STEP 8: CHECKING THE HARD DISK

We've finally reached the most important checkpoint. The reason for using CP/M ~s that it is someWhat simpler than Micronix, and possibly a lot more familar to you. Now that you have reached this step, you know that your terminal works and that you can read floppy disks. The moment of truth has arrived.

Is the software that was carefully copied on the hard disk'by the technicians at Morrow still readable?

The CP/M program that checks the hard disk is called, appropriately enough, CHECK. All CHECK does is attempt to read every sector on your hard disk. If CHECK is successful, you can probably boot up the hard disk and Micronix. If not, we'll explain to you how to initialize the hard disk for Micronix.

Ready? Okay, type CHECK and carriage return. The CHECK program will be loaded by CP/M and ask you which drive to ,check.

A> CHECK

A) Drive O. (if you have only one drive)

B) Drive 1.

C) D.rive 2.

D) Drive 3.

Drive: A A) mS B) mlO

C) m16 Selec tion: []

We want you to check Drive 0, so type an "A". Next, you are given the choice of three drive capacities: 5, 10 and 16 megabyte. Most Decisions are shipped with 10 megabyte miniwinchester hard disks. If you aren't sure which disk you bought, check your invoice (your copy of the bill).

The final selection required is the type of system: either CP/M or Micronix. Please enter a "B" for Micronix.

CHECK prints a line on the screen for each unreadable sector that it encounters. When it is finished, the total number of unreadable sectors is displayed. If you have more than 25 unreadable sectors, you will have to reinstall Micronix. If CHECK finishes (as signaled by the return of "A)") with zero or less than 25 bad sectors, the hard disk should be alright, and you are ready to boot Micronix.

If your hard disk failed CHECK, skip the next section.

2.8.1. Booting Mlcronix

Once CHECK has passed your hard disk, you are ready to boot Micronix. This is done by running a CP/M program on the same . diskette as the CHECK program. There are four different boo,t

programs, one for each size of hard.disk:

MSBOOT ' MI0BOOT M16BOOT HDBOOT

5,mega,byte 10 megabyte 16 megabyte

for systems with 8" hard disks

You boot Micronix by typing the name of one of these programs', and ,.' pressing RETURN. Since most Decisions have megabyte miniwinchesters', most of you will be typing

'A)MIOBOOT

Micronix loader for the hard disk Files'

CP/M 10

and Micronix will go through the process of loading itself. (Use the other boot programs if you have other capacity hard disks.) 'If you are curious about the messages that you see on the screen at this time, there is an explanation of the messages during loading in Section 3.2, Using Standalone Micronix.

Booting Micronix is complete when you have the superuser prompt,

N,

on your screen with the cursor waiting beside it. You can proceed to the narrative FIRST TIME USE OF MICRONIX.

Please do not follow the instructions in the next chapter, INSTALLING MICRONIX ON THE HARD DISK, because Micronix is already there.

Then look through the division- on MAINTENANCE AND ADMINISTRATION for information on adding new users, copying diskettes, backing up your hard disk, adding more terminals, configuring Micronix to your terminals and maintaining a healthy file system. Installing a printer is the last section of the Installation portion of this manual.

2.8.2. If CHECK FAILS •••

The following discussion assumes that your hard disk failed the CHECK test. Don't be upset if it did. It used to be that we would tell you to reinstall Micronix regardless of the condition of the data on the hard disk, so you really haven't been set back.

If your hard disk is accessible but has 25 or more unreadable sectors, you must reformat your hard disk and reinstall Micronix. The chapter called INSTALLING MICRORIX _ ON

THE HARD DISK is what you need to proceed with the reinstallation. How do you know that the hard disk is accessible? Two ways. The red activity light on the hard disk should be on, or flicker during the CHECK program. And if the CHECK program reports unreadable sectors, it is reporting the status from the hard disk controller, so the disk is access-ible. If CHECK can't read the status, it will tell you so and you should return to the section on CHECKING FOR HIDDEN DAMAGE.

CHECK's inability to read the hard disk status points to possible hardware problems that might be an unseated board or poor cable connections. If you find a loose board or cable, you may want to try CHECK again after reseating the board or connecting the cable. If CHECK still fails, then you need to install Micronix, the subject of the next chapter.

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PLEASE DO NOT FORMAT YOUR HARD DISK IF YOU PASSED CHECK WITH LESS THAN 25 ERRORS.

THE FOLLOWING CHAPT.ER IS FOR THOSE WHO MUST RE-INSTALL MICRONIX ONLY.

You are, of course, welcome to read this Chapter for the information it contains.

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Im Dokument Micronix Operating System (Seite 45-49)