HD install--GRUB edit doesn't affect boot options?

Forum: HD Install
Topic: HD install--GRUB edit doesn't affect boot options?
started by: mrsongs

Posted by mrsongs on April 30 2006,21:45

I'm running a straight HD install on an old HP Pentium 166 laptop with 48MB memory. Mostly it works great, but the thing won't power down when the system goes down. To install it I had to use a floppy and USB key plugged into a docking station (no working CD-ROMs), which I don't wish to use on the road. I've edited out the "noapm" and "nodma" options in the GRUB menu list, to no effect--in fact, the boot screen tells me something like "Not using DMA accelleration due to boot line request."

The boot line shows up in dmesg: here it is, and some lines around it:

DMI not present.
ACPI: Unable to locate RSDP
Kernel command line: root=/dev/hda2 quiet vga=788 noacpi apm=on mem=48M
No local APIC present or hardware disabled.

Any ideas? Many thanks.

Posted by kerry on April 30 2006,22:43

You proably want dma as that speeds the hd up for a faster system. Have you checked your bios>power section to see if apm is turned on?

Posted by mrsongs on April 30 2006,23:26

CPU power savings is set to maximum in the bios settings.

Posted by lovdsl on May 01 2006,00:37

Does this help?

Q:How do I turn on dma, I have a grub install on hd?

A: From the menu/apps/tools/emelfm choose- emelfm as super user.
From the right list choose- boot/grub/menu1st
click menu1st, right click and open, click- view file, see titledsl in the list- see nodma in its string- backspace "no" save file . exit . reboot

Posted by mrsongs on May 01 2006,01:17

That fixed the DMA just fine--thanks--but the shutdown/apm problem is still happening. I changed the "apm=on" in the line to "apm" thinking that it might use the same syntax, but apparently it doesn't.

Posted by lovdsl on May 01 2006,01:49

what is meant by wont power down when the system goes down?
does this mean when you click shutdown in the menu, you are left with "dsl halted" and a flashing cursor
and you have to push the power button.
mine does this, I thought it normal

Posted by mrsongs on May 01 2006,02:41

Well, the "dsl halted" and the flashing cursor are what happen to mine as well. If the machine is plugged in, pushing the power button seems to shut it down, but I believe it only shuts the display down. When I push the button again, the display is the same "dsl halted" and I have to push ctrl-alt-del to reboot. If the machine is not plugged in, pushing the power button doesn't even shut the display down--it does absolutely nothing.

Posted by lovdsl on May 01 2006,03:14

Hmmm..I wonder if it is related to the power management issue.
maby the bios has yet another feature?

I did not see apm=on and did not try backspaceing noapm in grub

think though that if you did and the bios setting are correct it should work..the docking station comes to mind

you may try posting the shut down issue in laptops

I am new myself ...sorry I cannot be more helpfull

Posted by mrsongs on May 01 2006,12:37

No need to apologize, you've been very helpful. The fact that the DMA issue was solved in grub seems to take suspicion away from grub syntax and indeed point it to the docking station. I'll check over in the laptop section. Many thanks.

Posted by lovdsl on May 01 2006,16:09

best of luck ...most likely a hardware issue
..came across this

The on/off button does a weird thing where it simply turns off the display. Apparently it also turns off the disk, then immediately restarts it. There must be a way to catch this hardware signal and link it to apm -s but I haven't figured it out yet. I don't really mind typing apm -s, but if some doofus is manhandling my computer, it will be a good thing to have working.

found here

< http://www.sfgoth.com/~lupo/omnibook.html >

Posted by doobit on May 01 2006,16:11

On most motherboards you have an option to have the computer remain off after a power failure, or restart. You should set it to remain off.