All,

Ok, after running into the problems I posted to the list w/ 2.1.86 + coda
patches, I downloaded and built 2.1.89.  This hangs 100% of time during
kernel compiles, leaving the process involved unkillable and requiring a
reboot to clear:

  PID TTY STAT  TIME COMMAND
  242  p3 S    0:00 (bash)
  247  p3 S    0:01 (make)
 1213  p3 S    0:00 make -C arch/i386/boot bzImage 
 1243  p3 S    0:00 /bin/sh -c tools/build -b bbootsect bsetup compressed/bvmli
 1244  p3 D    0:00 tools/build -b bbootsect bsetup compressed/bvmlinux.out CUR


 FLAGS   UID   PID  PPID PRI  NI   SIZE   RSS WCHAN       STA TTY TIME COMMAND
100100     0   232   160   0   0  14880  5516 do_select   S    4  2:11 venus -in
   100   600   242   241   0   0   1176   144             S   p3  0:00 (bash)
100000   600   247   242   0   0   1180   384 wait4       S   p3  0:01 (make)
     0   600  1213   247   0   0   1008   472 wait4       S   p3  0:00 make -C a
100000   600  1243  1213   0   0   1180   512             S   p3  0:00 /bin/sh -
     0   600  1244  1243   0   0     48    12 down_failed D   p3  0:00 tools/bui

It's clear that 'build' is stuck waiting on "down_failed" (not sure what
this is).  

Like I said, 100% repeatable.  It generally happens either during
generation of the kconfig.tk file right up front or, in this case, when
trying to write out a longish file.

Let me know if there are any steps you'd like done to aid debugging.  I
really can't make heads or tails out of the current filesystem / dcache
layer, and with all the churn going on it's a losing battle at best.

Still, I can break things on demand if that helps <g>.

Steve