Subject: Re: Pentium Bug may cause system crash
To: None <current-users@NetBSD.ORG>
From: alanp <alanp@phcnet.com>
List: current-users
Date: 11/10/1997 09:06:19
> From: Jason Thorpe <thorpej@nas.nasa.gov>
> Markus Illenseer <markus@core.de> wrote:
>
> > Forwared from a Linux group, are we vulnerable as well? See attached
> > source code.
>
> It's not a software bug. It's a hardware bug. Yes, it appears that
> certain steppings of Pentium processors have a bug that causes that
> wedges the processor solid.
>
> Seems as if some older Pentiums (i.e. old 66MHz models) aren't affected; I
> sent a test program to a friend at Sequent, and it did not kill the
> dual-processor Sequent system he tested it on.
>
> I tried it on my Pentium Pro system, and it (correctly) caused an illegal
> instruction fault.
The same thing happened on my Pentium II system. The illegal instruction
fault, that is, not the lock up.
alan