So, I’m a Linux noob and after reading all of the different versions and so forth decided that I would settle on openSUSE because of the Novell background. I then decided on using Gnome for the desktop so I downloaded the Gnome Live iso image. I want to install the system on an olderish Dell 1750. I had 2 of them so I combined them to get 2 Xeon Processors and 4gb of memory. I’m using the internal RAID controller.
Everything seems to go just fine on the install and then I get the error above when it goes to reboot after the install and it dies. I don’t see the options to select the failsafe boot option or anything else as it’s just dying on boot up. Then it will go ahead and boot to the Live CD. I can see everything and I can mount the drives in the cd live version, but I can’t authenticate and/or modify anything.
I’m looking to modify the /etc/sysconfig/bootloader file I would guess to include noapic in it. At least that’s what I have gathered so far from all my reading. But, I can only mount the drive in read only as it’s not allowing me to authenticate. I have reinstalled at least 10 times with different configs within YaST and still nothing.
Thanks in advance for the help. I really don’t want to move on to one of the other distros.
On 2011-04-19 22:36, cupbearer wrote:
> Everything seems to go just fine on the install and then I get the
> error above when it goes to reboot after the install and it dies.
That error is totally unfamiliar to me. I’m guessing it is your machine BIOS.
Is that the exact error message?
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)
i’m at work so i’m doing this from memory, but it has to do with a “timeout” error 8254 and then with the IO-APIC. The simple fix according to the web is to boot with noapic in the boot line like a failsafe install. But I can’t get there to edit that line. Other options on the web said to disable APIC in the bios, but the 1750’s don’t have that. I’ve even dug up an old floppy disk to be able to upgrade the bios hoping that would fix it and nothing.
So, from the Live CD I need to mount the hard disk partition and modify the bootloader file in the sysconfig, it sounds really simple, but i can’t authenticate to be able to make the changes.
Thanks,
This is the Poweredge 1750 and not the Inspiron 1750 right? Sounds like a hardware fault. Maybe you should have used the other motherboard.
On 2011-04-20 00:36, cupbearer wrote:
> i’m at work so i’m doing this from memory, but it has to do with a
> “timeout” error 8254 and then with the IO-APIC. The simple fix
> according to the web is to boot with noapic in the boot line like a
> failsafe install.
Then your description of the problem is incomplete.
> So, from the Live CD I need to mount the hard disk partition and modify
> the bootloader file in the sysconfig,
You have to edit grub’s menu.lst.
> it sounds really simple, but i
> can’t authenticate to be able to make the changes.
There is no authentication.
You can also use suse dvd, rescue prompt.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)
@Carlos
the menu.lst says to put custom configs in the /etc/sysconfig/bootloader file if you want to change the way everything loads on boot.
down part way I see the line to edit, but I can’t save the changes since it’s “Read Only” and I’m not authenticated as the owner.
I wouldn’t mind changing the menu.lst file, but that is locked also since when I boot with the Live CD I’m logged in as Linux w/o a password instead of as /root with a password. And I tried the install without any passwords or username for /root just to see if I could get to it and make the changes and then add the user later, and no go either.
There has to be some way to change the logged in user in a terminal window and authenticate, or change ownership or permissions on the file from the Live CD once I’m to that part.
On 2011-04-20 01:36, cupbearer wrote:
>
> @Carlos
>
> the menu.lst says to put custom configs in the
> /etc/sysconfig/bootloader file if you want to change the way everything
> loads on boot.
Yes, but a change in /etc/sysconfig/bootloader is not transmitted to
menu.lst till yast has a chance to change it, actually when you install
another kernel.
So, do as I said.
> down part way I see the line to edit, but I can’t save the changes
> since it’s “Read Only” and I’m not authenticated as the owner.
I repeat that is not true. Use a decent live system.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)
Ok, I downloaded the openSUSE version 11.4 software from this site as the Live GNOME single CD iso 32 bit version as the server only has a cd drive in it and the first 64 bit version didn’t boot at all but threw the error.
Once the OS from the CD is loaded to 11.4 I run the Live Installer. I follow all of the User Manual settings, generic partition setup, Under the User Settings I enter a user name and password an uncheck the automatic login feature so maybe it will ask me to authenticate.
(I do occasionally get a Failed to initialize packaging backend error?)
I don’t change anything on the Installation Settings tab. And then wait for the Perform Installation to complete. I then remove the CD and reboot like it says to do.
I get a screen that the new OS is trying to load from the HD but the little bar under the lizard doesn’t move. And then after it times out, before I get the failsafe option or anything else I ge the error.
0.020000] …MP-BIOS bug: 8254 timer not connected to IO-APIC doing fast boot
Creating device nodew with udev
Trying manual resume from /dev/sda1 (which is swap? )
resume device /dev/sda1 not found (ignoring)
Trying manual resume from /dev/sda1
resume device /dev/sda1 not found (ignoring)
Waiting for device /dev/sda to appear:…
Could not find /dev/sda2
Want me to fall back to /dev/sda2? (y/n)
not found – exiting to /bin/sh
(first time i’ve seen this, but this time I got this line as well)
sh: cannot set terminal process group (-1): Inappropriate ioctl for device.
According to the web, I should just change the menu.lst file and include the switch “noapic” in the boot line to fix the problem since the bios updates and such have not worked.
However, if I reboot the OS to the CD again. Go to the File Manager. Right click and “Mount” the drive with the OS on it. The Authenticate dialog box comes up real quick and then goes away w/o interacting with it. I navigate to the /boot/grub/menu.lst file and from there can only open it as read only. I cannot change the permissions to the file. I cannot open the .old version, make my changes and save over it. I can’t even create a new file in the folder at all because I’m not the owner and do not have the correct permissions.
I have tried everything I can find and I’m sure there is some easy terminal setting that will help me to get this done, but I can’t find the syntax anywhere. Can someone please help.
Thanks,
Cupbearer
You say you have a RAID controller. Is the RAID turned off/on? Is it real hardware RAID or is it FAKE RAID (BIOS assist)??
It is a real hardware raid controller, on a real 1u dell 1750 server. It had openSUSE 10.3 on it before I combined parts from 2 servers and blew everything out, so I know eventually it should work. I might just try the KDE Live intall and see if there is a way to modify that line in that install from there.
Jerry Craig
Cupbearer
On 2011-04-20 09:36, cupbearer wrote:
> However, if I reboot the OS to the CD again. Go to the File Manager.
> Right click and “Mount” the drive with the OS on it. The Authenticate
> dialog box comes up real quick and then goes away w/o interacting with
> it. I navigate to the /boot/grub/menu.lst file and from there can only
> open it as read only. I cannot change the permissions to the file. I
> cannot open the .old version, make my changes and save over it. I can’t
> even create a new file in the folder at all because I’m not the owner
> and do not have the correct permissions.
I have no experience with the current suse live disk, but root’s password
should be empty. You should be able to do “su -” in a terminal and get
yourself root.
What I use normally is the rescue system in the dvd. You have to mount
manually and use vi or joe as an editor. There is no root password, just
the login (root).
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)
YaST is requireing a user name and password for Root in the Install and won’t let me keep it blank. When I open terminal it’s saying something like linux@lunux for the username and i’m guessing password. I don’t know how to mount the drive in Terminal to then type in the “su -” command. But I know that I can mount in visually and then open terminal in that folder. Hopefully that will work, otherwise, I have no idea how to mount a drive from terminal to cd to the right folder???
Thanks for taking the time to work on this. It’s really annoying since I’m sure it’s just something simple like typing the “su -” command and I just don’t know that syntax is.
Thanks,
Jerry Craig
Cupbearer
On 2011-04-20 22:06, cupbearer wrote:
>
> YaST is requireing a user name and password for Root in the Install and
> won’t let me keep it blank.
Someone else that uses the live will have to tell you. It should be empty
or “root”.
> When I open terminal it’s saying something
> like linux@lunux for the username and i’m guessing password.
It is waiting for commands, not the login.
type:
su -
when you are root, and assuming the target system is /dev/sda7 (find out),
type:
umount /dev/sda7
mount /dev/sda7 /mnt
do your stuff, then
umount /dev/sda7
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)
/sigh
thanks to all your hard work, i got to the file, I had to mount at /media/<somelongass39or40charaterstring>/grub as “su -” to edit the file. I was able to get that done and then on reboot, I do not get the IO-APIC error any more. But the rest is still there and it just doesn’t boot.
It has to be something to do with the RAID controller and having the right drivers I guess. I’ll see what Dell has again, but everything was geared to RedHat and I wanted openSUSE and their upgrade thing was just stupid.
But, I’m back to square 1… with the exception of some more knowledge 