Re: [Etherboot-users] Mystery... (SOLVED!)

[Don B. <do...@db...>]

On Sat, 29 Dec 2001, Marty Connor wrote:

>
> I suspect there is something about the motherboard or BIOS that is
> interfering with BIOS extensions (like Etherboot) from operating properly.
>
 ...

> I hope this is helpful.  Do let us know how things go, it may help others
> when we figure out what is amiss.
>

I fine-tooth combed the BIOS settings to make sure the were all the same.
I found several differences, but the key was a setting named Gate A20.  On
the two machines that would not boot, this was set to Fast, and on the
machine that would boot this was set to Normal.  Once I set this to Normal
on the non-boot machines voila' it worked!!!

The Tyan S1854 manual says about Gate A20 :
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Gate A20 Option

Gate A20 refers to tthe way the system addresses memory above 1MB
(extended memory).  When set to Fast the system chipset controls Gate A20.
When set to Normal, a pin in the keyboard controller controls Gate A20.
Setting Gate A20 to Fast improves system speed, paricularly with OS/2 and
Windows.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank heavens I'm not using any of those operating systems! :)

Evidently, something about setting this to Fast was causing the boot
process to run out of memory, or something.

Anyway, I am now staring at three happily booted systems.  Hoorah!

-don