SUMMARY: IPX can't load specfs

From: Bruce Cannon (rbcannon@earthlink.net)
Date: Fri Jun 25 1999 - 09:21:23 CDT


Thanks to all who responded. This was an nvram issue which I had to solve
by reinstalling Solaris 7 and specifying the boot disk down to the slice.
It is an easy option to click past if you're in a hurry.

Closest answer was from Scott Kulp, who wrote:

"...the older systems translate target 3 to disk0. If you type devalias at
the ok prompt and the rev of boot prom is high enough you should get a list
of disk aliases. You may have done that. Sounds like the disk just moved
to a funky state. Sometimes on the older systems probe did not work right
unless you did power on."

Didn't get a chance to try this, but it is going into my knowledge base for
future reference, and if I get a chance to try and bring up the other IPX I
will attempt this.

The default boot device from prtenv said "disk", which is the default, and I
changed it to "disk0" and back in an attempt to make it go to target 0.
This didn't work, and if there is a way using the eeprom command or from
prom monitor mode to do this, it would make a great FAQ for the IPX. Tried
two different IPX boxes, one with ver. 2.6, the other with 2.9.

Original question:

A client's sparcIPX died over the weekend, and showed symptoms of dead disk.
Peripherals are external cdrom drive on t6, two external hard drives at
targets 1 and 2, a Magma card for printer interface. Replaced the old 350MB
hard drive at t0 with a new Seagate 34520N. Did a preserve install of
Solaris 7, to preserve the data on the remaining two drives. Upon reboot
(centuries later) the error appeared:
Short read 0X400 chars read
disk read error
(can't load specfs) Program terminated.
Checked prtenv, all correct (boot-device=disk0). boot cdrom -s and format>
partition> verify all good. I can see the disk. I can mount it. It won't
boot. Tried boot /sbus/esp@0,800000/sd@0,0 and it acts like its trying to
boot, but then gives the error above. A simple boot or boot -r gives the
error above, and shows the boot device=/sbus/esp@0,800000/sd@3,0. What am I
doing wrong?
Bruce Cannon
UNIX/Network Systems Consultant
Sprint Paranet



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