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[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

I reported earlier on crashing BL2 by running bmv (SVGAlib program) 
without first specifying chipset VESA (needed for Tseng and Trident but 
not S3) in the config file.  I ran e2fsck on it from BL3 loop and was told 
it was okay after a few runs but it still had lots of problems and 
uncorrectable errors.

So I tried to reformat with fdisk from Bl3 on hda but I could not figure 
out how to use it with hdb so switched to PQMagic.  Told it format hdb2 
and it got to 24%, slowed to a crawl, slowed even more, and stuck at 31% 
and I could not cancel.  Rebooted, and was told 'failed primary slave hard 
disk' which is similar to uncorrectable error.  We will put in a different 
hard drive.  Maybe the crash damaged the hard drive?  And being unable to 
exit PQMagic made it worse?  There was only BL2 on the disk and I have an 
exact copy on the other computer to send there via ethernet.  

Can fdisk be used to format a different disk from where it is located (the 
linux cfdisk in BL3)?  

Xvesa -listmodes on the computer where I needed to bypass even Win98 DOS 
system files tells me modes up to 640x480x1 are available but even te 
listed modes crash.  I will try a different video card in case this one 
uses memory that himem.sys uses on this computer.  

The CD-ROm drive makes lots of noise when there is a CD-ROM in it but 
works.  On the other computer it takes about 30 sec for bootup to 
recognize the drive but it also works.  Is there some test like 
floppymeter that tells you how good a CD-ROM drive is?  We have cdi.exe in 
DOS to diagnose the speed.  I guess you can also tell from noise and 
slowness that it is going bad.  One other drive won't open with the button 
in DOS but it will in linux.  

 -- 
keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org