Author Topic: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200  (Read 10220 times)

Effediesse

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Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« on: August 18, 2020, 10:42:05 am »
I am trying to install OS/2 warp 4.52 on a IBMx3200 but the installer stops with the error message attached.

The machine has a Xeon 3040, 2GB RAM, Adaptec raid controller and ATI ES1000 video card, more specs here:

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/overview-ibm-system-x3200

Not sure if it's a hardware issue, I've heard that OS/2 is very picky regarding video cards.

I know that ArcaOS might perform better on this relatively (to 4.52) hardware but I got the machine almost for free and spending money on a licence makes very little sense (even if I would love to try it).

I've been able to successfully install Ubuntu and Windows 10 so far.

Mathias

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2020, 11:38:49 am »
Hi Francesco! : )

Question is, at which point of the installation routine does that appear? Right when booting, or way later? And if so, when?
What did you do/set up before?

Mathias

Effediesse

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2020, 11:46:59 am »
It appears about 15 seconds after the OS/2 welcome screen shows up.

Before the installation I wiped the two drives and set RAID to 1.

Mathias

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2020, 12:55:32 pm »
I suppose this has nothing to do with the graphics card; At this early phase grahpics are either 80x25 text mode or 640x480 graphics mode, which all VGA cards (and BIOSes) can do.

I've faced a similar error display, when installing OS/2 Warp 4 on a very old notebook. I suppsed hardware is being scouted at the start, which fails in an error.

Let's wait for other opinions and for people who can actually read numbers on the error details.

Effediesse

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2020, 01:58:34 pm »
Let's wait for other opinions and for people who can actually read numbers on the error details.

Sure, in the meanwhile I might try to use a standard IDE hard drive instead of the SATA raid controller.....

Neil Waldhauer

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2020, 03:37:06 pm »
I got a 3100 to run the then latest eCS 2.2 beta 2 by putting in an IDE hard drive.

(Totally not worth it if you pay for your own electricity. A brand new Lenovo ThinkCentre would be cheaper in a year.)

Actually I had 8 of them and 2 failed in 24/7 use. USB Mouse and Keyboard will be problematic, but kind-of work.
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Effediesse

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2020, 03:51:17 pm »
(Totally not worth it if you pay for your own electricity. A brand new Lenovo ThinkCentre would be cheaper in a year.)

I know, these kind of projects are very far from rational, I chose that machine because it was dirt cheap and it looks great on my desk close to a SGI Fuel....

I will give it a try with a IDE hard drive then.

ivan

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2020, 05:13:09 pm »
Your screen shot shows a trap 000e which is a page fault - something couldn't be found in memory.  Assuming your memory is good the problem could be the RAID  controller which needs a driver to be recognised.  From my experience with several servers that have dedicated raid controllers you need a single disk as the boot disk because the RAID controller is not normally a boot device.

Your idea of using an IDE drive should work and if you have the driver for the RAID controller that should also work after the machine is booted up.

Effediesse

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2020, 05:20:56 pm »
Good to know that, I will try with an old IDE drive and see if things get better!

Effediesse

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2020, 08:34:11 pm »
Here's what I have done:

- connected a SATA drive (IDE drives are buried in a drawer and hard to find), RAID plugged it: same error
- SATA drive and removed the RAM sticks not marked IBM, RAID plugged in: same error
- SATA drive and removed the RAM sticks not marked IBM, RAID *not* plugged in: the installer gets a little bit further but I get the error message "found a drive greater than 8GB" and some other errors, see attachment.

I've already updated the firmware to the latest version so I guess the 8GB limitation is related to OS/2, what should I try now? The chance of finding a 8GB drive are slim and using a USB drive on a USB 1.1 port doesn't look promising...

Dave Yeo

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #10 on: August 19, 2020, 01:20:58 am »
You just need to upgrade the disk driver. Simplest I think is to get updated install disks here, http://web.archive.org/web/20060926010038/http://www.warpupdates.mynetcologne.de/english/inst_diskettes.html. Perhaps the ones for Warp Server for Ebusiness will work for OS/2 4.52.
Or download https://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/system/drivers/storage/ibmide12062003.zip and replace the versions on your install disks. If room is needed, you can remove a scsi driver and rem it out in config.sys. Also need to add COPYFROMFLOPPY=1 (if I'm remembering right) to config.sys so that the versions on the install disk are copied to the HD.
http://web.archive.org/web/20060926010038/http://www.warpupdates.mynetcologne.de/english/ has lots of other update info, lots of the URLs have gone away but given the file name, Google is your friend.

Effediesse

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #11 on: August 19, 2020, 08:48:42 am »
Very interesting!

I will do what you suggested and post the results.

Effediesse

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #12 on: August 20, 2020, 02:41:08 pm »
I am getting there, slowly but steadily.....  ;)

I modified the Disk 1 as described in the link with the files from ibmide12062003, the installer goes through the Installation disk, then asks for Disk 1 and then for Disk 2 but then stops with the attached error message.


ivan

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #13 on: August 20, 2020, 03:51:12 pm »
When I was installing OS/2 on some of our servers I found I needed to update the install disks and use https://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/system/drivers/storage/danis506r187.zip in place of the ibm driver and adjust the config.sys to use it.  Don't forget to edit the snoop.lst to fit with the edited config.sys.

Somewhere in my archives I think I still have the disk images that worked from that time - let me know if you think they would help.

Neil Waldhauer

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Re: Problematic OS/2 installation on IBM x3200
« Reply #14 on: August 20, 2020, 03:59:34 pm »
Once I added a SATA hard drive, I was able to install on x3100 from eCS disks with no changes. I had USB problems.

If your USB does not work, try USB on the internal connector.
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