Re: Diagnostic keystrokes

["Lee Cremeans" <lee@lcremeans.homeip.net>]

"Adalbert Goertz" <goertz@cyberspace.org> wrote in message
00043aeb719-522-1488@www.goblinsreach.org">news:00043aeb719-522-1488@www.goblinsreach.org...
> Hello:
> I know that the apple2 has diagnostic keystrokes that
> tell whether a system is ok or what may be wrong.
> Do other computer systems (PC) have similar diagnostic
> keystrokes?

Typically, PCs don't have much in the way of built-in diagnostics (aside
from the simple tests the BIOS does on startup). IBM and Compaq, at least,
used to make full diagnostic programs for their machines, and a few newer
(mid-1990s) IBMs actually have this in the BIOS setup. Macs don't really
have built-in diagnostics either, though there are a few boot-time
keystrokes to clear PRAM (Cmd-Opt-P-R), boot from devices other than the
hard disk, etc.

As for non-PC hardware, I'm not sure. Neither the old Atari 800 or the C=64
had a diag mode, IIRC. Sun workstations have a "diag-switch?" variable in
the OpenBoot firmware that will make them spit out tons of boot-time
diagnostic info over the first serial port (which is also accessible by
holding down Stop-D on boot). That's all I can think of...

-lee