Very Computer

        I just upgraded to the SLS distribution, which uses Linux 1.1.51.
I added the IN2000 ALPHA driver and everything seemed fine.  I was able
to fdisk my /dev/sda and set up partitions.

        First I built 2 512MB partitions under DOS and they can be seen
from Linux for both read and write.  Then I fdisk'ed a third partition
and tried to do a mke2fs.  At the end of the fdisk run, the program
hangs, indicating that a write (10) failed with something like "00 00 24
5e 26 00 00 00 aa 00" as an error.  A message also suggests that a SCSI
bus hang occurred.  The only thing I could do to get out is hard reset.
(Note that I need to flip my dip switches going between DOS and Linux.)
What did I do wrong?

        Also, the program indicated that I had only 1314 cylinders (64
hds, 32 sectors) with the ST43400 2.9GB disk I had.  This comes out to
some 1.3 GB only.  When I use the DOS fdisk, it can see 2.0 GBs, as
documented by the IN2000 installation guide (limit of 1024 cylinders ->
1024 * 64 * 63 * 512).  Why does the Linux fdisk underestimate?  I
presume that I can fudge this by going into the expert mode in fdisk and
force it to say that there are at least 2016 cylinders (2.0 GB).  I don't
know if I can go to 2765 (2.9 GB).  Any comments?

        Thanks for any help in advance.

                                                Peter Lu

:       I just upgraded to the SLS distribution, which uses Linux 1.1.51.
: I added the IN2000 ALPHA driver and everything seemed fine.  I was able
: to fdisk my /dev/sda and set up partitions.

 As I have said many times before, there is a problem with the IN2000 driver,
and kernels >1.1.0... This is what causes the random lock-up you have in
the next paragraph..

:       First I built 2 512MB partitions under DOS and they can be seen
: from Linux for both read and write.  Then I fdisk'ed a third partition
: and tried to do a mke2fs.  At the end of the fdisk run, the program
: hangs, indicating that a write (10) failed with something like "00 00 24
: 5e 26 00 00 00 aa 00" as an error.  A message also suggests that a SCSI
: bus hang occurred.  The only thing I could do to get out is hard reset.
: (Note that I need to flip my dip switches going between DOS and Linux.)
: What did I do wrong?

:       Also, the program indicated that I had only 1314 cylinders (64
: hds, 32 sectors) with the ST43400 2.9GB disk I had.  This comes out to
: some 1.3 GB only.  When I use the DOS fdisk, it can see 2.0 GBs, as
: documented by the IN2000 installation guide (limit of 1024 cylinders ->
: 1024 * 64 * 63 * 512).  Why does the Linux fdisk underestimate?  I
: presume that I can fudge this by going into the expert mode in fdisk and
: force it to say that there are at least 2016 cylinders (2.0 GB).  I don't
: know if I can go to 2765 (2.9 GB).  Any comments?

 SCSI doesn't really use cylinders to access the drive, but it there is some
translation done to match DOS's partition table.. You should be able to fudge
the code in in2000.c, right at the end, to return whatever size you want.
This may cause hassles in fdisk, but if you follow some of the guidelines for
IDE drivers with >1024 cylinders, you shouldn't have any problems..