Help with boot freeze


Forum: User Feedback
Topic: Help with boot freeze
started by: MFI

Posted by MFI on Oct. 15 2006,19:10
Hi, I downloaded ISO and burnt to cd using CDXPburn pro. I reset my boot order to boot from cd and it works until it gets to locating my pci card and its says   "loading cardmgr"  cursor is flashing for about 5 seconds then stops and the load goes no further.


If anyone can help me.

Thank You

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Oct. 17 2006,14:33
Try booting with nopcmcia and see if that works.  If not, try failsafe.

Then you could try to narrow down the problem using other boot codes (I'd check the power optionis next)

Posted by MFI on Oct. 17 2006,18:50
Hello and thank you for your reply.



I have Tried booting with nopcmcia and it still does not work.


I am very new to Linux ........ and I do not understand fail safe ?


Thank You again

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Oct. 18 2006,01:28
It's like booting with nopcmcia, "failsafe" is just another bootcode
check out the wiki page for more info.

Posted by Zucca on Oct. 18 2006,15:10
Aways when you have booting problems try to work around it with boot options (aka. cheat codes).
< http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/wiki/index.php/Cheat_Codes >

Assuming that your DSL boots succesfully to boot screen. ;)

Posted by MFI on Oct. 18 2006,19:53
Thank you for your replies guys ...   i have only returned from work  so I will try this tomorrow and post a reply.



Thank You again

:D

Posted by MFI on Oct. 19 2006,18:47
Hi guys ,    This is what I have done so far .....


used :  dsl nopcmcia , I get the screen with logo's (operating system ?) Dillo opens with file " getting started with DSL" USB Mouse will not work.


then tried : dls failsafe, gets to pcmcia found starting cardmgr then  
pc freezes.


lastly tried : dsl       same as above for failsafe.


As I am a beginner , I do not know where to from here.


Thank You..

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Oct. 19 2006,19:00
Is your USB mouse attached via pcmcia? What kind of system are we looking at?

Is this a laptop with an integrated pointer device?  If yes, use "dsl nopcmcia xsetup" to choose which device you want to use.

You could also fiddle around with the power options, etc. I guess... depends if you need the pcmcia or not.

Posted by MFI on Oct. 19 2006,19:36
USB mouse is not attached via pcmcia.


I have a Dell inspiron 5150 with 1gb of memory.


laptop has a integrated pointer device as well but i do not use that.


I am going to try the "dsl nopcmcia xsetup" now and will get back to you.

Thank You

Posted by MFI on Oct. 19 2006,19:48
Thanks guys   that works and i am in .....   i had a look around but i could not find how to connect to internet and when i do find it what info do i put in....

I can use a pci card (Belkin) to my wireless router (netgear)  or a network cable if that is easier.

Thank you again for your help       i am learning but slowly...

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Oct. 19 2006,22:33
Looks like it comes with a BroadCom
BCM440x ethernet controller.

To actually check out which chipsets you have, you can use `lspci -v` or run System Stats.

Posted by MFI on Oct. 20 2006,19:41
Well good news here guys .......


I shut down laptop and plugged in my network cable to my router and booted DSL and guess what  I am typing this reply using Linux.


So thank you for all your help. The only thing I would like now is a few links to learning sites and a good book which may be available in the UK.

The other thing now I think would be to make a dual boot system, but i have only a rough idea how to do that, I am not sure if this the correct forum to ask that question.

Thank You

Posted by MFI on Oct. 22 2006,16:10
Have been looking on google for Dual Boot and partition  programs, and I am lost. Any advice for me, as I know nothing and as I like DSL I would like a dual boot system.


Thank You

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Oct. 23 2006,12:58
Some partitioning programs: fdisk/cfdisk, parted, etc.

As for dual-boot, that's just editing the bootloader (lilo/grub, etc.)
There's a couple examples in the wiki - it also depends on what o/s you intend to dual-boot DSL with.

Posted by MFI on Oct. 23 2006,17:44
Quote
Some partitioning programs: fdisk/cfdisk, parted, etc.

As for dual-boot, that's just editing the bootloader (lilo/grub, etc.)
There's a couple examples in the wiki - it also depends on what o/s you intend to dual-boot DSL with.



Thank You for your reply. I am really working my old brain hard. I have had Partition Magic for ages but never installed it. i did it last night and I am ready to partition my drive ready for dual boot, DSL and windows XP home. Is there anything I should be careful about and do i use the live cd to load onto my HD. I also believe that Partition Magic has its own boot loader ? and therefore should ask me which operating system I want to load. Is this correct ?



Thank you again.

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Oct. 23 2006,17:57
Yes, pmagic has its own bootloader, but I would recommend grub over it.

You don't have to install pmagic though, you could just boot its cd/floppies.

Personally, I have had my share of troubles using pmagic - so I always end up using linux tools - but that's a while ago, it's probably much different now.

Also, because it's a commercial product, I doubt you'll find any support for it here, but it should be pretty easy to use.

The main thing to avoid trouble: don't reboot unless it says to reboot.

Posted by MFI on Oct. 23 2006,18:48
I have been looking at Grub over the last few days and to be honest I do not understand how to use it.

If I use partition magic to make the partition how do i use Grub. it all seems very hard. But I would like to keep windows XP so I can always fall back on that while I am learning.

I do like Linux (DSL) though and may laptop seems to run faster, although I will have to use a network cable to connect till I get the  full hang of DSL, but little steps first.



Thank You

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Oct. 23 2006,19:15
They are 2 different things.

pqmagic is like fdisk/cfdisk, parted - to partition media devices.
pqboot (guessing the name here..) is like grub, or lilo - boot loaders.

There are some grub examples in the wiki.  You could experiment with a grub boot floppy first too.

Posted by MFI on Oct. 23 2006,20:20
Thank you,  I will have a look at the grub examples in the wiki.


I dont have a floppy disk on my laptop, but i am sure i can work round that.



If I go for a partition  do I load DSL from the live CD ?

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Oct. 23 2006,22:23
Yes, you can if you want to.  DSL comes with cfdisk/fdisk  - and I believe parted is in myDSL.  You can either use that or boot from pqmagic or one of those qtparted/gparted livecds as well.
Posted by MFI on Oct. 24 2006,19:17
Thank You .....


I am going away for a few days and try to work out how to use DSL    ...........   I will reply again in a couple of days and let you know how I am getting on...


Hopefully , it will be painless........

Posted by MFI on Oct. 26 2006,11:08
Hi, I have been reading up on partitioning and will be using partition magic tonight, but I am a little unsure of the procedure for loading DSL from live disk to new partition on my hard drive and if bootmagic is included in partition magic 8 ?


Hope you guys (and dolls) will be able to help me..


thank you



:D

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Oct. 26 2006,13:18
If you decide to use pqmagic, then use the install scripts on the DSL livecds, it can load lilo or grub for you - no need to use bootmagic.
Posted by Selim on Oct. 26 2006,16:04
Quote (MFI @ Oct. 26 2006,07:08)
Hope you guys (and dolls) will be able to help me..

If I was you (and because you have 1gb of memory and only want DSL and XP) I will:

1) Install XP to the HD
2) Modify the boot sequence in the BIOS to boot from the cdrom first and then from the HD
3) Use DSL with the toram cheat code

But I'm not you...  :p

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Oct. 26 2006,18:45
Loading off the CD is slower, not to mention the hassle of putting it in and out.

But like you indicated, it's up to the preference of the person who's doing it.

Posted by MFI on Oct. 26 2006,19:35
Thanks for your reply ....    it means nothing to me ...  means more searching on google to translate the above ?



Thank You

Posted by Selim on Oct. 27 2006,08:47
Quote (MFI @ Oct. 26 2006,21:35)
Thanks for your reply ....    it means nothing to me ...  means more searching on google to translate the above ?

What I try to say is: there are different ways to use DSL, you can:

- Always load it from the CD (Some people says that boot time then is too long)
- Load it from an USB pen
- Load it inside XP (It is said to be slow)
- Load it from the HD (Frugal or traditional installation)

Of course in the first 3 case, you can install XP on the HD (And partitionning isn't needed).

Posted by MFI on Oct. 27 2006,15:12
The question now is do I just use the live disk to load in my partition with windows xp ? or do i need another file?


thank you

:D

Posted by MFI on Oct. 29 2006,08:47
Hi guys, well the bad news i used partition magic to make partition and laptop crashed, and the only option i had when recovery console failed was to re-install and guess what laptop turns off at the same point, and now no laptop.

i will have to call the repair man to help me

thank you for you help so far on the linux DSL subject   ...


I shall return


mike
:(

Posted by MFI on Nov. 07 2006,20:04
Hi guys, I am back and will try again to use DSL and hopefully will be successful. when  I re-installed windows partitions were made then , so all i have to do is load DSL onto one of my drives.


So here goes ....

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