Linux-Hardware Digest #412, Volume #13 Sun, 13 Aug 00 11:13:06 EDT
Contents:
HP Netserver LHII ("Clive Munday")
SoundBlaster AudioPCI 128D (David Shochat)
Re: Partition Size Advice ("Peter T. Breuer")
Re: Defrag in Linux? (J Bland)
Sony SDT-5000 Tape Drive on Redhat 6.1 (Shyam Govardhan)
Re: promise fast trak 66 and suse-linux - followup ("Neil Golstein")
Re: K6-2 vs Duron - a server platform ("B")
Re: Dual processor board? (Cokey de Percin)
Re: Linux on AMD (sideband)
Re: SoundBlaster AudioPCI 128D (Robert Hampf)
Re: mother boards needed (L S)
Re: HELP: Sound on VIA ("Frederik Tilkin")
Whoopee ("Neil Golstein")
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Clive Munday" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: HP Netserver LHII
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 18:18:55 +0800
Can anybody tell me if they have succesfully installed and run Linux on
these machines. I have two:
PII 266, 256Mb RAM, HPRaid adapter 3X9GB SCSI disks
Twin PII266, all as above
------------------------------
From: David Shochat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: SoundBlaster AudioPCI 128D
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 11:38:34 GMT
My computer supposedly has the subject sound card. When I try to run
sndconfig, it thinks I have an Ensoniq ES1371. The sound sample test
fails. Does anyone know what I can do to get this working?
Thanks.
-- David
------------------------------
From: "Peter T. Breuer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.setup,linux.redhat.install
Subject: Re: Partition Size Advice
Date: 13 Aug 2000 11:32:49 GMT
In comp.os.linux.hardware John Beardmore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
: In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, sideband <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
: writes
:>> 6.4GB Hd...
:>> /usr = 5GB
:>> /root = 500MB
:>> /home = 500MB
:>> /swap = 127MB
: Apart from weight of tradition, why do usr, root and home have to be
: different partitions ?
So that /usr can be read-only and /home can be read-write. (I assume he
means / istead of /root). So that everytime you mess up your home
partition you don't also mess up your /. And vice versa. So that you
can comfortably clone your OS without also cloning your own files. And
vice versa. So you can upgrade or multi-install in functional units.
Etc. Etc.
He forgot to list /var as a separate partition. That's quite important.
I really hate runaway log files growing to swamp / or /home.
If you really don't know this and you aren't just trolling, go check
out the Partition-HOWTO.
There are some legitimate reasons for making a one partition system.
They boil down to "the owner is an idiot and/or doesn't care about
preserving and maintaining his system, so he might as well do the
laziest thing available, as he'll throw it all away tomorrow anyhow".
Peter
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (J Bland)
Subject: Re: Defrag in Linux?
Date: 13 Aug 2000 12:04:24 GMT
>Thank you all for answering my 8 questions in one. Just out of curiosity, how
>is it that defragmentation is almost never goes over 8%?
Because ext2fs does that, it trys to keep files contiguous if it has the
space to do so.
>Back to performance, here is the output of my free:
>
>[root@localhost /root]# free
> total used free shared buffers cached
>Mem: 62992 61528 1464 60664 1532 26340
>-/+ buffers/cache: 33656 29336
>Swap: 313228 4632 308596
>
>Wow! I didn't realize that much ram was used! I thought I had 64megs of ram....
>62.992 is close enough for me. If I bought 64 more megs of ram, do you guys
>think that my performance would increase significantly? thanks!
A small part of your ram is taken up by the kernel, so having slightly less
than 64MB is normal.
Linux always uses pretty much all your RAM all the time. Any RAM that isn't
used by applications is used for buffering and disc caching. This improves
your system performance somewhat, but if you need the ram for apps linux
automatically decreases the cache size. You're not hitting swap very much so
I don't think you're particularly running out of RAM.
You may have a crashed app (likely Netscape) chugging away in the
background. If you do 'uptime' it will show the uptime and load averages. If
this >1 it's likely you have a hung process or two.
Otherwise I can't see any real reason for performance dropping. But another
64MB always makes things smoother ;).
Frinky
------------------------------
From: Shyam Govardhan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.help,comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Sony SDT-5000 Tape Drive on Redhat 6.1
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 13:03:42 GMT
Hi there,
I just bought a second-hand Sony SCSI Tape Drive SDT-5000. Has anyone
got this working on Redhat 6.1. I have got a Tekram DC-315U Ultra
SCSI adapter.
Please let me know if this tape drive works on Linux, as I have a week
to return it. Also, what kind of sotware/firware do I need to get this
drive to work. I could not find this drive on the Sony website. They
only have the newer drives (SDT-7000 upwards).
Your advise is greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
- Shyam
------------------------------
From: "Neil Golstein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: promise fast trak 66 and suse-linux - followup
Date: 13 Aug 2000 08:36:01 -0500
Reply-To: "Neil Golstein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
So did you get it to work? I actually DID compile it into the 2.2.14 kernel
but it didn't run anyway, there was one failed dependency, some kind of scsi
call. It only seems to load actually with the 2.2.12 kernel. I think I'm
out of luck because I've been just booting up with the floppy boot disk they
sent me (as an image), it makes it quicker to test. I didn't use it at
first because no, I DON'T want to install RedHat 6.1, but then I thought,
hey it's a good way to test the driver, you don't have to actually go
through with it.. Anyway the same thing happens, it runs for about 10
seconds, gives me time to go through a few screens of the setup process, and
then panics. I've been playing with system bios but I think it's just a
hardware problem. I think lilo breaks for me because there is some kind of
strange conflict between my system bios and the Initio scsi bios that gets
the drive order confused. Also my atapi zip drive confuses things. Maybe I
will take out the Initio card today, disconnect the zip, and see if I get a
panic then. The old "remove all the hardware" trick
"Benjamin Grimm" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
>
>
> Neil Golstein wrote:
>
> > Well, here's the info. Fortunately since I actually HAVE Redhat I can
> > switch kernels pretty easy, just rpm them in and out. You would have to
> > build from source I guess. Anyway, the ftmod61b modules does load in the
> > 2.2.12 kernel, at least the uniprocessor kernel, and at least the one
RedHat
> > calls "i386" haven't tried the "i686" kernel yet but may. The smp
kernel
> > doesn't work by the way, I tried it.
> >
> > Unfortunately, about 10 seconds after the driver loads (seemingly
> > successfully), I get a kernel panic, with oops! and aiee! messages,
system
> > freezes, much numbers and etc. displaying on screen, none of which get
into
> > the logs, but what does get into the logs is the following:
> > Aug 12 11:25:55 neil kernel: FastTrak Driver v1.03 (21.APR.2000) :
> > Aug 12 11:25:55 neil kernel: scsi1 : FASTTRAK
> > Aug 12 11:25:55 neil kernel: scsi : 2 hosts.
>
> I tried to patch Suse 6.4 / kernel 2.2.14 with the patch supplied for
RedHat
> 6.1. The patching and recompiling of
> the kernel wasn't a problem, but when I boot up the system I just got the
> messages over there (scsi: 1 host found),
> none of the following messages or a detected drive array.
>
> Aug 12 11:25:55 neil kernel: Vendor: Promise Model: 2+0 Stripe/RAID0
>
> > Rev: 1.10
> > Aug 12 11:25:55 neil kernel: Type: Direct-Access
> > ANSI SCSI revision: 02
> > Aug 12 11:25:55 neil kernel: Detected scsi disk sdc at scsi1, channel 0,
id
> > 0, lun 0
> > Aug 12 11:25:55 neil kernel: SCSI device sdc: hdwr sector= 512 bytes.
> > Sectors= 58673538 [28649 MB] [28.6 GB]
> > Aug 12 11:25:55 neil kernel: sdc: sdc1
> >
> > Note that I am running the latest bios for the promise, and yes the size
of
> > the array is correct. Also I loaded an Initio SCSI driver first which
is
> > why you see sdc1, but I also tried it just loading the promise and it
set
> > sda1 for the array, also froze the system, so it's not a conflict with
the
> > other scsi driver.
> >
> > And NO, in the ten seconds I didn't quick mount the array to see if I
could
> > really access files. Maybe I will though, one last chance is to try the
> > i686 kernel (I never did know what the difference was). But I suspect
it's
>
> I already choose a new compiled kernel and got no kernel panic or so on.
>
> >
> > a hardware or system bios conflict or something like that. I have a
P3500
> > on a BX board.
> >
> > Also since I have a genuine contact at Promise maybe I will email them
and
> > ask for help but not counting on it. I would like to know if they are
> > continuing to work on this driver.
> >
> > By the way, since I installed the Fasttrak lilo is totally broken, I
only
> > use loadlin now. Interesting. Yet BeOS has no problem
>
> I got no problems with lilo, I'm using a 20 gb boot-disk without raid etc.
>
>
------------------------------
From: "B" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: K6-2 vs Duron - a server platform
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 23:39:43 +1000
[chomp]
> It's been my experience that a reasonably modern PC (like what you've
> proposed) running Linux will have no problems serving files to the limit
> of a 10M Ethernet interface. Considering that 10Mbps and faster
> internet connections are pretty expensive, you should be OK.
>
if you are going to be serving stuff out over a 10Mbit network connection to
50-60 ppl, DONT!
do everybody a favor and try for a 1 Gigbit network card in the server, but
if you cant find a cheap one (and i doubt they are) just go far a 100Mbit
one. even if the client machines are all using 10 Mbit cards. you will need
a 100 M hub too. (more money damnit! =o) )
but whatever you go with try to keep more bandwidth on the server than the
clients. 30 ppl checking the email at 9:00 am will get a 10Mbit network
pretty stressed!, but if the server has a 100Mbit card, then it can server
10 clients at a full 10 Mbit / second...
but if this isnt for a LAN then forget it... =o)
-Lucas
------------------------------
From: Cokey de Percin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Dual processor board?
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 13:39:20 GMT
"D. Stimits" wrote:
>
> Cokey de Percin wrote:
> >
> > "D. Stimits" wrote:
> > >
> > > Cokey de Percin wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Chris Rankin wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > "D. Stimits" wrote:
> > > > > > I have personally talked on the phone for hours with SuperMicro, and
> > > > > > they are simply not interested. They can only quote that it is stable
> > > > > > under NT (which isn't entirely true, but that probably isn't the mobo
> > > > > > problem). I don't know who to ask about supporting this, since
> > > > > > SuperMicro won't even provide information, but possibly Intel is the
> > > > > > next choice, since they have their hopes into both the chipset and
> > > > > > linux. But consider SuperMicro a non-linux-compatible source from now on
> > > > > > (at least for newer chipsets like i840).
> > > >
> > > > Personally, I don't like any of Intels current 8XX chipsets and am
> > > > avoiding them completely. The (next generation?) of dual boards from
> > > > SM and other seem to be using the ServerWorks chip sets. SM recently
> > > > started adv. 3 dual (370) boards with SW chipsets, all having at least 2
> > > > 64x66 PCI and all use SDRAM. This doesn't solve the 840 problem, but
> > > > the future looks better.
> > >
> > > If I abandon my current board, and can find a replacement that has slot
> > > 1 PIII's, with DIMM's, along with the 64x66 PCI you mention, I'd be
> > > ecstatic (this causes no harm to electrical devices :). I don't know the
> > > brand SM by this abbreviation though, do you have a URL that mentions
> > > these boards? I have no qualms about abandoning SuperMicro now, but cost
> > > always matters, and recycling current components is a huge plus (rdram,
> > > for example is an extreme cost and disappointment).
> > >
> > > >
> >
> > SM is SuperMicro and all the dual boards with ServerWorks chip sets that
> > I've seen so far (from SM) seem to be 370 FCPGA. I know that other (all?)
> > manuf. of dual SERVER boards are looking at SW chipsets and apparently
> > even Intel is starting to use them as they (Intel) have stumbled very
> > badly.
>
> Ahh, yes, I should have known, since I was talking about SuperMicro,
> what SM was :P
>
> Unfortunately, SW chipset board appear to be designed for Xeon's, not my
> current PIII stock. In addition, I'm doing both 3D animation and OpenGL
> programming, and the boards I've seen are completely without AGP (they
> are intended only as servers I think). Plus, I doubt anyone is allowed
> to sell these boards as single units yet, only in barebones machines or
> more complete machines. Last, although I love SM cases (their case
> engineers are about the best in all areas, including customer service),
> I no longer trust them with motherboards.
>
No, SW has a series of chip sets (3 or 4 ?) that cover Xeon and PIII. I've
seen a dual slot 1 with SW, but I can't remember where. Remember, slot 1
is going away soon.
Cokey
--
==================================================================
Cokey de Percin, DBA Email:
Policy Management Systems Corp. Work - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Columbia, South Carolina Home - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------
From: sideband <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.setup,comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: Linux on AMD
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 09:54:40 -0400
blowfish wrote:
> "David C." wrote:
> >
> > blowfish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> > >
> > > Only sucky-crappy distros like RH, Debian, etc. , and so on you need to
> > > recompile for anything other than the generic stuff.
> >
> > *sigh*
> >
> > RedHat most certainly does release 586 and 686 kernel builds. My PII
> > and PPro systems all run with an i686-built kernel.
> >
> > > Even soundcard, SMP, pentium, ata/dma a bunch of scsi, GForce video,
> > > etc runs right out of the box without any messing around.
> >
> > Congratulations. Yours is not the only distribution that works "out of
> > the box".
> >
> > But I'm surprised you are concerned with "messing around", since (as you
> > wrote in another post in this thread) you recompile everything anyway.
> >
> > -- David
>
> I install for friends too. :-)
> Most of them just want it quick. So. Default installation suit them
> well.
>
> I recompile everything as a learning experience. :-)
>
> --
> - Alex / blowfish.- Just an average, whimpy, non-geek American computer
> user. (Have Fun with geek's culture: Part-1-2.4.b-pre.beta1234567.)
> - Dont fear the Duck. Resistance is futile. Eat your duck soup.
> - World Domination:60% *foo.bar.com now serveing Duck a l'Orange with
> free side order of duck soup.
> - Official Duck a l'Orange Counter
> Registration:
>
> #345678.(https://foo.duck.org/orange/duck_soup/duck_counter.php)
> (c)Copyrighted by Alex / blowfish. 2000. All Rights Reserved.
HRm....
Why someone wouldn't want to tailor their kernel to the hardware they have is
beyond me.... The machine boots and runs faster if it doesn't have to wade
through 400 different card drivers, insert modules, etc, just to get eth0
working.
But then again, maybe I'm willing to work for something good, rather than
accepting what someone else has done as "ok".
-SSB
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Robert Hampf)
Subject: Re: SoundBlaster AudioPCI 128D
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 17:00:04 +0300
David Shochat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> h�lt �essu fram:
:
: My computer supposedly has the subject sound card. When I try to run
: sndconfig, it thinks I have an Ensoniq ES1371. The sound sample test
: fails. Does anyone know what I can do to get this working?
The Sound Blaster PCI128 card has an Ensoniq 1371 sound chip. The
question about how to get it working must be _the_ most frequently
asked question here so you will find a lot of info on deja.
People usually run some soundconfig or sndconfig program. I compiled
a new kernel with Ensoniq 1371 compiled into the kernel and it worked
without any tweaking.
rh
------------------------------
From: L S <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: mother boards needed
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 14:22:52 GMT
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> Visit tyan homepage!
> www.tyan.com
>
> In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
> L S <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Hi,
> > For a Linux project I need mother boards with:
> >
> > Micro-ATX or Flex-ATX layout
> > Intel 810 video
> > sound - at least ac97
> > 2 serial ports (board header for #2 ok)
> > onboard ethernet chip
> > PXE
> > socket 370 for Celeron
> > 2 SDRAM DIMM sockets
> > usb
> >
> > Does anyone know of such a board in production and available now?
> > Thanks.
> >
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.
Thanks, I bought Tyan i810ef. But they do not support PXE in the
BIOS! I thought everyone provided PXE now. Tekram S381-FN is
better/cheaper, but they are OEM only--not stocked.
------------------------------
From: "Frederik Tilkin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: HELP: Sound on VIA
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 14:58:59 GMT
"Bartek Kostrzewa" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> schreef in bericht
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
>
> Unfortunately you will have to install ALSA to get support for this sound
> chipset. Better disable it, disable PnP OS in your BIOS and then get a
cheap
> SB 128 PCI
Why "unfortunately"? I have the same soundcard and I would like to get it
working.
Frederik
------------------------------
From: "Neil Golstein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Whoopee
Date: 13 Aug 2000 10:05:02 -0500
Reply-To: "Neil Golstein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
OK, it took about half a dozen test boots with the floppy. To cut to the
chase, the driver works with the Initio card out of the system, it also
works with the card in another slot. The only other slot I had was a
"non-bus mastering" slot but that's OK (I think?) since I no longer have a
boot drive on the adapter, having moved to the Promise. It also worked with
an Adaptec narrow card in any slot. So it works with another SCSI adapter,
it's just fussy about slots and such.
So I booted into my Redhat 2.2.12 kernel. Loaded both drivers in both
orders (it matters what order you load them cause it changes the drive
letters). Worked perfectly. From the way the array sounds, it is working
pretty fast too.
Of course now I have to live with the 2.2.12 kernel, but that might not be
so bad. Already have my sound driver and nvidia opengl driver working
(though I don't think I have the agp driver in this kernel). Have to try
quake again, now that I can access my game files. Now just have to install
the USB backport to get my scanner back and the ppp multilink patch to get
my two line modem working again, sigh, that's gonna be a bitch. I'll write
Promise again thanking them profusely and ask if they're working on a driver
for the 2.4.0 kernels...
On the plus side, I can now run internet apps under wine, when I was running
the new kernels the tcp/ip connectivity was broken.
"Benjamin Grimm" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
------------------------------
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