Re: boot images/logos/splashes (yet another idea)

Geert Uytterhoeven (Geert.Uytterhoeven@cs.kuleuven.ac.be)
Fri, 15 May 1998 10:25:07 +0200 (CEST)

On Thu, 14 May 1998 shalon@interlock.dfw.ibm.com wrote:
> From: Marnix Coppens <maco@telindus.be>
>
> As long as we don't use IBM's idea for AIX to show some 3-digit numbers
> on the LEDs to indicate the progress and possible errorcodes.
> "Hello, support ? My RS/6000 got stuck at number 204."
>
> Eh? Why not, at least as an add-on?
> I work on the IBM SP Support Line.
> Those numbers are a *godsend* to us, though I'd like to get boot
> messages like Linux uses as well. The combination would be wonderful.

Yeah, our most popular number is `200'. But without the manual, it's very
difficult to find out that the machine just wants someone to find the key and
turn the lock.

> Typical conversation:
> "Hello, support? My node is hanging at 231"
> "Ok. Do you have an entry in /etc/bootptab for this node?"
>
> Conversation without numbers:
> "Hello, support? My node is hanging."
> "Ok, what's the last thing on the screen?"
> "Umm....it says something about sending and receiving packets."
>
> Much more room for error.
> Assuming they read the right line in the first place.
> With the LEDs, even a secretary who's been drafted cause the admin's
> out sick can give us the basic info we need.

And now the kernel source maintenance problem: how to impose unique numbers to
kernel messages with the least labor?

Greetings,

Geert

--
Geert Uytterhoeven                     Geert.Uytterhoeven@cs.kuleuven.ac.be
Wavelets, Linux/{m68k~Amiga,PPC~CHRP}  http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~geert/
Department of Computer Science -- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven -- Belgium






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