Bootloader on CF returns error 40

Forum: HD Install
Topic: Bootloader on CF returns error 40
started by: Foxx

Posted by Foxx on April 11 2006,00:44

Im not new to linux, but I am far away from being a skilled expert. I mostly work in a console enviroment with different security and networking applications.

I have an embeded Internet Appliance (AOL Connected Touch Pad) and I can run DSL fine from RAM. It has a CF card as a primary hard drive, and I hardware hacked in a CD ROM. External IDE is just a temp soloution just to run some experiments and load an OS for now. When I install DSL to my 1GB CF card, it copies just fine, but the boot loader, weather its GRUB or LILO, fills the bios loading screen with 40 40 40 40 40 40. I have read that error 40 means Seek Failure. I assume since this isnt a HDD, thats whats causing the error. I have no idea how to fix the issue. I have looked at the lilo.conf file and I think everything seems to be ok. Any help would be appreciated.

Posted by Foxx on April 11 2006,01:31

I pulled out my CF card and put in a standard IDE Hard drive and the system works just fine. I was right about the CF card causing the Error 40. Ill keep on experimenting...

Posted by doobit on April 11 2006,02:33

You might try the USB HDD install on the CF disk. I was wondering if it might work.

Posted by Foxx on April 11 2006,03:01

The CF card is hard wired into the system board as Primary Master. Linux does not see the CF as a USB drive. It detects it as hda. The install script for USB HDD Install returns the error "not a valid USB Drive" when I tell the script to point to hda1.

Posted by doobit on April 11 2006,12:46

Ah, OK. I was thinking about installing to a CF card in a USB adapter first, then putting the CF card in an IDE adapter. I don't know if there would be any advantage except that you could install on one machine and then put it in another that doesn't have a CDROM or Floppy.

Posted by Foxx on April 11 2006,14:27

Well, this machine doesnt have a CD-ROM, or an IDE connector. It does have an IDE Bus, and the pads on the mainboard. I put in a standard IDE cable to attach both a HDD and CD ROM. If you leave the HDD off the IDE chain, the CF card will be used asPrimary Master.

Im pretty sure its my CF card thats giving me the issues. I think the bootloader is trying to install tot he Master Boot Record, which im not all too sure if a CF card will have. I put my vote on "No, it doesnt". I need to install the Bootloader onto the partition.

Or the bootloader needs to be told that its on a CF card, not a HDD. Either way, i have no idea how to do that from command line.

I can get it to install to CF, if i can boot from CD then manually configure the bootloader, that would be fine. I just have no idea how, and all the resources I come up with dont help.