TECHNICAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT TITLE: PTF621 - "IDE disk drive parameter translation". DOCUMENT ID: TID300046 DOCUMENT REVISION: B DATE: 25JAN95 ALERT STATUS: Yellow INFORMATION TYPE: Symptom Solution README FOR: PTF621 PRODUCT and VERSION: UnixWare 1.1 ABSTRACT: The ptf621.dd.Z file contains PTF621 - "IDE disk drive parameter translation", resolving boot problems on many systems with IDE drives greater than 500 MB. This PTF also requires a replacement boot floppy #1 diskette available separately in the file boot1.tar. This update is for Unixware version 1.1, 1.1.1, or 1.1.2. SYMPTOM UnixWare 1.1 fails to boot or install properly on some systems with IDE controllers and drives with a capacity greater than 500 MB. The system will hang when trying to boot from the hard disk after the installation is complete. SOLUTION Download the ptf621.dd.Z, ptf621.txt and boot1.tar files to the /tmp directory on your machine. Create a replacement IHV HBA diskette using the disk image in this PTF. Install your system using the replacement for boot floppy #1, the orginal #2 and #3 diskettes from the red box. When prompted for the IHV HBA diskette, use the replacement created from the ptf621.dd.Z image found in this ptf. Installation Instructions: DATATYPE: compressedimage To create a diskette from an IHV HBA disk image file included in this PTF, become superuser and format a 3.5 inch 1.44MB diskette using: $ su provide root password at Password: prompt place a 3.5 inch high density disk in the floppy drive # format -v /dev/rdsk/f03ht ( f13ht if it's the b: drive ) Now uncompress the file using: # uncompress ptf621.dd.Z Now dd the image onto the disk using: # dd if=/tmp/ptf621.dd of=/dev/dsk/f03ht bs=1024k note path to dd image may be different use f13ht of it's the b: drive Solution Specifics UnixWare 1.1 fails to boot or install properly on some systems with IDE controllers and drives with a capacity greater than 500 MB. The system will hang when trying to boot from the hard disk after the installation is complete. SOLUTION SPECIFICS ------------------ GENERAL DESCRIPTION ------------------- These release notes acquaint you with UnixWare PTF621 - "IDE disk drive parameter translation". This update consists of 1 boot image floppy (boot floppy 1) and an HBA boot image floppy. The boot floppy replaces the boot floppy #1 from the original product. The HBA floppy is used during the installation process (the installation process prompts you for the correct time to insert it). This PTF supports IDE disk drive parameter translation (parameters which defines heads as greater than 16). Drives requiring this are usually greater than 500 MB. Some vendors refer to this as Logical Block Addressing (LBA). New Features. ------------ PTF621 provides UnixWare 1.1, UnixWare 1.1.1, and UnixWare 1.1.2 with a new boot floppy #1 and a new HBA boot image floppy. The new floppies provide supports IDE drives that use parameter translation, sometimes called Logical BLock Addressing (LBA). It is most common on drives with capacity greater than 500 MB. Software Notes and Recommendations. ---------------------------------- When you install Unixware, insert the boot floppies in the order specifed (floppy 1 first, floppy 2 second, and floppy 3 third), replacing boot floppy #1 with the boot floppy #1 provided here. Unixware will prompt you twice for the HBA floppy, once after boot floppy 1 is complete, and once more after the Unixware system packages are installed (after boot floppy #3 completes, Unixware prompts you for the media to install the Unixware system packages from; following this installation, you will be prompted once again for the HBA floppy). This PTF updates three files: /stand/sip, /etc/initprog/sip and /etc/conf/pack.d/athd/Driver.o. This update is for Unixware version 1.1, 1.1.1, or 1.1.2. Hardware Notes and Recommendations. ---------------------------------- The PTF is targeted for the i386, i486 CPU's and Pentium CPU's.. Installation Instructions. ------------------------- The PTF consists of two 3.5 boot floppies. The first one contains the Unixware boot floppy #1. It replaces one of the original boot floppies (the one labeled "1 of 3"). The second floppy is an HBA boot floppy. To install PTF621, place boot floppy #1 (the one provided here, replacing the original one) into the boot floppy drive (drive 0, or drive "A") and reboot the machine. You may now follow the installation instructions stated by Unixware as the process continues, using the original boot floppies #2 and #3. After processing boot floppy #1, Unixware will prompt you to insert the HBA floppy into the floppy drive. Unixware will then continue to prompt you for boot floppies 2 and 3. After processing the 3rd floppy, Unixware will prompt you for the media with which you want to install the various system packages, such as the base package and the graphics package. After the installation of these packages (usually from cartridge tape or CD-ROM) is complete, Unixware will again prompt you for the same HBA floppy which you used after floppy #1. Troubleshooting. --------------- PTF621 is successful if you succeed in installing Unixware on an Ambra system.