rc4 install and SMP

Getting ready for GA (kind of a practice) I installed RC4 on a UNI 
system some time ago. It worked. More recently I got an AMD dual and I 
thought I would try an SMP install today. I marked for smp install. The 
install got to the 3rd boot and hung at the first splash screen.

Looking at config I saw no reference to SMP. I added /SMP to the PSD 
line and  booted. This time it got further and I saw the line about
initializing  2 processors, that looked good but alas I got the message
about not being able to operate my hard disk.
1. I have a scsi LSI controller and I did correct the install error
which put the DANI before the SYMBIOS in the config.
2. I have MSI RS 480M2 939 pin with ati chipset which is reputed to work
with dual and since I got the above init message it probably does.

My questions:

1. why did my PSD not have the /SMP switch?
2. Since I fooled with the PSD in my ignorance do I need more
switches to be set?

Is there something peculiar about the controller and ECS2rc4 and scsi 
though it did work in uni mode.
Where is there good reading stuff. Anyone using lsi scsi controller
on RC4

On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:49:51 -0400, Leo Tick wrote:

>2. I have MSI RS 480M2 939 pin with ati chipset which is reputed to work
>with dual and since I got the above init message it probably does.

The ATi chipsets are not supported yet by ACPI. As far as I'm aware
support is planned at some stage but I have no idea when. ATi graphics
are what is supported by the Panorama driver, not the SNAP driver for
the latest ones I believe.

If you run ACPI at all you have to have the /!NOD switch and also have
acpica.add loaded. The /!NOD switch was suggested by ACPI support and
the docs say to load acpica.add if using the /!NOD switch.

My first two lines in config.sys are:
basedev=acpica.add /N
psd=acpi.psd /!NOD

-- 
Regards - Rodney Pont
The from address exists but is mostly dumped,
please send any emails to the address below
e-mail	ngpsm4 (at) infohitsystems (dot) ltd (dot) uk

Hi Leo

Leo Tick wrote:
> Getting ready for GA (kind of a practice) I installed RC4 on a UNI 
> system some time ago. It worked. More recently I got an AMD dual and I 
> thought I would try an SMP install today. I marked for smp install. The 
> install got to the 3rd boot and hung at the first splash screen.
> 
> Looking at config I saw no reference to SMP. I added /SMP to the PSD 
> line and  booted. This time it got further and I saw the line about
> initializing  2 processors, that looked good but alas I got the message
> about not being able to operate my hard disk.
> 1. I have a scsi LSI controller and I did correct the install error
> which put the DANI before the SYMBIOS in the config.
> 2. I have MSI RS 480M2 939 pin with ati chipset which is reputed to work
> with dual and since I got the above init message it probably does.
> 
> My questions:
> 
> 1. why did my PSD not have the /SMP switch?


I do not think any PSD switches get added until after the ACPI Wizard is 
run to setup ACPI. My experience with that Wizard is that it needs a lot 
more work to produce a booting system here so you will probably need to 
setup manually.


> 2. Since I fooled with the PSD in my ignorance do I need more
> switches to be set?
> 


Probably...

> Is there something peculiar about the controller and ECS2rc4 and scsi 
> though it did work in uni mode.
> Where is there good reading stuff. Anyone using lsi scsi controller
> on RC4
> Thanks


No idea if the LSI SCSI controller driver is "ACPI/SMP compatible" but

you would only really get to find out if you can get ACPI working - that 
could be a bit of a circular adventure :-)


I suggest updating the eCS2.0 supplied acpi files with the files 
available in ACPI v3.08 (and the related APM package) available when you 
access the betazone through your SS login at Mensys.

I think you then need to have a good read of the acpi docs but suspect 
that you may find acpi not working with ati chipsets yet...

If determined to try then the /SMP switch is probably not much use by 
itself, you would need /APIC as well at a minimum but I think you will 
need to experiment with various switches to see if you can get dual 
cores working. As an example I have an nForce430 chipset that needs this 
incantation:-

PSD=ACPI.PSD /SMP /APIC /TMR /R /ALS /!NOD

I'll let you check out the docs to find out what the switches do  :-)


Sadly eStyler shutdown does not work so I have to open a command window 
and issue a
shutdown o
command - the only way to shutdown cleanly on this system at the moment 
most times.

Which leads onto another tip: Always have a current backup handy in case 
the shutdown does not go smoothly and the ini files get trashed.

Hope the above is of some help

Pete

On 04/21/08 03:49 pm Leo Tick wrote:

> Getting ready for GA (kind of a practice) I installed RC4 on a UNI 
> system some time ago. It worked. More recently I got an AMD dual and I 
> thought I would try an SMP install today. I marked for smp install. The 
> install got to the 3rd boot and hung at the first splash screen.
> 
> Looking at config I saw no reference to SMP. I added /SMP to the PSD 
> line and  booted. This time it got further and I saw the line about
> initializing  2 processors, that looked good but alas I got the message
> about not being able to operate my hard disk.
> 1. I have a scsi LSI controller and I did correct the install error
> which put the DANI before the SYMBIOS in the config.
> 2. I have MSI RS 480M2 939 pin with ati chipset which is reputed to work
> with dual and since I got the above init message it probably does.
> 
> My questions:
> 
> 1. why did my PSD not have the /SMP switch?
> 2. Since I fooled with the PSD in my ignorance do I need more
> switches to be set?
> 
> Is there something peculiar about the controller and ECS2rc4 and scsi 
> though it did work in uni mode.
> Where is there good reading stuff. Anyone using lsi scsi controller
> on RC4


Except with ACPI 3.07, I have to use the /!NOD switch for my LSILogic 
SCSI adapter and its attached devices to be usable.

In theory it should be possible to use settings in the ACPI.CFG file to 
REMAP high IRQs for the LSILogic card to low ones, but it doesn't work 
for me on my nVidia-chipset motherboard.

I can't remember what version of ACPI comes with RC4, but 3.08 is the 
current one, AFAIK.

BTW, I have found that the ACPI Wizard totally ignores what I tell it.

-=-

Alan Beagley wrote:
> On 04/21/08 03:49 pm Leo Tick wrote:
> 
>> Getting ready for GA (kind of a practice) I installed RC4 on a UNI 
>> system some time ago. It worked. More recently I got an AMD dual and I

>> thought I would try an SMP install today. I marked for smp install. 
>> The install got to the 3rd boot and hung at the first splash screen.
>>
>> Looking at config I saw no reference to SMP. I added /SMP to the PSD 
>> line and  booted. This time it got further and I saw the line about
>> initializing  2 processors, that looked good but alas I got the
message
>> about not being able to operate my hard disk.
>> 1. I have a scsi LSI controller and I did correct the install error
>> which put the DANI before the SYMBIOS in the config.
>> 2. I have MSI RS 480M2 939 pin with ati chipset which is reputed to
work
>> with dual and since I got the above init message it probably does.
>>

> 
> 
> Except with ACPI 3.07, I have to use the /!NOD switch for my LSILogic 
> SCSI adapter and its attached devices to be usable.
> 
> In theory it should be possible to use settings in the ACPI.CFG file to 
> REMAP high IRQs for the LSILogic card to low ones, but it doesn't work 
> for me on my nVidia-chipset motherboard.
> 
> I can't remember what version of ACPI comes with RC4, but 3.08 is the 
> current one, AFAIK.
> 
> BTW, I have found that the ACPI Wizard totally ignores what I tell it.
> 
> -=-
> Alan

I want to thank all those who have replied with suggestions and to 
report on the current state:
1, Contrary to some statements the ATI chipset DOES work with RC4.
2. The key ingredient to allowing my study to make progress was the cold 
  boot. This was alluded to in the docs but was essential to get any 
kind of reproducible results. I should not have been surprised since 
when I switch from WIN-XP to ecs I have to do a cold boot else network 
fails.
ACPI does something to the BIOS (?).
3. Had to disable network-this also should have been no surprise as doc 
says that RTSND.OS2 of a (or some) date(s) causes a d trap on proc. 1. 
There is an allusion to a patched version but no info as to where it can 
be found. Anyone know?
4. System ran with PIC and !nod but as of now I don't know what switches
are needed. More experiment is needed but the important question: Does 
my hardware DOES work in SMP-dual was answered with a yes. I await the GA.