[ltp] TkPad600E BIOS INET26WW (99/11/19) incompatible with Linux
David Newman
linux-thinkpad@www.bm-soft.com
Wed, 9 Feb 2000 09:58:10 -0500
Glad to hear you're up and running, Kelvin. It may well be worth trying the
latest BIOS; if it doesn't work you can simply roll back to the version that
works. As I mentioned in an earlier message, I would like to hear from
anyone who's tried running Linux on the current version.
Also: The steps you describe below do NOT describe a BIOS problem. If you're
getting to the LILO prompt then the BIOS self-test etc. has successfully
completed. LILO has different error codes that show up as the number of
letters in the word LILO that get spelled out. I forget the meaning of LI,
though. This may indicate a configuration error in your /etc/lilo.conf file.
See if that looks OK and then rerun /sbin/lilo.
Finally, I don't know of anyone who's gotten the 600E's Mwave modem to work
under Linux. That's a problem with IBM's proprietary DSP drivers -- not with
the BIOS. Sigh.
dn
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kelvin KAN [mailto:kelvin@neuron.hongkong.sgi.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 4:58 AM
> To: linux-thinkpad@www.bm-soft.com
> Subject: Re: [ltp] TkPad600E BIOS INET26WW (99/11/19) incompatible with
> Linux
>
>
> Hi everyone in TkPad-Linux,
>
> Thanks for all your response!
>
> The problem is solved by downgrading to INET25WW as David suggested below,
> though the reason I upgraded was in the hope to solve MODEM and
> VCD playing
> problems. This is in contrary to the advice of IBM's support not
> to downgrade
> BIOS. I dare not to try the latest INET28WW (99/11/20).
>
> Here's the detailed report (in case it is useful for you):
>
> 1. The HD model: Hitachi DK239065
> Geometry: cyl 13328
> hd 15
> sctr 63
>
> 2. Therefore, I also tried Wayne Scott's solution by inserting
> the RedHat Boot
> CD:
>
> boot: linux hda=13364,15,63
> (notice that the separators are comma instead of slash, and hda
> instead of hd).
>
> 3. The HD got recognized. Some problems in fdisk in that it
> insisted to ask
> for a /boot partn of 16Mb.
>
> 4. Apparently, all the packages got installed successfuly.
>
> 5. But at reboot, the system stuck at "LI" (not the complete
> word "LILO").
>
> 6. Then I had to resort to downgrade.
> The spsdin25.exe is avaiable both from David's suggested site
> and on request to local IBM support by email.
>
> Happy Year of the Dragon (2000/2/4)!
>
>
> Cheers,
> -
> Kelvin.
>
>
> --- Forwarded mail from linux-thinkpad@www.bm-soft.com
>
> From: "David Newman" <dnewman@networktest.com>
> To: <linux-thinkpad@www.bm-soft.com>
> Cc: <mailto:will@willz.demon.co.uk>
> Subject: RE: [ltp] TkPad600E BIOS INET26WW (99/11/19)
> incompatible with Linux
> Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 21:40:24 -0500
> Reply-To: linux-thinkpad@www.bm-soft.com
>
>
> >
> > I made the same mistake of using IBM's BIOS upgrade. Now LINUX
> can't seem
> > to recognize my /hda!!!
> >
> > If someone has a solution for this problem, I would very much appreciate
> > your help.
> >
>
> yes -- roll back to the previous BIOS version, INET25WW, which is still
> available here:
>
> ftp://ftp.pc.ibm.com/pub/pccbbs/mobiles/spsdin25.exe
>
> Allegedly INET26WW can be made to work by entering your hard disk's
> cylinder, head, and sector info at boot time (this info is printed on your
> hard drive). I tried this without success.
>
> dn
>
>
>
> > Jon
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: William van Zwanenberg [mailto:will@willz.demon.co.uk]
> > > Sent: Monday, February 07, 2000 4:33 AM
> > > To: linux-thinkpad@www.bm-soft.com
> > > Subject: Re: [ltp] TkPad600E BIOS INET26WW (99/11/19)
> incompatible with
> > > Linux
> > >
> > >
> > > At 11:36 AM 2/7/00 +0800, you wrote:
> > > >Hi there,
> > > >
> > > >Has anyone upgraded Thinkpad 600E BIOS (or "System Software" as
> > > IBM calls it)
> > > >to INET26WW (99/11/19), then Linux cannot recognize the drive
> > (and hence
> > > >looses it root filesystem) with the msgs at LILO:
> > > > PIIX4: not 100% native mode
> > > > will probe irqs later
> > > > hda: no response
> > > > hda: non-ide drive
> > > >
> > > >I am sure the problem is with the BIOS because it occured right after
> > > >the upgrade. And I have tried at least 2 newly partitioned drives.
> > > >
> > > >I tried RedHat 6.0, 6.1 & Slackware 7.0
> > > >
> > > >The IBM support replied me that BIOS is not downgradable and
> > the version
> > > >is already the latest.
> > > >
> > > >Would anybody kindly advise me if there is any workaround?
> > > >
> > > >Thanks,
> > > >-
> > > >Kelvin Kan.
> > >
> > > I personally haven't bothered to upgrade the BIOS on my 600E. From the
> > > sounds of things, I'm glad I haven't.
> > >
> > >
> > > --------------------------
> > > William van Zwanenberg
> > > 362c Old Ford Road
> > > Bow
> > > London E3 5TA
> > >
> > > Telephone: +44 (0)20 8980 4537
> > > Mobile: +44 (0)7961 130 235
> > > Fax: +44 (0)870 056 8583
> > > e-mail: will@willz.demon.co.uk or: willz@hole-in-the.net
> > > e-mail-mobile: 07961130235@one-2-one.net
> > > hotmail: willz@hotmail.com
> > > WWW: http://black.hole-in-the.net/mates/willz/
> > >
> > > "If we don't succeed, then we run the risk of failure." -
> Vice President
> > > Dan Quayle
> > >
> > > ----- The Linux ThinkPad mailing list -----
> > > The linux-thinkpad mailing list home page is at:
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> > >
> >
> > ----- The Linux ThinkPad mailing list -----
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> >
>
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