Knoppix doesn't start on Compaq Evo N1015v

Hi,

I downloaded Knoppix 2003-04-28 and it worked perfectly on my desktop computers, but it doesn't want to work on my laptop. I think that in all there are 3 problems:

Problem 1:
When detecting USB it stops there. I do not get the following line which should be "Enabling hotplug Manager". I manage to go about this problem by using knoppix nousb.

Problem 2: (bigget problem)
After I get the line "Autoconfiguring deviced |||||||||| done.", the system simply stops. It's like all the power has been removed from most of the devices, sin the CD stops spinning and the PCMCI Network Card's lights go OFF.

If I leave it like that for sometime, I would get a lot of lines which mainly are a repetition of these 2 lines:
cloop: error -3 uncompressing block
end_request: I/O error

and at the end there would be:
Error: No siutable X-Server Found for your card
INIT: no more preccesses left to do

Then if I leave it for some more time I would get again a lot of "cloop" and "end_request" errors and:
INIT: Id "1" respawning too fast: diabled for 5 minutes.

I have also tried using expert and failsafe but still at some point the system would stop.

Problem 3: (possibly related with the above)
When my PCMCIA card is being detected, half way through the "Autoconfiguring Devices" comes in and the card is switched off. Then I get the following errors:
cardmgr[57]: + operation failed
cardmgr[57]: start cmd exited with status 1

Specs of my Laptop:
name: HP Compaq EVO N1015v
cpu - Mobile AMD Athlon XP 1800+
hd - Fujitsu 20GB
vga - ATI Mobility UI
screen - digital flat panel
pcmcia - Texas Instruments PC-1410 Cardbus Controller

Could anyone give me some other hints which I could try out?

First, I'd do a search for Compaq as these machines are notorious for not booting Knoppix bevause of "poor hardware choices" on the part of the manuf. You can always try disabling plug n pray in the BIOS and disable PCI bus mastering (or whatever option you have for disabling the automatic assignment of IRQ's). I can't say for certain but I don't recall reading that anyone has gotten a Compaq laptop to boot Knoppix.

HI,

Unfortunately, my laptop, being a compaq, is not very customizable, and it is not possible to disable these features form the bios.

Isn't there a way to make Knoppix log the bootup process so that it is possible to find where/why it is stopping?

I realize that you have sucessfully run Knoppix on other computers but this:

"If I leave it like that for sometime, I would get a lot of lines which mainly are a repetition of these 2 lines:
cloop: error -3 uncompressing block
end_request: I/O error "

makes me think that you might have a bad disk. If your Compact needs to access a certain area of the cd that the other boxes don't this would explain why the issue only happens on the Compact. Try running testcd at boot.

Also try booting into text only mode since part of your post said that you were having trouble with X.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dirtonth

HI,

Unfortunately, my laptop, being a compaq, is not very customizable, and it is not possible to disable these features form the bios.

Isn't there a way to make Knoppix log the bootup process so that it is possible to find where/why it is stopping?

---

Linux always logs the kernel messages. Maybe boot

knoppix 2 nousb no agp noapic

Linux won't attempt to start an Xserver- you'll be in text mode, then do a:

dmesg | less

Typically when I've done any Linux installation on an older laptop it always took multiple attempts to get the Xserver just right even though I had all of the specifics for both the video card and monitor. If you're really determined you just might be able to figure it out. Of course good common sense is a must here- reduce the system to its least complex arrangement and start there. Try removing the pcmcia card, study those cheat codes Do a search on your machine model and pcmcia card (and any other hardware you deem necessary) on G4L. This is really more of a Compaq not liking Linux issue and not so much anything to do with Knoppix.

BTW- here is a snip from the cheatcode page:
The format is "kernel opt opt opt ...". Usually "knoppix" is the right selection for the "kernel", options as listed below. Example: "knoppix xvrefresh=60 noscsi floppyconfig"

Note that it is possible to string the codes together. This seems to be commonly overlooked so I thought I'd mention it.

Hi aay and rickenbacherus.

Regards the CD being damaged, I don't think that it is the situation. I just used it on my desktop machine and it worked fine. What I think is happening is that after the "Autoconfiguring Devices...." everything get's switched off, so there is no access to the CDROM any more. After that in fact, the CD doesn't spin again not even when these errors start to come up.

Regards going to console mode, I have tried different combinations, including the one suggested by rickenbacherus, 2, failsafe and expert, but in all of them, the sytem simply stops at some point or another. I never get to console mode to call dmesg | less. That is why I was asking if it is possible to make the kernel log for example to floppy, so that when it stops, it will still be able to see where it stopped.

It's useless trying to understand what hardware I have if I can't find out why and where it is stopping.

It's not just that. Listen to this procedure.

So I booted up using knoppix -b. Till there everything was ok and I logged in as root (no password). I called /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig & so that I'll be able to go to the log folder and see if there is anything recoded there. While the process was running, I tried to go to the folder but the system simply stopped. It didn't accept any more commands. The last command I had inputted was "ls" and I waited, but nothing ever happened.

Hi,

I went through the script and found that the system was halting when the command hwsetup was called. I tried doing it manually and it happened again. Then I understood that this command can take two parameters, and I tried them out, and I found out that my laptop was stopping when audio was being detected. Using the boot command knoppix noaudio makes it possible to run knoppix on my Evo1015v.

Thanks.

Right on man- glad you got it.

Thanks for posting back with your solution dirtonth- I'm sure it will help alot of Compaq users.

You may have discovered a new cheat code even or at least one that I have not seen previously. I've added it to the documentation none the less.

edit

You do realize that this means your likely addicted to Linux already don't you? :P

I've read all of the posts I could find about this but to no avail. I've got a Compaq Presario 900 with Athlon and 256M RAM, DVD/CDR/W

I'm getting the same issues that others have reported - the Modprobe Can't locate module: module: block-major-2

(I tested the CD - its cool and I've run it successfully on 2 other laptops, one is even a Compaq though a different model (EVO))

then after it passes that problem I get cloop's and an error that kills the process finally saying "no suitable x-server found for your card"

I've tried noaudio, fb800x600, vesa and even tried to boot to rl 2 but none of them will boot. Even failsafe hangs. I went to expert mode and tried to walk it through but same problem.

Any ideas? I checked some other posts and found:

linux nomce ide=nodma pci=biosirq

for RH but I'm not sure if there's a cheat for KNOPPIX as such (apparently the MCE is a known problem)

Also it appears that I've got some funky IRQ's

- Thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 5han3

Any ideas? I checked some other posts and found:

linux nomce ide=nodma pci=biosirq

for RH but I'm not sure if there's a cheat for KNOPPIX as such (apparently the MCE is a known problem)

Also it appears that I've got some funky IRQ's

- Thanks

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You can use those they are just parameter's that can be passed to the kernel at boot time it does not matter if it is Redhat or Knoppix(Debian) that you are booting. Also they are already included in the cheat codes page.

Hi - I have the same problem - EVO n1015v... I have tried booting with "knoppix -b" and that does give me a cl interface. However, when you said earlier to call "/etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig &" is where I seem to get lost... I am not sure what command you are excecuting and where you are looking from there. I VI'd that file to look at it, but I am still pretty much a newbie, and am not familiar enough with linux commands yet... any further assistance you could provide would be hugely appreciated!

ps: the knoppix noaudio has the same results (after autoconfig, it hangs).. actually pretty much all the cheats i used have the same result so far...

Thanks!