[lug] off subject: Sun problem.

[Jason Cross]

Hi guys,

This is not exactly a Linux problem, but I need some help, and you
guys are the only ones I have left.

I do seismology experiments, in which I bring back large numbers of
SCSI disks from field instruments, and read them off onto an ultra 10.

I'm having a heck of a problem getting the disks to read.  It seems to be
some intermittent hardware problem (maybe with the SCSI or PCI buses?).

Anyway, the people who are supposed to be my tech support don't know
whats going on (their words, not mine).  They are going to try to ship me
a Sparc 5, but I'd rather keep the ultra 10 if I can get it to work.

If worse comes to wors, I can use a Linux laptop with a scsi card and dump it
to the ultra via NFS, but that's a long way around (the Linux laptop doesn't
have any problems!!)

Anyway, I can sometimes use the disks (usually just one), and then I can't use any others, and an error message comes up on the console window complaining about
"reserved phase" errors.

When it works, I can do a probe-scsi-all on the setup screen, and it will finhe disk, however, when it doesn't work I'll get the following error:

> probe-scsi-all
     /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1/scsi at 1,1
     Script interrupt: Reserved phase
>

I switch disks pretty much at will, but I was given to understand that this
was O.K., as we aren't mounting them or anything, a program more or less just
does a dd, and dumps the data off of them.  Then I plug in the next one and
do the same.

The tech support people gave me a new power supply for the disks, saying that
the problem was probably that the external power supply for my disks needed
to be grounded to the computer case.  That didn't fix it.

Anybody have any clues?  I'd be very greatful for anything to try!!

-Jason Crosswhite
jason at newberry.uoregon.edu
.