FreeBSD-6 fails to install on too many old laptops.

[Julian H. Stacey]

> Could you & others please look at list
> 	http://berklix.org/~jhs/hardware/laptops/#loader.conf
> Which of those & other options should I add to "bootsafekey" in
> 	/usr/src/sys/boot/forth/beastie.4th
> to help a "Safe" boot ?
> Then I'll send-pr a diff to extend chance of other older laptops booting.
> & will roll new floppies(*) & put up for ftp; (no prob, done releases before).

If any replied privately to me between maybe Sat 14:00 & Sun Jun
17 18:10 CEST 2007, please resend as I lost mail (my typo. in .procmailrc).

I did earlier get a private reply from Tuc at Beach House

But there was no next in thread on:
http://docs.freebsd.org/cgi/getmsg.cgi?fetch=20493+0+archive/2007/freebsd-mobile/20070617.freebsd-mobile

I want to make a diff & send-pr it, but advice needed please, what
should one leave on & off for a maximum chance of a slow safe boot
of old legacy hardware.  Please correct my notes extracted from
here, Thanks: http://berklix.org/~jhs/hardware/laptops/#loader.conf
---------------------------------

Things That May Help Force Old Machines To Boot / Install
    * boot_verbose="yes"
    * verbose_loading="yes"
    * debug.bootverbose=1
    * hint.acpi.0.disabled="1" # set to boot with acpi disabled. Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
      Above is set by forth/beastie.4th:bootsafekey
    * loader.acpi_disabled_by_user=1 # Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
      Above is set by forth/beastie.4th:bootsafekey
    * hint.apm.0.disabled="1" # found on host=fire with kenv. Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
    * hint.apic.0.disabled="1" # set to boot in safe mode Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
      Above set by forth/beastie.4th:bootsafekey
    * hw.ata.ata_dma=0 # ATA disk DMA mode control Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
      needed by Dell Latitude XPi P133ST says
      Ian Freilich , 07.10.2004
      Above referenced by forth/beastie.4th:bootsafekey
    * hw.ata.atapi_dma=0 # ATAPI device DMA mode control Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
      Above referenced by forth/beastie.4th:bootsafekey
    * hw.ata.wc=0 # ATA disk write caching Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
      Above referenced by forth/beastie.4th:bootsafekey
    * hw.eisa_slots=0 # Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
      Above referenced by forth/beastie.4th:bootsafekey
    * hint.kbdmux.0.disabled=1
      Above is referenced by forth/beastie.4th:bootsafekey
    * hw.pci.enable_io_modes=0 # use if boot hangs after AGP
    * hw.pcic.ignore_pci=1 # ignore pci cardbus bridges Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
    * hw.pcic.intr_path="1" # Needed by host=lapa Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
      Normally interrupts for cardbus bridges are routed over the PCI bus (2). However, some laptops will hang when using PCI interrupts due to bugs in this code. Those bugs can be worked around by forcing ISA interrupts (1). Warner wrote: Libretto-50 and Libretto-70 machines have only ISA PCMCIA bridges
    * hw.pcic.irq="0" # Needed by host=lapa Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
      Override IRQ configured by system for all pcic devices
    * hw.pcic.pd6729_intr_path
      Determine interrupt path or method for Cirrus Logic PD6729 and similar I/O space based pcmcia bridge. Chips on a PCI expansion card need a value of 2, while chips installed in a laptop need a value of 1 (which is also the default). This is similar to hw.pcic.intr_path, but separate so that it can default to ISA when intr_path defaults to PCI.
    * hw.pcic.ti12xx_enable_pci_clock
      Some TI-12xx parts need to have the PCI clock enabled. These designs do not provide a clock themselves. Most of the reference boards have the required oscillator parts, so the number of machines that needs this to be set is vanishingly small.
    * machdep.bios.pci=disable # Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
    * machdep.bios.pnp=disable # Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
    * machdep.pccard.pcic_irq="0" # PCCARD controller IRQ (0=polled) Dell_Latitude_XPi_P133ST
    * machdep.pccard.pcic_irq=11

-- 
Julian Stacey. Munich Computer Consultant, BSD Unix C Linux. http://berklix.com
 HTML mail unseen. Ihr Rauch=mein allergischer Kopfschmerz. Dump cigs 4 snuff.