a nice editor, or are there lissenceing problems? I belive there is an error in WP that means you have to pach it to work... but i think that that is just a date problem 00 == 2000 == 1900 type date problem. Its not supported by corel any more, but i think there is a patch... and a big user groupe on the web some where. (It was on slashdot.org a while ago i think ;-) -- _______________________________________________ Get your free email from http://www.graffiti.net Powered by Outblaze

3 2

Weekly IRC reminder
by Neill Newman 30 Sep '02

30 Sep '02

1 0

Sharp Zaurus SL-500
by Wayne Stallwood 29 Sep '02

29 Sep '02

Has anyone played with one of these yet ?, I was looking at the Dabs catalogue and noticed that they are for sale at a reasonable price. I am tempted as I wanted to replace my trusty old Palm, and was even considering a Pocket PC device. I like the idea of Linux on a PDA (but I still have some major reservations about it's suitability) and I can't find any reviews on the Net. Previous Linux/PDA efforts seem to have had lukewarm reception from reviewers and seeing as Dixon's are unlikely to stock this toy I can't exactly go and try one out. Cheers Wayne

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Announce digest, Vol 1 #27 - 1 msg
by announce-request＠lists.alug.org.uk 29 Sep '02

29 Sep '02

Send Announce mailing list submissions to announce(a)lists.alug.org.uk To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.alug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/announce or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to announce-request(a)lists.alug.org.uk You can reach the person managing the list at announce-admin(a)lists.alug.org.uk When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Announce digest..." --------------.--------------------------------------------.------------ alug-announce | Newsletter of the Anglian Linux User Group | Weekly(ish) --------------'--------------------------------------------'------------ ** Please send articles for this letter to announce(a)lists.alug.org.uk ** *** Please send replies to main(a)lists.alug.org.uk, not announce... *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Today's Topics: 1. Fwd: New free online Linux magazine: The Grasshoppers' Linux Journal (MJ Ray) --__--__-- Message: 1 To: announce(a)lists.alug.org.uk From: MJ Ray <markj(a)cloaked.freeserve.co.uk> Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 11:21:05 +0100 Subject: [Alug Announce] Fwd: New free online Linux magazine: The Grasshoppers' Linux Journal This appeared on comp.os.linux.announce, but maybe new users here would like it too? From: Ludootje <ludootje@linux.be@telenet-ops.be> Subject: New free online Linux magazine: The Grasshoppers' Linux Journal Date: 19 Sep 2002 15:50:39 GMT Hi all! Some people from the linuxnewbie.org forum and I have been working hard on a GNU/Linux magazine, we've recently released issue number 1. We need readers of course, but most of all writers. Currently we don't have a lot of writers, and it's a lot of work to get enough enough articles and interviews to bring out another issue. We're mostly oriented towards newbies (unlike other online Linux-magazines), but some articles can be very interesting to experts too. The interviews for example, can interest everyone. For those interested, this is the Table Of Contents of our first issue: ------------- What is Linux? My First Linux A Noob's Perspective Unix Tool of the Month Open Source Alternatives MrProject Interview Mandrake vs. SuSE Custom RedHat CDs Dual Monitor Guide Gnomemeeting Interview Getting Help in Linux Dynamic IP Webservers The Year of the DVD Review: Creative vs. Labtec Speakers Letters ------------- For those interested in writing (English doesn't even have to be your native language, we have proof-readers): simply register on our forum, and say you're willing to write an article / make an interview. We'll give you access to the articles & interviews forums once your interview / article is done. Anyone who thinks (s)he can somehow help the project is free to do so, of course. If you have any remaining questions, you can simply answer to this post, e-mail me at ludootje(a)linux.be, or register on the forum and ask your question there. Ludootje -- The Grasshoppers' Linux Journal - a free, online distributed magazine about GNU/Linux / Open Source / ... oriented towards newbies. Check it out @ http://ghj.sunsite.dk ! ########################################################################## # Send submissions for comp.os.linux.announce to: cola(a)stump.algebra.com # # PLEASE remember a short description of the software and the LOCATION. # # This group is archived at http://stump.algebra.com/~cola/ # ########################################################################## --__--__-- _______________________________________________ Announce mailing list Announce(a)lists.alug.org.uk http://lists.alug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/announce End of Announce Digest

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Re: [Alug] console reset
by Jenny_Hopkins＠toby-churchill.com 26 Sep '02

26 Sep '02

Toby Jaffey wrote: >You could try restarting the getty for that console. > >do a "ps ax | grep tty1" and kill that process. I think that init should >restart it for you, if not do something like "/sbin/getty 38400 tty1". Thanks. I've tried this, but it restarts a new process number for getty each time witht he screen showing the same. John Seago wrote: > on my system, (Slackware) ^U is the backspace key in SOME circumstances. Also tried this one, to no avail. Thanks, though. I'm about to make a new kernel so I will be rebooting the box anyway, but it is an annoying problem that it would be nicer to have known how to mend. Jenny.

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console reset
by Jenny_Hopkins＠toby-churchill.com 26 Sep '02

26 Sep '02

Hi Alug: tty1 has hung in minicom; I have removed the lockfile and stopped the minicom process but have now been left with the image and a flashing cursor and I can't communicate at all with that console. I had a reset problem a few months back, so I looked up the thread we had on that, but they all assume being able to talk directly on that tty. I've read the getty man page, and tried a few things. If I try to kill the process a new one begins and the image remains. "reset tty1" from another console asks for terminal type, I say vt102 and it tells me a bunch of stuff including "kill is ^U", but they all do nothing. It's severely annoying. Jen.

2 1

Console Reset
by John Seago 26 Sep '02

26 Sep '02

It may be of no help at all, but on my system, (Slackware) ^U is the backspace key in SOME circumstances. -- John Seago

1 0

Kernel Dumping garbage to Port 80h
by Wayne Stallwood 24 Sep '02

24 Sep '02

For reasons I won't go into to much, the kernel dumping stuff to port 80 is causing me problems as I use port 80 for something else (some homebrew hardware plugged into my PCI bus) Generally port 80 is only used by the post code in the Bios to output debugging information. When I built my hardware I assumed that after post was complete nothing would be written to 0x80 so it was safe for me to use. Well with any other OS that is true, but Linus has done a dirty hack to fix I/O timing in the kernel. I love having the kernel source :o) Found this gem in /usr/src/linux/include/asm/io.h * Thanks to James van Artsdalen for a better timing-fix than * the two short jumps: using outb's to a nonexistent port seems * to guarantee better timings even on fast machines. * * On the other hand, I'd like to be sure of a non-existent port: * I feel a bit unsafe about using 0x80 (should be safe, though) * * Linus */ #ifdef SLOW_IO_BY_JUMPING #define __SLOW_DOWN_IO "\njmp 1f\n1:\tjmp 1f\n1:" #else #define __SLOW_DOWN_IO "\noutb %%al,$0x80" #endif #ifdef REALLY_SLOW_IO #define __FULL_SLOW_DOWN_IO __SLOW_DOWN_IO __SLOW_DOWN_IO __SLOW_DOWN_IO __SLOW_DOWN_IO #else #define __FULL_SLOW_DOWN_IO __SLOW_DOWN_IO #endif Can any of you think of any other port I can get the kernel to write this to that would have the same effect of slowing down I/O but wouldn't be used by any other hardware ? I've got to re-compile the kernel anyway (to sort out ATM support once and for all on my machine) and I want to add the preemptive patch as well Of course the "better" way would be to fix my hardware, but the only way I can do that is to recode the PIC (microcontroller) I am using but at the moment I can't find the PIC source and it would take me a long time to rewrite. Wayne

3 9

Perl split function...
by Simon 23 Sep '02

23 Sep '02

HELLPPPP.... OK, I've got an IP address in a variable $address, I know because print qq($ipaddress); gives me the address trying to split it into it's singular octets like so... (As usernames on the system are derived from the last 2 octets of the address) @octets = split(/./, $ipaddress); Now from what I understand the elements in the array @octets should be accessable by $octets[0] etc.. Or while (@octets) { print qq(Octet = $_); } But it doesn't... Or am I way off mark... Please help.... TIA Simon

3 3

Networking Linux to MS Windows through ethernet
by Robert Stelmack 23 Sep '02

23 Sep '02

First, I am a newbie, I do read the have search the ALUG mail postings, I have RTFM (in fact, I have read way too many FM's) and I just can't get a network between my Linux and Window/98 machine to work to share files. I have to admit that I have tried many things and may have created my own problem, but I want to learn how to fix it without starting from scratch (although, if necessary, I will). When running the SAMBA configurator, under KDE is get the Konqueror message: "Could not connect to host 127.0.0.1 (port 901). I have a Dell 233mhz, Pentium II, Optiplex GXA, with several "on-(mother)board" features: sound, video, ethernet, and USB. The sound, video, and USB function perfectly. I have also attempted to install a second ethernet card and it is physically installed and I did the software changes that one of the HOW-Tos described, but I'm not sure if it was correct, since ifconfig doesn't show it. I have a link below for details. Any help would be greatly appreciated, since I am trying to convince my management to change over from the MS products to the open systems GPL products. Thanks in advance, Cheers, Robert Stelmack Wellingore, Lincolnshire, UK Email (h): stelmack(a)nwlink.com Email (w): robert.h.stelmack(a)boeing.com In order to keep this email message small, I have provided a link (http://e-simassist.com/linux/samba.txt ) to a text file that contains the following: FILE: /etc/samba/sam.conf FILE: running the command testparm /etc/samba/smb.conf FILE: /etc/services FILE: running to command ifconfig

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Re: [Alug] Networking Linux to MS Windows through ethernet
by Jenny_Hopkins＠toby-churchill.com 23 Sep '02

23 Sep '02

Robert Stelmack wrote: >I just can't get a network between my Linux and Window/98 machine to work to share files. Robert: I see you haven't got an entry for netbios name, try netbios name=<COMPUTERNAME(in capitals)> in the [globals] parameters part of smb.conf and restarting samba. What distribution of linux are you using? Jen.

1 0

Weekly IRC reminder
by Neill Newman 23 Sep '02

23 Sep '02

1 0

Hard Drive performance
by James - listmail 22 Sep '02

22 Sep '02

Message: 2 Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2002 08:51:36 +0100 To: Ian Bell <ruffrecords(a)uklinux.net> Cc: main(a)lists.alug.org.uk Subject: Re: [Alug] Hard Drive performance From: Adam Bower <abower(a)thebowery.co.uk> On Mon, Sep 16, 2002 at 10:44:33PM +0100, Ian Bell wrote: > I mentioned in an earlier post my move from a P!! igig PC to a new dell > laptop with a P4 1.6 gig and how with rh7.3 it seemed slower than the old > system. I have now investigated this a little further. < Snippage - Topic is DMA settings To use, or not to use hdparm... > >Oh and finally hdparm can destroy data on your harddisk if you go for too many >settings and the disk/computer doesn't like them.... Too right! ( For details, and a little PC history read on... ) Message: 3 Subject: Re: [Alug] Hard Drive performance From: Douglas Willis <ddw(a)bas.ac.uk> To: Alug Mailing List <main(a)lists.alug.org.uk> Date: 17 Sep 2002 09:24:48 +0100 >On some of the earlier laptops turning on DMA caused the cdrom drives to >lockup requiring a hare reset of the machine. I this was due to >slightly non standard IDE bus architecture. >I run an IBM A21M which has a PIII ant about 800MHz and now have no >problems with disk access once I turned on the DMA settings. >The RedHat install by default disabled the DMA . This is considered ( quite rightly ) to be the safest default option that will operate properly across all PC architecture hardware. The old timers may remember the war that IBM fought to keep their PC hardware and firmware (BIOS) proprietary - forcing competitors making clone machines to do "clean room" BIOs coding and design their own hardware, too. Gaining a cost and time to market advantage for IBM for quite a while. It guaranteed a lot of flaky hardware designs, too. ( Remember the Amstrad 286 HD fiasco? ) Compaq were established in this era; and never quit designing their own hardware. Even today, when it is no longer necessary, or desirable, to deviate too far from accepted "industry standards". They were beginning to get wise to the fact that it is no longer desirable! Two decades later... Only to be swallowed by HP. Go figure. It is cheaper to use "industry standard" chipsets from a third party than to re-invent complex hardware, in the design process. Some big corporations just failed to adapt, and tried to lock in customers to their particular hardware, when the game had moved on to proprietary lock-ins via software: EULAs and proprietary protocols "embracing and extending" open standards. I can pretty much guarantee data loss ( or total operating system loss ) on *any* Compaq where you attempt to force an OS to use DMA when it is not selected by the default install. Quite a few laptop clones are like the Compaq ( I had a Twinheed one just a few weeks ago ). Desktop PCs can also be found with iffy DMA hardware design. Beware the data corruption bug when shifting large quantities of data between IDE ports on some chipsets, too. ( One range of SiS chipsets suffered from this AFAIR ) Although IDE is a blocking type device, the DMA behaviour can also vary from a single device per IDE port to multiple devices daisy-chained on one IDE port. Had I decided to use a cheaper IDE CD Burner on my SiS chipset Desktop ( 2001 Motherboard design ) I'd have walked right into the data corruption problem! ( I prefer to have at least two separate hardware disk channels, one of them SCSI, for best VM performance, anyway. ). TESTING: If you multiboot with Windows 9x ( perhaps to use Office 97 from Wine ) it is easy to test. Make sure that the Windows boot comes to a real DOS prompt, so you have to start Windows with WIN at the prompt ( edit MSDOS.SYS ). Make COPIES of the registry SYSTEM.D* and USER.D* files! Then - in windows, play with the DMA enables for the IDE Harddrive and CDROM. When windows fails to load you have an answer... ( Restore the registry files, and it should be OK ). I haven't known this to corrupt data on the drive, but I'm not making any promises. The worst that usually happens is that it fails to load the "DOS extender" <*grin*> Try this with Linux, and you will probably trash the filesystem. A disposable Windows test multiboot can be a less shattering test option to determine if your machine has well behaved DMA hardware! But there are no guarantees if you start tweaking hardware related stuff. ( Overclocking is another example ). Eventually, you will reach a point where the probability of a timing error will corrupt data, as timing margins are reduced. Consider that slower disk performance means a higher safety margin against data corruption. The size of IDE hard drives now is such that there is a reasonable statistical likelihood of hitting random data corruption, anyway. -- James To reply by private email DONT delete the "nospam" in Reply To or From header addresses!

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