Hello. We're having some problems with our SCO ODT3 server/development
machine that can only be described as bizarre. Frankly, we're
considering burning the hard drive, using the tapes as confetti and
calling an exorcist.
It all started with trying to get the machine to make a PPP connection.
During this experience (which all SCO ODT3 owners can tell you is a
!fun thing to spend weeks on) we accidentally fried our Computone
serial multiplexer (despite the APC backup/surge protector, a big
expensive one (thank goodness for their $25000 guarantee) (yes, too many
parentheses)). After getting a replacement, things got really weird.
First of all, we were unable to configure a new modem on the Computone.
The tech support with them said that it must be a problem with the OS
since the current modems and terminals on the box still worked fine.
Heck, we wanted to run PPP through the serial lines, but gave up on
that after crashing the server by disabling/turning off the modems we
were trying to add. So we settled on one of the two physical ports.
Eventually, we did get PPP working on the SCO (thank you for your help,
xmission.com). Slowly, we added a name server, then SMTP to supplement
our UUCP connection. We even got the other PC in the office to connect to
the net using the SCO machine and its PPP link as a gateway using the
installed Western Digital Ethernet cards (on both machines) and Trumpet
Winsock.
But then we got*y, and upgraded the PC in the office with Windows
for Workgroups, added the free MS TCP/IP stacks, and added a GVC
Ethernet card to another PC in the office, configuring it too with WfWG
and MS TCP/IP.
The result? The PCs can talk to each other and the SCO machine, but
cannot communicate past the SCO machine. They can ping each other and
the SCO, but a traceroute to even the other end of the PPP line causes
a Network Unreachable error (without even acknowledging the SCO machine).
We know our nameserver was functioning, because it was resolving the
IP addresses properly (even starting a PPP connection to get them).
Seems like a routing problem, right? We've tried all sorts of solutions.
Even the handy TCP-IP Network Administration book from O'Reilly isn't
a help.
And now it appears that the Adaptec 1540 controller is toasted. Our
backups have at least a couple of "Out of sync" errors on them every
night, even if it's a new tape or a new SCSI tape drive. Of course,
the wonderful SCO documentation we've got doesn't document this error
anywhere. And it almost seems like the SCSI CDROM is giving us errors
too, saying it can't install all the files in a package while using
custom.
Heck, the entire server crashed on me early last week when I did
an innocent "tcp stop" for the first time since a reboot three days
before.
Is it time to call in professional help? Should we inscribe a
pentagram around our SCO box? Sacrifice a fresh copy of Linux to it?
Re-install everything from scratch? (Remember, our backups are not
too reliable). We've tried isolating our problems and dealing with
them one at a time, but it appears that the system is unstable and
we are getting very frustrated.
Ah yes, and one last thing. Money is extremely tight, so we can't
afford to throw dollars after this. Us technical people have to
perform a miracle. So we'd appreciate any help you could give us.
Thanks a million for listening (and it's stress-relieving to tell).
Michael Smit, The Other Technical Guy (compared to the one who's
been there for a year and a half already)
--
]\\ `/ ]< (Michael C. Smit) /\ Delirium: "There must be a word for it... The
Welcome to Utah \/ Is there a word?" Dream: "Change."