Booting problem on Toshiba Satellite 1800 514
Forum: Laptops
Topic: Booting problem on Toshiba Satellite 1800 514
started by: nanosnom
Posted by nanosnom on June 29 2006,13:19
Hi and thank in advance, I've got a second hand laptop (Celeron 1 GHz, 384 MB ram, 15 GB hd) with a fully working xp installation.
I've formatted everything to install linux. I've tested hd searching for bad sectors: everything fine.
I use GAG as boot loader (easy and well working)
I've been able to install on separate partitions Slackware 10.1 and Fedora Core 5. They are working well (even if a little bit too slow due to sw amount).
I've created a separate partition ( 16 MB) for my boot program (GAG) on hd beginning then a 800MB (swap partition) and two partitions: one for slackware and one for FD core5.
I tried to create also a 5 GB fat32 partition but it seem there are some trouble on partitioning, neither Slack nor FC recognise it (probably my fault).
Then I've tried with DSL 3.0.1 (no hd installation) but during booting laptop hangs displaying:
Scanning for Harddisk partitions and creating /etc/fstab...
it stops completely (i've wait for an hour...)
not possible to open other consoles, it does non respond to keyboard..... stuck. Only solution is: switch off.
I've tried with (at least) following options (as single or multiple):
frame buffer
toram
failsafe
base
minimal
legacy
Nothing to do.... same messagge, same behaviour.
Any suggestion?
Posted by cbagger01 on July 02 2006,15:17
Trynofstab
bootcode.
Posted by pega2k on July 04 2006,21:45
I have a Toshiba 1800 and to use DSL I have to enterdsl xsetup at boot, then choose running with framebuffer not with the vesa server for the X-Windows.
I hope these can help you.
Posted by nanosnom on July 05 2006,13:54
First of all: thank cdbagger01 and pega2k, I had to use both of your suggestion: nofstab & xsetup to make DSL booting.IT'S RUNNING ON RAM NOW!!
May I ask you some more help?
I wanted to install it on hd.
During boot I skipped hd (nofstab) so I don't know how to tell dsl to make a new partition on it, fdisk simply say there is no hd...
AGAIN thank in advance for help
Nanosnom
Posted by humpty on July 05 2006,22:50
if slack or fedora are working, what does the partiton table look like in fdisk?you can have 4 primary partitions or 3 primary plus an extended partition which you can then furthur split into logical partitions. Linux should recognise these.
Posted by nanosnom on July 12 2006,13:05
Hi, sorry for delay due to job.I must confess I'm surprised not be able to install dsl on hd.
I booted with slackware and I used fdisk to prepare /hda4 partition for dsl. I rebooted and i checked: hda4 was present on hd.
Here you have fdisl -l output (except start/end block-cylinders) about partition that reside on my hd:
/dev/hda1 16 MB Gag 4.6 (bootloader)
/dev/hda2 800 MB Swap partition
/dev/hda3 11,2 GB Extended
/dev/hda4 1 GB DSL (to be installed)
/dev/hda5 2,3 GB slackware 10.1
/dev/hda6 2,5 GB Fedore core 5
/dev/hda7 3,9 GB Fat 32 (LBA)
/dev/hda8 2,4 Debian sarge
As I wrote I can properly boot to ram with nofstab xsetup options (they are compulsory, if I miss one of then laptop hangs) but I can't install on hd, I've tried:
a)Apps --> Tools --> Install HD
but after asking me wich partition to install (hda4), multi user logon (yes), no journaled file system.... after last message about starting to erase all info from selected partition.... crashes abruptly with no message.
b) fdisk to check partitions, i receive message like: ho hd present (but IT IS present AND working)
c)I tried with cfdisk but I got "Fatal error, cannot open disk drive"
d)I'm sure hd is ok so i've tried to mount at least one partition, whichever I try answer is: "mount: can't find /dev/hdaX in /etc/fstab or etc/mtab"
I think last problems are due to "nofstab" option, but if I don't use it I've NEVER booted.
I'm stuck...
Thank to all
nanosnom
it says
Posted by Guidje on July 20 2006,19:15
hey, nanosnom!finally i found your posting!!
well... in my case, the command line "dsl nofstab xsetup" works as well... but i get the same issue as you!!
i cannot be able to install on hd!! but, there's a little diference... i run the terminal on root, and type the following:
# fdisk -l
then, the system answer that:
"Disk /dev/hda: 30.0GB, 30005821440 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/tracks, 3648 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280
Disk /dev/hda doesn't contain a valid partition table"
well... it's mean the system cannot find the partitions, but the hardware, it can see (i mean the hd)!!
if i type the "cfdisk" command, i can enter the aplication and do the partition... but, i can't do this right now, because i need to do a backup before anything else (i had some stuffs on windows, and with the cfdisk command, i'll lose everything)...
well... my suggestion nanosnom, is to try the following command line:
# cfdisk -z
then, try to create a partition and do the installation by the Apps/Tools menu...
take care...
Posted by nanosnom on July 21 2006,08:57
Too late.... looking for a solution 2 days ago I did something similar your suggestion .... well ALL partitions and previous distros (3) installed... lost in 1 second! ARGGGGHHHH! 
So, I confirm you: backup all your data before try!
I discovered too this:
If I boot with ANY different live distro (slax, Insert) and partition my hd, whichever order or type: primary, extended, logical, swap, fat, ext2/3 and so on changes are accepted, partition table is well written and will remain valid even if reboot.
TO be REALLY sure: after linux live distros I tested hd with a win98 boot disk, it's been able to see partions even if consider unusable.
If I boot with DSL.... neither cfdisk, neither fdisk consider partitions previously created valid, and if I try to correct (from inside DSL) I loose everything.
It seems something wrong about fdisk or cfdisk, unable to understood our real hd partition table.
I'm triyng to investigate more, let remain in touch.
thank for your tip to log as root and run cfdisk, hd is visible, as your, I'll try soon as possible with option -z
Posted by nanosnom on July 26 2006,09:58
Tried with cfdisk -zCrashes as usual after reading partition table and saving changes.
I had to reboot laptop.
DSL run very fine if loaded on RAM.
I'm quite newbie but according my short experience cfdisk and fdisk provided with dsl 3.0.1 are non able to manage hd disk.
I'm quite discouraged.
Posted by nanosnom on July 31 2006,08:03
Hi, I give up,
I think that dsl 3.0.1 is not compatible with my hw....
BEST luck to all YOU
Bye
Posted by nanosnom on Aug. 21 2006,07:30
Well, I tried with DSL-N (the bigger), I spent several days... nothing to do, same messages and behaviour, it seems hw incompatibility or unsupported.According from info I found searching internet it may be impossible to install DSL (both distros) on my laptop.
I mean: no one has installed DSL on hd, while others (and really bigger) distros have been succesfull.
I give up.
If someone has been successful, please let me know.
Thank all
nanosnom