2.3.10 and Cyrix 6x86L/P200+

Bob_Tracy (rct@gherkin.sa.wlk.com)
Tue, 20 Jul 1999 19:01:47 -0500 (CDT)

The subject Cyrix chip has the "coma" bug, and attempting to boot the
2.3.10 kernel with the vesafb code enabled (vga = 791 in lilo.conf)
results in a frozen system immediately after the mode switch. That is,
the video mode switches, but the screen goes blank and the boot process
goes no further. I don't know that the system freeze is dependent on
the vesafb code being enabled: I simply note that the video mode switch
is the last thing seen before the freeze.

A known good workaround is to back out the 2.3.10 patch section that
removes check_cyrix_coma() from linux/include/asm-i386/bugs.h.

To the faction that believes the coma workaround should be a user space
thing, I submit that the fix is needed well before any userland process
can get a crack at the CPU :-).

-- 
Bob Tracy               |  "They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist- "
Firewall Security Corp. |   - Last words of Union General John Sedgwick,
rct@frus.com            |  Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, U.S. Civil War


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