In some computers, installation get stucked
Forum: HD Install
Topic: In some computers, installation get stucked
started by: ferdessunti
Posted by ferdessunti on July 13 2006,19:18
Good afternoon,I had to install DSL in 19 machines here at my company. On 14 of then, it worked finely. But on 5 of then i´m having problems, the same problem.
I´ll take one of these 5 computers as a "study case". It´s a Pentium 233mhz with 64mb RAM. (the other computers are all very similar, including the ones that worked fine)
Now, here's the problem:
When the boot screen appears, I type "install" and it starts the typical script. When it gets to the
"Scanning for Harddisk partitions and creating /etc/fstab..."
After ~ 1 minute, it shows the messages below, and continues the start up normally.
"modprobe: modprobe: can´t locate module xfs
modprobe: modprobe: can´t locate module minix
modprobe: modprobe: can´t locate module hfs
modprobe: modprobe: can´t locate module efs"
In the Install Menu i choose install to harddisk (option 3).
I choose single user mode, then ext2 mode, and then the install asks me:
"Last chance to exit before destroying any data on /dev/hda1!!
Continue (y/..)?"
I answer "y" and the installation get stucked in the following message (and never get out of it): "Creating filesystem ext2 on /dev/hda1..."
Does anyone have a clue?
?I've tried also to type 0 in the Install Menu (exit him) and typed "fdisk -l" (as root), but i got:
"Disk /dev/hda: 6400mb, 6400235520 bytes
255 heads,63 sectors/tracks, 778 cylinders
Units= cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk /dev/hda doesnt contain a valid partition table"
and also if I try "fdisk hda" i get:
"Unable to open hda"
PS: i´m sure that the HD is on hda
Thanks in advance for you all,
Fernando
Posted by brianw on July 13 2006,20:43
To do the fdisk you need to (as root)fdisk /dev/hda
which will start the fdisk. You can then create the required partitions and then run the installer.
Posted by vawa on July 13 2006,21:41
Hi,folow steps below:
1- boot dsl with "install" option
2- choose 0 to exit installer
3- type cfdisk /dev/hda
4- confirm question about zero partition table
5- create one partition
6- choose "write" and confirm by typing "yes"
7- quit cfdisk
8- try type and run: "mke2fs /dev/hda1"
9- type and run dslintall
10- choose 3 and try install dsl on hda1
now it would work ok, and to finish sucessfully
Posted by skaos on July 14 2006,09:28
You should also add a small swap partition (e.g. 32-64 MB).
Posted by ferdessunti on July 14 2006,12:45
first of all thanks,I tried the "cfdisk /dev/hda" but when i chose "WRITE" and typed "yes" the system stucks on "Writing partition table to disk..." and don't get out of it anymore.
I had to boot again, and tried the "mke2fs /dev/hda1", but no it stucked on "Writing inode tables: 6/48".
There's one more information that i might have forgotten on the last post: i think that the problem with these computers that doesn't work with DSL isn't the HD, because if i take one of these HD's and put it in another computer, it works finely!
I´m affraid it might be something like the IDE Controller of the MoBo, or somethink like that.. (like BIOS or some)... what do you think?
It seems that these computers "can't control" the HDs... does anyone have ever seem this?
thanks again
Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on July 14 2006,20:16
Maybe try swapping ribbon cable positions, the cable itself, or connect it to the other IDE bus if there is one, might work.
Posted by Someone on July 15 2006,10:06
It seems like you have a SIS hd controller, right? If so boot with "dsl dma" cheat, after that it should read partitions correctly and hd should work without problems, but you can't do a "debian" style install, so do a frugal install and add "dma" cheat to menu.lst, use grub as bootloader.If you don't like frugal install, then the only option to use dsl is to recompile kernel, or use some other kernel from other linux.
Some time ago i used vector linux's kernel on dsl and it worked guite fine but there was some problems on some programs and i killed it and did a frugal install and it works fine with "dma" cheat.
Posted by brianw on July 15 2006,15:03
what if you do an HD install and add dma to the boot line in menu.lst?
Posted by Someone on July 15 2006,19:13
| Quote (brianw @ July 15 2006,11:03) |
| what if you do an HD install and add dma to the boot line in menu.lst? |
No, that does not work, in "debian" style hd install dsl enables dma after it has found the kernel, and it can't find the kernel because dma is not enabled.
Posted by ferdessunti on July 17 2006,14:58
I have a SIS MoBo, with a SIS Bios (5595), i´m not sure if it means that i have a SIS HD Controller... does it? Anyway, even booting with the "dsl dma" or "install dma" (i've tried both), i still get the same problems. When the system is "Scanning for harddisk partition and creating \etc\fstab..." it returns the same errors (modprobe: can't locate module ...).If i try to do a Frugal Grub installation (or a frugal lilo one, get the same), i get the error:
"sfdisk: ERROR: Sextor 0 does not have and MSDOS signature.
Sorry System has not detected a linux partition.
You may need to just reboot, so the system can re-read the partition table or create your partition(s) with cfisk and then reboot."
I've tried to create the partitions, but the system alwats stops (get stucked) when i choose to WRITE the partitions to disk.
Is there any other trick that you suggest?
Posted by skaos on July 18 2006,09:59
Move the disk to one of the PCs that work (as primary master), install DSL and put the disk back. If it still doesn't work it's probably an SIS problem.
Posted by ferdessunti on July 18 2006,14:48
i moved the disk to one of the PCs and installed DSL. when i put it back.. the linux start to load... and then gets to a Kernel Panic. Here are the last lines of the initialization before the panic:ide: Assuming 33 mhz system BUS speed for PIO modes; override with idebus=xx
SIS5513: IDE controller at PCI slot 00:00.1
SIS5513: chipset revision 208
SIS5513: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
SIS5513: SiS620 ATA 66 controller
ide0: BM-DMA at 0xffa0-0xffa7, BIOS settings: hda: pio, hdb: pio
ide1: BM-DMA at 0xffa8-0xffaf, BIOS settings: hdc: pio, hdd: pio
hda: ST36422A, ATA disk drive
ide0 at 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6 on irq 14
hda: attached ide-disk driver
hda: task_no_data_intr: status=0x51 {DriveReady SeekComplete Error}
hda: task_no_data_intr: error=0x04 {DriveStatusError}
hda: 12500460 sectors(6400mb) w/256KiB cache, CHS=778/255/63
Partition check
hda: hda1
ide: late registration of driver
SCSI subsystem driver revision: 100
kmod: failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k scsi_hostadapter, errno=2
kmod: failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k scsi_hostadapter, errno=2
initializing cryptographic API
NET4: Linux TCP/IP 1.0 for NET4.0
IP Protocols: ICMP, UDP, TCP, IGMP
IP: routing cache hash table of 512 buckets, 4kbytes
TCP: hash tables configured (estabilished 4096 bind 4096)
NET4: Unix domain sockets 1.0/SMP for linux NET4.0
FAT: bogus logical sector size 0
Kernel Panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 03:01
So... i think it really is an SIS problem... and... does it have any possible solution?
Posted by Someone on July 19 2006,06:58
Only solution which i have found is to use "dsl dma" cheat, but it only works with frugal install.Second option is to use some other linux kernel, i tested it with Vector linux 2.4.31(?) kernel and it worked guite well but there was so much program specifig problems that it's just waist of time.
Remember that dsl is not the only small linux in this world, Puppy linux might do the job for you.
Posted by ferdessunti on July 19 2006,11:53
The frugal isn't working with or without dma cheat.... and about using some other kernel, i´m affraid my linux knowledge won´t let me do this ;)Is there a way to know if this issue will, someday, be corrected in dsl? Or is it possible to ask for a correction in some newer version? (i can wait some months for it)
Thanks for the puppy tip, i will check it also...
Posted by skaos on July 19 2006,17:49
DSL-N, < http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/dsl-n/, > uses the 2.6 kernel which may work.
Posted by bilyardman on July 25 2006,20:43
I had a simular problem with 2 old puters....unusual solution butit worked....booted with old win98 boot disk...ran scandisk....it found
errors but did not repair them.....then formated with win98 floppy....
at the end of the format got a simular error message to yours...
something about sector 0...been too long...can't remember the
rest of it.......said it would attempt to repair.....if I remember
correctly it did not say if it could repair or not....just finished.
Then I used Qparted live CD to partition with ext3 and swap....To
my suprise...DSL then installed easily......One was an old HP....the
other was home built.
Posted by ferdessunti on July 27 2006,12:50
I tried DSL-N but also didn't work.. gets the same error... I will try this solution with the Win98 stuff from bilyardman, and then i post back the result.
Thanks y'all again...
Posted by Someone on Aug. 01 2006,06:16
If you really wan't to use DSL then i could send you a new kernel, would you like to try it? It works for me so it might work for you too.If someone has problematic SIS hd controller on your motherboard, just let me know and i will upload the kernel somewhere so you could try it out.
Posted by ferdessunti on Aug. 04 2006,18:47
Hello Someone, PLEASE upload this new kernel for me? it would be perfect if it works!I would be veryyyy grateful...
Do you have a server for uploading it?
Posted by Someone on Aug. 08 2006,17:34
Ok. It's now uploaded to Megaupload: < http://www.megaupload.com/fi/?d=LZAIDUQO >Small instructions on how to do it:
1. Take the hd out of the sis machine and partition your hd: Dev/hda1 As root and dev/hda2 as swap
2. Do a DSL hd install to that hd (use grub)
3. Then boot to your dsl system
4. Download the new kernel to hd and unpack the files from the package to correct places:
Boot folder's files to boot folder and 2.4.29 folder to /lib/modules/
5. Move the hd back to the SIS box.
6. Power up your box and as grub appears choose the second one.
It should work like that.
Just to mention that this kernel has been taken from Vector linux 5.1 or 5.0, and that means that this kernel might not be compatible with some DSL programs.
And don't blame me if your box blows off and you loose your hand or your house burns to the ground.
And also, i'am not an expert with linux so this is just an another amateur way to go around the problems
Posted by ferdessunti on Aug. 09 2006,18:29
Thanks once again Someone.... i´ll try to test it tomorrow... because today i´m f.ck.d up.... i'll download it and then post back the answer... and MAY GOD HELPS US that it will be a good one...
tks
Posted by ferdessunti on Aug. 16 2006,19:51
Hello Someone (and everybody).. i tried the kernell that you have uploaded, but it also didn´t work... 
I installed DSL in the HD in another box, coppied the boot foldes to the /boot and the 2.4.29 to /lib/modules.
I tried booting this box... just to check if the kernel was ok... and linux booted normally.
So... i take the HD back into the SIS machine, and booted... when I choose the option DSL 800x600, the screen goes black.... the penguim appears in the left top corner and then i get the message: "Kernel Panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 03:01" and the system stuck....
Someone, did this kernel work on a SIS5595 MoBo?
Does anyone have some other clue?
??? I don´t want to give up on this.... but... i don´t know what else i can do!
Is there a way for me to "ask" for a correction to the DSL team? (in some new version.. if necessary)
thanks again!
Posted by Someone on Aug. 17 2006,14:14
It worked with the same chip that you have.Did you try the other options on the bootup screen?
Posted by ferdessunti on Aug. 17 2006,18:38
yes... i tried.... and also didn't work...... (i´m afraid these options are just about the screen resolution, but they also didn't work, anyway)
Does anyone know if it is a known bug in some other distros?
Posted by Someone on Aug. 17 2006,21:12
it's only Knoppix specific problem, so you won't have the same problem with slackware based live cd.Damnsmalllinux 0.5.31 ( or something like that) works with SIS, so try that. Remember that it's really old.
Posted by ferdessunti on Aug. 21 2006,14:42
Hello again... i´ve tried DSL 0.5.3.1 and it worked with my SIS puters!!!!!!Now i´m having some trouble with setting it up.... but.. for instance... the problem seems to be solved!!!
I´ll see what i can make here... and then i post back....
thanks again for all....!!!!!
Thanks in special for Someone