System time synchronization | HW problem? (solved)

[Derick Centeno]

> 
> From: Alexander Holst <alex.holst at hergulesse.de>
> Date: 2005/01/26 Wed PM 07:13:44 EST
> To: Derick Centeno <aguilarojo at verizon.net>
> CC: YDL General MailingList <yellowdog-general at lists.terrasoftsolutions.com>
> Subject: Re: System time synchronization | HW problem? (solved)
> 
> Hi Derick,
> Hi others,
> 
> On Fri, 2005-01-07 at 22:14, Derick Centeno wrote:
> > On Fri, 2005-01-07 at 05:45, Alexander Holst wrote:

Techtools will and can test and diagnose your modem,
> > network, internet, RAM, ROM and more AND give you recommendations as to
> > what you should do IF it cannot fix it itself.
> 
> Well, all MY asumptions led to the conclusion to change the complete I/O
> Board on the machine - not the modem, not the PRAM battery - and it did
> the trick !!!

When you come to the US you'll notice over time that computer industry pros 
tend to divide themselves either into software and hardware pros.  Let's just 
accept that the pro's are skilled enough to work a bit in the other camp if 
necessary, but it stops there.  In short, I still say that the motherboard 
issue would have been discovered with Tech Tools a long time ago.  But I 
understand that you are a "hardware" fellow, and depriving you of the joy of 
taking your laptop apart and putting it together again your way, is not 
something I would consider.  In that sense, using Techtools would get in the 
way of how you do things.  I had a pal in high school who took apart his preamp 
and amp just to improve the sound and distortion quality to his liking.  He had 
parts left over when he put the devices back together; they did sound better 
though.

> > Furthermore, the BogoMIPS should be roughly twice the CPU seed - in my
> > > case something like 266*2=532 and not 202: 
> > > 
> > > Calibrating delay loop... 202.75 BogoMIPS
> > > 
> > > /proc/cpuinfo shows the correct listings for a Wallstreet except for the
> > > BogoMIPS, which is what causes my problems:
> > > 
> > > cpu		: 740/750
> > > temperature 	: 46-48 C (uncalibrated)
> > > clock		: 264MHz
> > > revision	: 2.2 (pvr 0008 0202)
> > > bogomips	: 206.84
> > > machine		: PowerBook
> > > motherboard	: AAPL,PowerBook1998 MacRISC
> > > detected as	: 50 (PowerBook Wallstreet)
> > > pmac flags	: 00000009
> > > L2 cache	: 1024K unified pipelined-syncro-burst
> > > memory		: 192MB
> > > pmac-generation	: OldWorld
> > 
> > Thanks for all the detail.  But without any testing everything you've
> > said points to replacing the laptop's battery.  I did research the clock
> > error reported by dmesg; I should have paid more detailed attention in
> > your first email to the list where it was included, but your isolating
> > it and calling my attention to it in the manner you did got me to
> > explore other sites discussing this kind of problem.  The gist is this,
> > the clock error message reported by dmesg is indicative of a need to
> > change the battery OR to check for cracks in the motherboard, loose
> > connections, etc.

> > 
> > The Bogomips value is something of a creative mind joke by Linus
> > himself, yep the fellow who designed Linux in the first place. It has no
> > value or meaning in its own context and if you don't believe me you can
> > look it up your self at the Red Hat Linux DB and other sources.  If you
> > are not livid now, you will be by then.
> 
> I have no clue, what livid means [my mother tongue is German - please
> forgive me]
no forgiveness necessary.  Quick tip, for APPROXIMATE meanings, close but not 
exactly accurate translations can be provided by this website:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

I'll explain the babelfish name another time, but it works for a quick 
translation.  In English, livid , connotes "being or becoming deeply and 
seriously annoyed".  Think of seeing something annoying to the point where one 
is getting redder and redder from the neck up to the point where a person could 
be "able to fry an egg on someone's head"...that's livid.

I have thought you would be livid that Linus would have designed a term and 
concept such as BogoMips which in itself is completely useless and only useful 
in comparison to other values and then only in a particular context.  I'd be 
livid if I had been teaching a class on basic computer concepts and needed 
standard references involving bit, bytes and so on only to discover that I 
might as well have referenced cooking popcorn!

, but look at the following output of grep - especially line
> #3:
> 
> [user at host log]$ sudo grep Bogo messages
> Password:
> Jan 24 12:10:24 lan-d kernel: Calibrating delay loop... 208.07 BogoMIPS
> Jan 25 14:24:44 lan-d kernel: Calibrating delay loop... 210.53 BogoMIPS
> May  4 02:07:13 lan-d kernel: Calibrating delay loop... 532.48 BogoMIPS
> May  4 04:06:24 lan-d kernel: Calibrating delay loop... 208.48 BogoMIPS
> Jan 26 09:50:20 lan-d kernel: Calibrating delay loop... 208.48 BogoMIPS
> 
> The date changes due to the fact, that I completely took my Wallstreet
> apart and had to disconnect all batteries. Line #3 shows the BogoMIPS
> _with_ the new I/O Board in place (532.48). Line #4 & #5 show the
> BogoMIPS with the old board back in place again - my assumption with
> BogoMIPS=[appx.]2*CPUspeed was darn close ;) 

No.  Actually according to Linus, you were right on the money as far as the 
value of Bogomips are concerned, and the correct factor relationship to the 
CPU's processing capacity.  Precisely Correct for the CPU model in use even.  
At the time of our original exchange, I found that absolutely stunning.  I 
thought you had been familiar with the table I had referenced which Linus 
created himself and were merely waiting for me to "catch up" to your level.  
I don't believe you are like the mentalist Kreskin who has demonstrated an 
amazing ability to "read" minds; however he does that with persons at least in 
the same room with him or talking with him on the phone.  Our connection is 
stictly via email and we don't speak the same language.  So reading minds is 
out.

Anyway, this is what I meant that you would be livid.  Now you have doubted 
something you were exactly correct on, only because Linus designed Bogomips to 
be a vague concept on purpose.  So now you are not livid, now you are confused.  
Now you are in a bit of Kafka's world.

So, maybe the BogoMIPS
> value is of complete nonsense to programmers - it certainly shows some
> detail though, about how fast the machine thinks it is running at - and
> therfore I would like to know, how it is obtained. At least my test
> showed that it does depend on the hardware (or better say it's state of
> Kaputtness or Wellness ;)
> 
> After replacing the board, both serial ports worked again, _and_ most of
> all, the system time under Linux was _not_ running away any more. Ditto
> for OS9 & X. The only problem I encountered was that the board I got was
> older than my Wallstreet and marked as Rev.A, whereas mine was marked as
> Rev.B. It only illuminated the right half of my display - well, I
> reverted to my old board in order to be able to see something - sigh ...
> 
> Definitely though, the I/O board is at fault, not the PRAM Battery, not
> the modem nor my Linux installation - my only problem now is to get the
> correct replacement board, one that will also drive my display correctly

Yes.  Ok.  The Board.  The Board.

> > 
> > As I said using Techtools would have been easier.  But if a laptop
> > battery is an easy thing to replace then by all means try it.  Without
> > tests of course or reports, there are no gaurantees.
> 
> Well, after taking my Wallstreet apart and putting it back together 
> several times, there is one thing I am very darn positive about:
> replacing a PB G3 Wallstreet PRAM Battery needs a complete disassembly of
> the whole machine in order to get to it - you better have a manual to do 
> that ...
> 

You are definitely a hardware engineer or professional.  NO doubt.

Now for the real clue on the babelfish.  Read the series of books by Douglas 
Adams, starting with, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".  There should be 
a German translation available.  Or take it slow and read it in the original 
English.  Savor it.  Why it hasn't outsold the Bible I don't know.  Everything 
is there...REALLY.  The regulars refer to it here all the time.

Opps...Gotta go.  Get the books!!  Enjoy!