On Mon, Jun 02, 2003 at 03:22:45PM +0200, Michael Scherer wrote:
> On Monday 02 June 2003 15:00, Pierre Jarillon wrote:
> > As I found more and more hardware problems which are describe as
> > software (Mandrake) problems, it would be great to include a memory
> > test and a hard disk test in Mdk9.2 CD1.
> > The memory test is a stand alone OS it could be set up as rescue
> > mode. See http://www.memtest86.com/
> >
> > When a computer has only one disk, it ids not easy to umount it
> > before testing. With a ramdisk system  it is easier to run a disk
> > test.
> >
> > During a normal installation, it would be good to propose these tests
> > by default or to skip them.
> 
> IIRC, memtest86 is a very long test.
> 
> It would be more intersting to propose a floppy image of it, and 
> instruction on how to test the system, in case of problem, in the 
> documentation.

Sorry, but I feel a strong urge to object to this reasoning ;-)/:-(

because:
- My laptop doesn't have a floppy drive.
- My pc doesn't have a floppy drive (anymore).
- Creating a bootfloppy from an image is very easy, but still involves
  *having* a floppy and a drive.
- the memtest86 binary is well below the size of a floppy and having a lilo
  option for it on the cd is much more efficient, spacewise. And easier to use
  (assuming you have a booting cd-drive ;-) but that's nearly everyone using
  mandrake CDs

I carry a copy of a test version of knoppix which has this (not the standard
knoppix for some reason)

Please count this as a vote for memtest on the cd and while we're at it,
please add testdisk (http://www.cgsecurity.org/index.html?testdisk.html) too

Cheers

Simon


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