Can't boot HD-install

**SGT geek** · 10-12-2004, 10:58 PM

When I try to boot a brand-new installation of either beginner or debian (am on tenth reinstall of Knoppix 3.6 EN) it will just give me a bunch of 9's on the screen. lilo only works from the floppy, but fails saying something about the kernel stack overlapping lilo second-stage. Yes, I did verify disk integrity.

HDA1=swap
HDA2=destination

AMD K6-2, 128mb ram, 6.4gb HD, not much else. NO NETWORK CAPABILITY.

I will try to get more info.

A little help, maybe?

A newbie

**poldervaart** · 10-13-2004, 01:05 AM

Sorry I really can't offer you any help with your problem, but I thought I would mention that I just installed the latest Knoppix on two different systems...with different partition configurations...and neither install properly installed lilo. In fact both machines had GRUB installed from previous distributions...and the GRUB loader was still present in the MBR. I ended up manullay creating a menu.list file...and everything works great now.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that Knoppix seems to not do very well at installing boot loaders. You might end up installing the boot loader using a different method. If I were you, I would try and boot from the CD...then chroot into the harddrive installation to see if you can run lilo from there. I say that...but I have had no luck chrooting to the hard drive installation from the Knoppix CD...but I have had luck using other livecd distros. Problem just me.

Good luck...

**shah** · 10-13-2004, 02:43 AM

1)Remove lilo:
lilo -u /dev/hda
or using dos/windows boot disk/floppy
fdisk /mbr

2)Reinstall lilo
check your /etc/lilo.conf
lilo -v

3)If you want to install Grub
/sbin/grub-install /dev/hda
update-grub
3.1) Grub boot floppy
mkfs /dev/fd0
mount /floppy/
mkdir -p /floppy/boot/grub
cp /boot/grub/stage1 /boot/grub/stage2 /boot/grub/menu.lst /floppy/boot/grub/
umount /floppy/

4) Use other boot manager, ex: GAG
http://gag.sourceforge.net/

Hope this will help

**SGT geek** · 10-13-2004, 03:52 AM

here is what the console displays when installation is complete(a
little cut paste floppy work):

THIS IS THE ERRORS ON INSTALL.

knoppix@ttyp0[knoppix]$ umount /dev/hda1
knoppix@ttyp0[knoppix]$ sudo knoppix-installer
No Implementation: This ext2 filesystem has a rather strange layout! Parted can't resize this (yet).
No Implementation: This ext2 filesystem has a rather strange layout! Parted can't resize this (yet).
cp: reading `usr/share/ImageMagick-6.0.5/LICENSE': Input/output error
cp: reading `usr/share/ImageMagick-6.0.5/Magick.pdf': Input/output error
cp: reading `usr/share/bacula-common/defconfig/bacula-dir.conf': Input/output error
cp: reading `usr/share/bacula-common/defconfig/bacula-fd.conf': Input/output error
cp: reading `usr/share/bacula-common/defconfig/bacula-sd.conf': Input/output error
cp: reading `usr/share/bacula-common/defconfig/console.conf': Input/output error
cp: reading `usr/share/bacula-common/defconfig/gnome-console.conf': Input/output error
Can't remove /usr/share/applications/./Ethereal.desktop: Read-only file system, skipping file.
Can't remove /usr/share/applications/./EtherealAsRoot.desktop: Read-only file system, skipping file.
Can't remove /usr/share/applications/./qtparted.desktop: Read-only file system, skipping file.
Can't remove /usr/share/applnk/./Settings/Peripherals/kxconfig.desktop: Read-only file system, skipping file.
/dev/mapper/control: open failed: No such device
Is device-mapper driver missing from kernel?
/dev/mapper/control: open failed: No such device
Is device-mapper driver missing from kernel?
Incompatible libdevmapper 1.00.19-ioctl (2004-07-03)(compat) and kernel driver
Warning: Unable to determine video adapter in use in the present system.

#here is where it makes the bootfloppy

mke2fs 1.35 (28-Feb-2004)
Filesystem label=
OS type: Linux
Block size=1024 (log=0)
Fragment size=1024 (log=0)
184 inodes, 1440 blocks
72 blocks (5.00%) reserved for the super user
First data block=1
1 block group
8192 blocks per group, 8192 fragments per group
184 inodes per group

Writing inode tables: done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done

This filesystem will be automatically checked every 32 mounts or
180 days, whichever comes first. Use tune2fs -c or -i to override.
Ignoring entry 'boot'
Ignoring entry 'install'
Ignoring entry 'map'
Warning: COMPACT may conflict with LBA32 on some systems
/dev/mapper/control: open failed: No such device
Is device-mapper driver missing from kernel?
/dev/mapper/control: open failed: No such device
Is device-mapper driver missing from kernel?
Incompatible libdevmapper 1.00.19-ioctl (2004-07-03)(compat) and kernel driver
Warning: Unable to determine video adapter in use in the present system.
Added Linux *
Added Linux(2.4)-1
Added Linux(2.6)-2
knoppix@ttyp0[knoppix]$

APPARRENTLY I NEED MODULE 'LIBDEVMAPPER' I DON'T HAVE IT AND APPARENTLY CAN'T GET IT.

if that helps any. I think most of my problem is LILO. I will try your suggestions tomorrow. Will let you know how it turns out. In the meantime I am downloading Mandrake 10.1, just in case. Oh yeah, i only have access to a bad dial-up connection. 2gig X 2.5KBps = just in time for Christmas.

Thanks.

**shah** · 10-13-2004, 04:54 AM

Try delete all partition and create new one using cfdisk or other partition manager.

**Steve F** · 10-13-2004, 06:02 AM

Also, when you partition you also have to format. Not only that, just selecting format isn't enough. You must select save or 'commit' in order for the partitioner to actually change the disk surface. The errors you are getting look like the partition isn't formated (maybe).

**SGT geek** · 10-13-2004, 04:46 PM

I tried to do the LILO uninstall/reinstall and then the GRUB install. Everytime I hit [enter] after typing in one of the commands, it gave me an error: "Read-only filesystem". Write access was enabled, I couldn't do it as root either, and I couldn't chroot into the harddrive. LILO.conf is empty. I don't know what to put in it. Look at what I found in the bug list:

34. When knoppix-installer (beginner) finishes, I get the following error messages:

knoppix@ttyp0knoppix$ IGNORE_CHECK=1 sudo knoppix-installer
Can't remove /usr/share/applications/./Ethereal.desktop: Read-only file system, skipping file.
Can't remove /usr/share/applications/./?EtherealAsRoot.desktop: Read-only file system, skipping file.
Can't remove /usr/share/applications/./qtparted.desktop: Read-only file system, skipping file.
Can't remove /usr/share/applnk/./Settings/Peripherals/kxconfig.desktop: Read-only file system, skipping file.
/dev/mapper/control: open failed: No such device
Is device-mapper driver missing from kernel?
/dev/mapper/control: open failed: No such device
Is device-mapper driver missing from kernel?
Incompatible libdevmapper 1.00.19-ioctl (2004-07-03)(compat) and kernel driver
Warning: Unable to determine video adapter in use in the present system.
Warning: CHANGE AUTOMATIC assumed after "other=/dev/hda1"
Warning: CHANGE AUTOMATIC assumed after "other=/dev/hda2"
Warning: CHANGE AUTOMATIC assumed after "other=/dev/hda3"

This is most distressing

. I am reinstalling a Debian-like install right now. I booted to run level 2 and tried the commands again and they still gave me a read-only error. I was finally able to use cfdisk and I erased my partition tables and rewrote them (yes, I hit write and typed 'yes').

Some other notes I forgot to mention: The harddisk I am using is the only one in the system and meant only for knoppix use. I was able to successfully install knoppix a few days ago on another HD before it burned out. Whenever knoppix is installing, it beeps twice when it is finished copying

. I also run windows on the computer, but I physically swap harddrives because a past knoppix install with both drives in resulted in the windows MBR getting goofed up. Windows will not recognize any other HD than it's own and will hang on boot.

Any further ideas would certainly be apperciated.

The Geek (wanna-be anyways)

PS: Just finished installing, more "Read-only filesystem' errors. I cannot write anything to the HD after install, period. Maybe Bad HD, Bad CDD, Bad Knoppix, Bad hardware? They all check out until install. No problems running live.

EDIT: GAG doesn't work either. Hit 'boot linux' and it goes to a bunch of 9's. I will try switching the drive to a slave configuration of first successful install.

**rrfish72** · 10-13-2004, 05:56 PM

Had exact problem. My solution was to delete the partitions and recreate them. Format each one then run the live cd and knoppix-installer ran finally without any errors. Hope this helps.

**SGT geek** · 10-13-2004, 07:06 PM

Thanks for the suggestion.

Originally Posted by rrfish72

Had exact problem. My solution was to delete the partitions and recreate them. Format each one then run the live cd and knoppix-installer ran finally without any errors. Hope this helps.

Only one thing, I reformat and repartition almost every reinstall. This time I am reformatting with fdisk from windows boot disk. cfdisk almost never works saying that it could not open the harddisk.

Anything else I can try? Perhaps a sledgehammer or axe?

Thanks

**SGT geek** · 10-13-2004, 07:23 PM

I seem to have experienced success in installing Knoppix. For anyone else out there who may be struggling with the same problem, this is what i did.

1. Make boot partition inactive.

2. Install

3. Point BIOS to drive

Pretty simple, huh? Now I remember that that was what I did the first time I had success. I will play around with it a little more and see what the outcome is.

Thanx for all the help everyone!!!