Number: 1590

Date:  3-Jul-84 16':54':05

Submitter: le.pasa

Source: SHULMAN@RUTGERS.ARPA

Subject: Improve documentation of LIT "Set VMem" and "Copy VMem" commands

Lisp Version:  Carol

Description: '
After repartitioning the disk and installing the diagnostics I installed'
   a lisp sysout on Lisp2 only.'
'
   I then got into the "Base State", indicated Lisp2 was my ''Volume Menu'''
   and then selected ''Set VMem''.  It took substantially longer than the'
   perported 10 seconds (like 2 minutes) for it to finally say ''Done.''  '
   You should mention in the documentation to wait for ''Done'' since it '
   appears about 45 seconds after the ''Appoximate ....'' message.'
'
   Then I selected ''Copy VMem'' with Lisp2 as my source and (empty) Lisp'
   as my destination.  When I said ''Start'' it complained that there was'
   not enough room in my empty volume!!'
'
   I then tried to ''Set VMem'' in the empty volume but it complained'
   "no sysout in volume".'
'
   At this point I loaded the sysout into the other two volumes and reset'
   their VMem''s with the ''Set VMem'' command.  (BTW, the ''approximate'' size'
   was 15489, 15488, and 15487 on volumes Lisp, Lisp2 and Lisp3, respectively,'
   from the same set of floppies.)'
'
   After that I retried the ''Copy VMem'' from Lisp2 to Lisp.  It worked.'
'
-----'
'
Sender': Sannella.PA'
Date': 12 Jul 84 11':54':58 PDT (Thursday)'
Subject': Set VMem'
To': JFung.pasa'
cc': Stansbury, Dering.pasa, LispSupport'
From': LispSupport.pa'
Reply-To': LispSupport.pa'
'
Jerry --'
'
Looking through old LispSupport mail recently, I came across the message below, which confused me.  Are you saying that setting the VMemsize to 16081 causes an MP 9318 when lisp is started, or only after running lisp for awhile?  Why do you say that Setting VMem to 16081 is an error?'
'
Why do you say that "max. addressable space is limited to 16000 pages"?  Admittedly, it does not go all the way up to 16200, but I thought that it could go above 16000.'
'
I have been confused about the whole business of setting VMemsize for while.  Why can''t the Lisp Installation tool just set the vmem size to the maximum whenever you install a sysout of copy a sysout?  Why isn''t this automatic?  I never understood why the LIT would give the error "Can''t set vmemsize" on volumes where there is not a sysout installed already.'
'
confusedly yours,'
Michael'
'
'
----------------------------------------------------------------'
Date': 18 Jun 84 10':07':36 PDT (Monday)'
From': JFung.pasa'
Subject': Setting  VMem in a full lisp volume'
To': LispSupport.pa, Stansbury.pa'
cc': Dering, Poduska, 1100Support, JFung'
'
'
Mike & Tayloe,'
'
The current setting of a full lisp volume to 16200 pages, leaves 16189 free pages after partitioning and before sysout is installed.'
'
Running the SetVMem command from Lisp Installaton Tool, the tool finds out the max. approximat VMem size to use is 16081 pages.  Setting VMem to 16081 (an error) and later on running the lisp results an MPC 9318.'
'
Since max. addressable space is limited to 16000 pages, there are two remedies we can do.'
'
1.	Insure LIT SetVMem will not use any number exceed 16000 pages, even though there is room.  '
'
2.	Decress Lisp Volume size say down to 16000 pages from Prometheus script.'
'
Any comments.  Thanx.'
'
Jerry'
'
--------'
'
Date': 12 Jul 84 13':30':22 PDT (Thursday)'
From': JFung.pasa'
Subject': Re': Set VMem'
In-reply-to': Sannella.PA''s message of 12 Jul 84 11':54':58 PDT (Thursday)'
To': LispSupport.pa'
cc': JFung'
'
Mike,'
'
1.	The MP trap 9318 was one of the Carol show-stopper as I recall, and since then you fixed it.  I thought it had something to do with setting VM beyond 16000 pages.'
'
2.	My error here, Pilot files can only hold up to 2**23 (~8Million) pages. (16000 pages = 8Mbytes).  '
'
3.	The LIT as in Carol DOES automatically set the VMsize to the maximum size if you install from FS or IFS.  However, if you install from prometheus script, then it is only set to the lisp sysout size.  As soon as floppy read feature is incorporated in LIT, this will be done atuomatically too.'
(Currently, there is an extra user procedure involved to use the Set VMem command to extend it, this is documented in 1108UG)'
'
4.	LIT does NOT set VMem to empty volume, the only reason is by looking at this VMem parameter if it is non-zero then it reflects there was an sysout installed else there is no sysout.  We have occasions that users boot an empty volume and traped in MPC 915. (it is an AR now).'
'
'
~Jerry'
	'
'


Workaround: 

Test Case: 

Edit-By: Sannella.PA

Edit-Date: 10-Aug-84 15':07':53

Attn: JFung.pasa

Assigned To: 

In/By: 

Disposition: 

System: Other Software

Subsystem: Installation Utility

Machine: 1108

Disk: 

Microcode Version: 

Memory Size: 

File Server: 

Server Software Version: 

Difficulty: Moderate

Frequency: Everytime

Impact: Serious

Priority: Hopefully

Status: Open

Problem Type: Documentation

Source Files: