Frontpage Story #20

So, we bought a brand new server to run SCO Unix on. We already have several machines doing the same thing so this should not be a problem , right ? .... WRONG.

I have a SCO 5.0.2 CD and a smartstart 4.20 CD. I remember whaen I was installing another server, I could do a guided install. So I tried that. Hmm, I can only select 5.0.4 or 5.0.5 as installable SCO OSes. So I call the Compaq Helpdesk. After being put on hold by the answering machine for 20 minutes (at fl 0,75 a minute wich is slightly less then half a dollar) I get some guy who tell's me that smartstart 4.20 doesn't work properly and I have to do a manual install. Ok, no problem, been there, done that. Now what was that bootstring again ? Let's see i have a IDE cdrom in my proliant 3000 and a SMART SCSI RAID controller. According to doumentation the boot string would be defbootstr link="ida cha wd" Srom=wd(0,0,0) .
or
defbootstr link="cha wd" Srom=wd(0,0,0)
or
defbootstr link="ida cha wd" Srom=wd(1,0,0)
but According to other information from the SCO site it might as well be wd(0,0,0,0) or wd(1,0,0,0).

Anyway, 30 different bootstrings, 16 hours , 2 BTLD's and 90 minutes of compaq helpdesk (at least 60 of wich I was put on hold) and still no Unix running. When it recocnizes my HD it doesn't recocnize my CDROM player. When it recocnizes my CDROM player it doesn't recocnize my HD. When it recocnizes both it comes back with a kernel link error at 84 percent of the installation process.And the guy at compaq doesn't have the right doc files. "They're on the internet at SCO's site" I tell him. "I can't get there , my computer is too slow" is the answer."Well, i suggest you call me when you've found something" I tell him. "OK, but it won't be anytime soon" is the reply. This was only 4 hours ago. Personally, I don't think they will call at all.