______ EMM386 Network ERROR??? ______

[David Andrade]

Memory Problems using DOS based network software (DELPHI)
---------------------------------------------------------

At a certain hotel company NOVEL is being run w/ IBM token ring network
adapter cards installed in PC workstations mainly for the use of DELPHI --
which is a Hotel software utility that runs under DOS. All of the
workstations do not have harddrives and boot off of a floppy diskette.
DELPHI is lower memory intensive and usually requires 560k minimum to run
smoothly.

However, in an attempt to connect to the internet, one work station was set
up to run windows with a PPP slip internet modem connection and all the
goodies (Eudora, Netscape, WS_FTP, etc.). This machine (which is a clone
i-486DX4-100 with 8MB of 70ns RAM, a 540MB IDE harddrive, and a 28.8kbps
internal fax/modem) runs into memory problems upon launching network
programs such as Lotus. The error message that comes up is as follows:

------------ b e g i n e r r o r m e s s a g e -----------------------
"EMM386 has detected error #12 in an application at memory address C801:133E
To minimize the chance of data loss, EMM386 has halted your computer. For
more information, see the Readme.txt file.

To restart your computer, press <ENTER>"
---------------- e n d e r r o r m e s s a g e -----------------------

Some notes about this error message:
o does occur at the same memory address repeatedly
o does occur mainly when Lotus over the network is launched in DOS

This is a copy of the autoexec.bat and config.sys files:

autoexec.bat:
-------------
prompt=$p$g
LH /L:1 \MOUSE\MOUSE
LH /L:3 lsl
LH /L:4 token
LH /L:2 ipxodi
netx
f:
login

config.sys:
-----------
device=himem.sys
device=emm386.exe /x=d800-dbff RAM NOEMS
DOS=HIGH
DOS=UMB
files=80
buffers=20
STACKS=0,0

I sense that running a DOS based Novel network connection while trying to
employ TCP/IP internet Windows applications is problematic, but, the above
error should not occur. FAULTY MEMORY HAS BEEN RULED OUT SINCE THE 8MB OF
RAM WAS REPLACED TWICE!

Does anyone have some ideas on what is causing this and how to go about
fixing this?

Please reply via e-mail to
<sane...@well.com> or <ez00...@u.washington.edu>

Thanks in advance,

Sane Tech

[Bernd Wohltmann]

David Andrade <ez00...@u.washington.edu> wrote:

>device=emm386.exe /x=d800-dbff RAM NOEMS

With this Line you have no EMM Services.

Try the /y=PATH_WHERE_YOUR_EMM_IS ON_THE_SERVER

This is usefull for remote boot workstations

[Herman Dullink]

>------------ b e g i n e r r o r m e s s a g e -----------------------
>"EMM386 has detected error #12 in an application at memory address C801:133E
>To minimize the chance of data loss, EMM386 has halted your computer. For
>more information, see the Readme.txt file.
>
>To restart your computer, press <ENTER>"
>---------------- e n d e r r o r m e s s a g e -----------------------

Error #12 is a stack fault, and a very common error with Novell software.
The stacking of driver on driver results in many calls from driver to driver
which will use a lot of stack. Looks like the stack of Lotus is one of the
many which aren't large enough to hold all these stack frames...
I don't know details of Emm386, but it could be Emm386's ring 0 stack too
which is too small.
A possible solution is to get rid of Emm386. If you need UMB's, search for a
proper UMB driver, not a simulator like Emm386, Qemm, 386^max, etc...
Another solution is to minimize drivers, some drivers are only needed for
FTP and/or telnet.

Herman

[Damien Gardner]

David,

Your problem stands out like dog's balls! According to the DOS readme.txt
file, error #12 is a shortage of stack space. As you have made sure that
there is no stack space available (By including stacks=0,0 in your
config.sys), this is pretty much to be expected. At a minimum, you should
have 9,256. For more info on this subject, read the readme.txt file in your
dos directory (As you were told to do in the error message.. Hmm, did you
actually read the error message? ;-) )

Cheers,

Damien Gardner Jnr

P.S. Just wondering - Why do people nowadays persist in posting to the 'net,
_before_ reading their manuals, Help files, etc.?

[Michiel Bronswijk]

In article <1647702014...@ieaust.org.au>, Damien_...@ieaust.org.au
says...

>
>David,
>
>Your problem stands out like dog's balls! According to the DOS readme.txt
>file, error #12 is a shortage of stack space. As you have made sure that
>there is no stack space available (By including stacks=0,0 in your
>config.sys), this is pretty much to be expected. At a minimum, you should
>have 9,256.

[cut]

As far as I know the STACKS= command in CONFIG.SYS can be set to 0,0 without
any problem. DOS uses these stacks to ensure hardware interrupts always have
enough stack space available. Normally however there should be enough normal
application or DOS stack available with STACKS=0,0, since interrupt handlers
only push all general CPU registers on the stack. When they do need a lot of
stack space it's better for interrupt-handlers to switch to their own stack.

The Intel-80386 manual states that a PUSH/PUSHF-instruction can't cause an
exception in V86-mode. The PUSHA-instruction can (according to Intel) trigger
exception 13h (General Protection Fault) in V86-mode.

The stack fault therefor probably took place in protected mode, in other
words in EMM386.EXE or another protected mode program.These programs don't
depend on the STACKS= command. So STACKS is unlikely to have anything to do
with your problem.

Michiel Bronswijk.