KDE live problems

English Install/Boot/Login
1

[warning : openSUSE newbie]

Gave a go at putting openSUSE-12.3-KDE-Live-Build0094-x86_64.iso on a USB stick and inserting into an HP nc6400 (RB523UA#ABA). Downloaded to a WinXP machine, verified MD5, used imagewriter.exe to write to USB flash stick (4GB microSDHC).
Insert USB stick to the nc6400 and powered on. Got the splash screen and the openSUSE menu (openSUSE Live KDE, Installation, Check Installation Media, Boot from Hard Disk, Memory Test).
However, selecting openSUSE Live KDE or Check Installation Media gets a quick transition to a text mode console that shows that klogconsole is being invoked and then nothing more - no prompt. Keyboard presses have no effect ; the only effective action is to power cycle.
This is repeatable.

So, re-wrote the USB stick with openSUSE-12.2-KDE-LiveCD-x86_64.iso and retried in the HP nc6400.
This one runs Ok so far … just tried openSUSE Live KDE and poking around in there now.

So, is there a known problem with openSUSE-12.3-KDE-Live-Build0094-x86_64.iso , or did I just have a corrupted image on the USB stick ?

2

My 2 cents: the latter option.

3

Ok, I now tried the released openSUSE-12.3-KDE-Live-x86_64.iso build and am getting the same stop in /usr/sbin/klogconsole .
There is something incompatible in openSUSE 12.3 and the HP nc6400 …
Or, what other possibility is there ?

Is there a recourse to getting 12.3 to run on the HP nc6400 ?

Since 12.2 does seem to run Ok thus far in my usage, what about installing 12.2 then doing an upgrade to 12.3 ?

4

Since 12.2 does seem to run Ok thus far

Maybe I read it wrong. But it looks like you are burning/writing the USB in windows? Ugh!

Download to 12.2 (you did say you have 12.2?)
Use Imagewriter (you can install it from the repos) to create the USB

5

I have written 12.2 and 12.3 to the same usb stick (separately, obviously not at the same time) using Imagewriter.
12.2 works Ok on the HP nc6400 ; 12.3 drops into /usr/sbin/klogconsole after launch from the openSUSE Live KDE or Check Installation Media menu item.
So, I would surmise that :

  • the usb stick is Ok
  • the nc6400 is Ok
  • Imagewriter is Ok
  • 12.2 is Ok
  • 12.3 is broken
6

Try the DVD

7

What video do you have try nomodeset in the options line.

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runing Check Installation Media with nomodeset stops first at /dev/sdb2: no digest found
ISO check failed, you have been warned
Press any key to continue:

Note : it comes to that prompt within 15sec ;
it never really ran the ~50sec media check as it did for openSUSE-12.3-KDE-Live-i686.iso below.

Continuing finally stops at OK ] Started Purge old kernels
OK ] Reached target Multi-user

So, I presume that something is bad about the openSUSE-12.3-KDE-Live-x86_64.iso image.

Next, I wrote** openSUSE-12.3-KDE-Live-i686.iso** to the USB stick and proceeded with a run of Check Installation Media .
This also stops immediately at /usr/sbin/klogconsole .
Running **Check Installation Media **with nomodeset stops first at ISO check passed
Press any key to continue:

Continuing finally stops atOK ] Started Purge old kernels
OK ] Reached target Multi-user

So, it seems that the openSUSE-12.3-KDE-Live-i686.iso image may be Ok.

What do I do at the “Reached target Multi-user” stop to continue running openSUSE-12.3-KDE-Live and installing openSUSE 12.3 ?

Will I have problems with the resultant 12.3 installation because of nomodeset ?

9

Try booting the CD
At the boot menu press F3 and toggle No KMS
Hit enter
Does it boot?

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https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10573557/12.3_install_complete/12.3_boot_live/a3.jpg

11

It will run openSUSE Live KDE or Check Installation Media but it still stops hard (no keyboard response) at “Reached target Multi-user” .

12

From F3 select TEXT MODE

Then on the boot options line type: 3

Hit enter

You should arrive at a prompt
login as user “linux” and for a password use <enter>

Then switch to root permissions by typing “su” and for a password use <enter> . Once logged in as root type “yast” to start the yast configuration tool.

This will bring up the yast configuration tool. Using the spacebar, arrow keys, and tab key, navigate to “Miscellaneous” and select the “Install”

This is an old guide based on an old release: https://forums.opensuse.org/english/get-technical-help-here/how-faq-forums/unreviewed-how-faq/436916-text-mode-install-livecd.html

13

The only way to get it to run without a stop at /usr/sbin/klogconsole is to use the No KMS video mode selection (F3).
But, in that case the menu displays in the Yast text mode setup are graphic characters and the menus become unreadable for me.
Maybe the nomodeset bios option might also prevent a stop at /usr/sbin/klogconsole .
What is the correct syntax to string 3 + nomodeset together on the bios options line ?

14

Just try the : 3
On the boot option line and hit enter
Technically that should take you to a level 3 login

I’d be tempted to try the DVD if you can

15

I resorted to installing openSUSE-12.3-NET-i586.iso, setting the No KMS video option.
Early on in the process it reported that it couldn’t start video mode because of unsupported video hardware.
Presumably, it’s the ATI graphics adapter that is unsupported.
Specs for this nc6400 are as follows …


nc6400
Processor :    Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5600*
System Memory :    4096 MB 667-MHz DDR2 (1 DIMM)
Hard Drive :    SATA SSD 256GB
Display :    14.1-inch WXGA
Graphics :    ATI Mobility Radeon 512MB HyperMemory
Audio :    ADI High Definition CODEC
Communications :    56K V.92 modem, 
Network : Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express Controller
Integrated Wireless : Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG, Bluetooth, HP ev2200 1xEV-DO Broadband Wireless
Integrated Security :    TPM 1.2 Embedded Security Chip, HP Biometric Fingerprint Sensor, Smart Card Reader
Pointing Device :    Dual pointing devices (both Pointstick and Touchpad)
MultiBay II Drive :    DVD+RW DL MultiBay II Drive

The text mode install seems to have mostly completed.
It auto-rebooted once after installing packages and detecting some hardware.
It seems that a second phase of system configuration was progressing.
But, now it stopped with a blue screen and one line at the bottom of the screen - white text on black background :

redirecting to "systemctl --ignore-dependencies stop network.service" (NetworkManager.service)

No response to keyboard input ; network is not busy judging by activity lights on the local hub / switch port.

I would probably look in /var/log/messages if I could get a shell prompt.

What’s the recommended troubleshooting / recovery steps now ?

Is this discussion now worthy of a new topic since I’m no longer dealing with openSUSE-12.3-KDE-Live-i686.iso ?

16

It’s out of my comfort zone.
I never use the Net install
I don’t know if the network bug in 12.3 is in the NET installer.

If you plan to try this route, it might be worth a new thread.

I still recommend the DVD

17

I presume - maybe incorrectly - that the installation process / scripts are same or similar on all .iso builds.
I’m thinking there is only a difference in packages between the .iso versions.

So, how would the ‘live’ behavior or the install script of DVD (4.7GB) be different from KDE Live, Gnome Live, NET, etc ?

(I’ll put my previous post here into a new thread.)

18

Well there difference, sufficient it seems at times to make it work.
The Live medias use kernel-default, I know that, and the DVD defaults to kernel-desktop

19

Ok.
Thanks for all your help thus far.

I’ll post the openSUSE-12.3-NET-i586.iso issue in a new thread and see if anyone can help with that.
If that turns out to be a dead end I’ll try the DVD.

20

Of course.
If you are able to backup sufficiently. You could consider a ‘dup’ upgrade to 12.3
With the prospect of always rolling back to 12.2 if everything goes South.
There is also the upgrade option on the DVD. Assuming you can boot it.

To ‘dup’
You would change to 12.3 repos (only the default ones)
Logout of X would be pref and become su -
Then;

zypper ref

zypper dup