[ale] Compaq partitions on servers

[Rod Young]

I'm not quite sure what you're saying ("DOS version" of what?).
I think the os choice refers to what OS you are going to use to make
the floppy.
Thanx again!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Original Message <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

On 05/04/2001, 12:28:56 PM, Jeff Hubbs <Jhubbs at niit.com> wrote
regarding RE: [ale] Compaq partitions on servers:


> I'm not quite sure what you're saying ("DOS version" of what?).

> In order to have BIOS setup capability for that machine (and you
almost
> certainly want that), you need to have either that Compaq maintenance
> partition or the diag/setup floppies.  Weird proprietary partitions
on
> drives give me the creeps, so I choose to hang onto the floppies.

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Rod Young [mailto:development at combiz.net]
> > Sent: Friday, May 04, 2001 12:11 PM
> > To: Jeff Hubbs
> > Cc: ale at ale.org
> > Subject: RE: [ale] Compaq partitions on servers
> >
> >
> > Thanx for the wealth of info. I had already installed debian
> > by bypassing
> > it( their bios based OS install keep asking for floppies). I
> > am wondering
> > if I should just download the dos version. If I don't need
> > that partition
> > I could just wipe it. Tho I might just check out the new version. I
> > wonder if you could flash it with LOBOS or XOSL?
> >
> >
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Original Message <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
> >
> > On 05/04/2001, 10:12:29 AM, Jeff Hubbs <Jhubbs at niit.com>
> > wrote regarding
> > RE: [ale] Compaq partitions on servers:
> >
> >
> > > Rod -
> >
> > > I've run into this before.  It's a rather troublesome thing
> > that Compaq
> > was
> > > doing for a number of years called the "maintenance
> > partition."  It was a
> > > separate partition with its own filesystem type, and the
> > deal was that if
> > > you hit the right key at the right spot in the bootup, a
> > GUI utility for
> > > BIOS config would launch from that partition.  If you hunt
> > around enough
> > on
> > > Compaq's site, you can download floppy images, burn
> > floppies from those,
> > and
> > > boot to those floppies for making BIOS changes - then you
> > can nuke that
> > > partition on the disk drive, replace the drive, or whatever
> > you want.
> >
> > > That partition "exists" for real on the drive, but it's not
> > available to
> > you
> > > from Linux.  Linux' fdisk can nuke it and it may even allow
> > you to create
> > > one.  One utility that is available on the floppies (if you
> > make them) is
> > > the ability to create a new maintenance partition, format
> > it, and load
> > the
> > > GUI utils into it.
> >
> > > When you boot it to Linux (even via tomsrtbt, if you
> > haven't actually
> > gotten
> > > Linux on it yet), check the dmesg to see if the kernel
> > detects one of the
> > > buggy CMD640 or RZ1000 EIDE chips (see
> > http://mindprod.com/eideflaw.html
> > for
> > > a treatment).  This is a problem that hurts the operation
> > of most any
> > > multitasking OS on pre-1997 PCI-bus machines.  I have had
> > machines ball
> > up
> > > under Linux and NT both on account of this problem.  If you
> > gather and
> > use
> > > junkers like I do, you have to watch out for this.  There
> > is a kernel
> > config
> > > setting that will include a workaround for the CMD640 that
> > MAY correct
> > the
> > > problem when you recompile, but apparently many of these
> > chips are also
> > just
> > > plan wired up wrong on the mobo.
> >
> > > The safest bet, if you find that you have one of these
> > buggy controllers
> > > (the page I linked you to above says that as of 10/95, ALL
> > versions of
> > those
> > > two chips are defective) is to simply not use it.  I have an AT&T
> > Globalyst
> > > 630 at the house (Micro Seconds was selling them by the
> > truckload w/o RAM
> > or
> > > disk for $20) and I simply dropped a SCSI card and disk in.  On
that
> > > machine, the secondary controller was ISA-bus, so I put the
> > CD-ROM there;
> > if
> > > you absolutely had to put an IDE disk drive in, that's
> > where it should go
> > > even though it would be slower.  Alternatively, it's a good
> > excuse to
> > work
> > > up a diskless machine.
> >
> > > - Jeff
> >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Rod Young [mailto:development at combiz.net]
> > > > Sent: Friday, May 04, 2001 9:45 AM
> > > > To: ale at ale.org
> > > > Subject: [ale] Compaq partitions on servers
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > What is this for? I have a Prosignia 300 (old p150). It has
three
> > > > partitions(FS, swap, & compaq).
> > > > Boot up shows the compaq partitionas SDA4 even tho there are
> > > > only three
> > > > partitions. Any ideas?
> > > > --
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> > > >
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> >
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