bug: 2.4.[<=6] kernel has Cyrix 'coma' bug?

dev-list,

Every 2.4 kernel that I've tried freezes my Cyrix MediaGX system at boot up.

Typically the last messages displayed are:

Working around Cyrix MediaGX virtual DMA bugs
CPU: Cyrix Media GX Core/Bus Clock Stepping 02
Checking 'hlt' instruction

Occasionally, the "Checking 'hlt' instruction" is not displayed before it freezes.

My system is a PowerSpec Model 1810 (no laughs please), my Phoenix BIOS reports "Cyrix GX 3.2 180MHz".

I've compiled/installed numerous 2.2.x kernels w/o any trouble. The Redhat 7.1 CDROM image freezes at boot. I've compiled the 2.4.4, 2.4.5, & 2.4.6 kernels with various config settings, but they all freeze at boot. I'm currently running redhat 7.0, so I've tried compiling with gcc (gcc 2.96 20000731) & kgcc (egcs 1.1.2 release), no luck.

I'm willing to compile the 2.4.[<4} kernels or try any other pre-compiled kernels is anyone has a suggestion.

Please CC: me on any response
-steve

dev-list,

Every 2.4 kernel that I've tried freezes my Cyrix MediaGX system at boot up.

The point at which it hangs varies, but typically the last messages displayed are:

Working around Cyrix MediaGX virtual DMA bugs
CPU: Cyrix Media GX Core/Bus Clock Stepping 02
Checking 'hlt' instruction

My system is a PowerSpec Model 1810 (no laughs please), my Phoenix BIOS reports "Cyrix GX 3.2 180MHz".

I've compiled/installed numerous 2.2.x kernels w/o incident. The Redhat 7.1 CDROM image freezes. I've compiled the 2.4.4, 2.4.5, & 2.4.6 kernels with various config settings, but they all freeze. I'm currently running redhat 7.0, so I've tried compiling with gcc (gcc 2.96 20000731) & kgcc (egcs 1.1.2 release), no luck.

I'm willing to compile the 2.4.[<4} kernels or try any other pre-compiled kernels is anyone has a suggestion.

Please CC: me on any response
-steve

"Steven Lass" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

For what it's worth, I use the Slackware 8.0 distribution, and have no trouble running 2.4.[5-7] on my Cyrix MediaGX 233 MHz. Make sure MTTR is off in your configuration, this has bit me in the *ss once...

Rob

======
CPU: Before vendor init, caps: 00808131 01818131 00000000, vendor = 1 Working around Cyrix MediaGX virtual DMA bugs.

CPU: After vendor init, caps: 00808121 00818131 00000000 00000001
CPU:     After generic, caps: 00808121 00818131 00000000 00000001
CPU:             Common caps: 00808121 00818131 00000000 00000001
CPU: Cyrix MediaGXtm MMXtm Enhanced stepping 02
Checking 'hlt' instruction... OK.
POSIX conformance testing by UNIFIX
=======
robtu@pi8nos:/proc$ cat cpuinfo
processor       : 0
vendor_id       : CyrixInstead
cpu family      : 5
model           : 7
model name      : Cyrix MediaGXtm MMXtm Enhanced
stepping        : 2
cache size      : 16 KB
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 2
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu msr cx8 cmov mmx cxmmx
bogomips        : 76.80

Just tried the 2.4.7 kernel & it freezes too.

-steve