Slack 12.2 install problem
 

Hi,

I'm trying to install Slackware 12.2 from DVD on to a Toshiba Satellite laptop (2002 vintage). I get to the following message and everything hangs:

Detecting Adaptec I2O RAID controllers...

I don't have any adaptec controllers. Is there a way (via LILO boot prompt?) to disable this driver? I have tried a search on the 'net - this problem has cropped up before but the suggestions of: pci=noearly didn't work for me.

Help - my computer is currently a useless brick,

S

Not sure it will help but did you have a look to the file BOOTING.TXT in the root directory of the DVD ?

Other than that and trying to boot with another kernel, I would try to boot with a live CD like DSL and see what can go wrong.

I had the same problem. Try booting the hugesmp.s kernel with ide=nodma and see if it works around the problem.

The ide=nodma doesn't work for me I'm afraid. Both the huge.s and hugesmp.s kernels make no difference.

Is it worth trying to recompile the kernel without the Adaptec I2O support? I would have to install an older version of Slackware (probably pre 12.0 since I had that working), install the kernel sources from the 12.2 DVD. Would compiling the kernel on an old system work (different libraries, etc)? Then create a new bootable DVD to install from.

Or, it might be easier to wait for the next version of Slackware and hope it's fixed...

So try the kernel in slackware-current first.

What is the exact Toshiba Satellite model you are using? I ran into the Adaptec hang with a Dell 2650, which has the same internals as some of the Toshiba Satellite 3000s. They are rebadged Compal ACY13 units and they use the same base BIOS.

I wasn't able to diagnose the exact problem with the Adaptec autodetect but eventually I somehow managed to blunder around the problem and achieve a good 12.2 install. I played around with various combinations of the boot options ide=nodma, edd=off, raid=noautodetect and noraid=1. I reflashed the computer with an updated BIOS. I swapped the hard drive unit and partitioned it with Knoppix before beginning the Slackware 12.2 install. Some combination of those things bypassed the problem.

Also, what is the size of the hard drive you are using? Is it a drive that is known to work with your BIOS? One of the complicating factors in my install was that the old BIOS I was using had problems with drives bigger than 40 gig.

I have the impression that somehow a BIOS problem or something very accidental about my hard drive was triggering the Adaptec hang with the 12.2 kernel. Wish I had kept better notes while I was blundering through the problem.

I reflashed my computer with its old BIOS and replicated the Adaptec hang when loading the 12.2 install CD.

Do you want to try to diagnose the exact problem, or do you want to figure out a workaround?

Brain dead way
 

As far as I understand, you want a modern kernel for an old system to find out what works on your Toshiba. It is a bit pedantic, but reasonable.

You may start with the 12.2 generic (i2o is not a module in huge; as of writing current is the same as 12.2) kernel, blacklist i2o_core and see if it boots. If not, recompile the kernel.

When you know what works, upgrade to 12.2 and recompile the kernel again. Or you may actually modify the DVD to use that kernel both for boot an installation.

Personally, I would go the brain dead way: install 12.2 into a virtual machine, clone it to the Toshiba, and do all the experiments from a live distro.

Working with the setup that replicates the Adaptec hang, I haven't been able to find any combination of kernel boot options that works.

I think you may have to recompile the kernel.

Maybe try this.

Burn a Slackware 12.1 install CD #1. Boot from that disk. It will load the 12.1 hugesmp.s kernel, which does not exhibit the Adaptec hang. Get to the root prompt.

Take out the 12.1 install CD and insert the 12.2 install CD 1. Proceed with hard drive partitioning, formatting and package installation. This puts all the 12.2 packages on your hard drive.

Your 12.2 system is installed, but it will not boot because the default kernel has the Adaptec hang. So, start up your system by booting from the 12.1 install CD #1 and entering the following kernel parameters at the boot prompt:

where you'll substitute your actual root partition after the root= parameter.

You'll be temporarily running with a 12.1 kernel and a hard drive loaded with the 12.2 software, but this might be enough to let you compile a custom kernel that won't hang at the Adaptec autodetect.

Ah, the swapping between 12.1 & 12.2 seems a good idea - I should have thought of that! As is the using a virtual machine, but seeing I've not tried using VMs before I might be trying to run before I can walk (not to mention the 2002 spec machine....)

Anyway, since I'm working away from home this week I won't be able to try all the suggestions until the weekend.

Thanks everybody who's sent suggestions.

Boot without acpi.

I'm still testing with my computer that replicates the OP's problem.

I did a number of kernel reconfigure & compiles (kernels 2.6.27.7 and 2.6.28.4) and couldn't get past the Adaptec hang. I now suspect that a software fix will require a source code change somewhere in the kernel. (We're Slackers, we do that kind of stuff before breakfast every day, right?)

The Adaptec hang issue occurs with my Dell Inspiron 2650 and its latest BIOS revision A13. It goes away when I reflash it with a Compal ACY13 BIOS, revision 1.03a. This is not a recommended fix of course, high probability of bricking a system unless you know what you're doing and can undo it if necessary. But it's why I'm almost certain it's a BIOS problem of some kind.

@happyslapper,

This may be the solution you need. There's something about our systems that upsets one of the SCSI RAID drivers.

If you compile a kernel for Slackware 12.2 that's the same as hugesmp.s except that all the SCSI low level drivers are excluded, it will boot without the Adaptec hang.

That is, copy the hugesmp.s config file from /kernels/hugesmp.s/config on the 12.2 install CD #1 to /usr/src/linux-2.6.27.7/.config, then use menuconfig to change it, then compile a kernel and install it. In the menuconfig step, go to Device Drivers ---> SCSI device support and change SCSI low level drivers from[*] to [ ]. This will exclude all the SCSI low level drivers. One of them is causing the trouble but I don't know which one.

This will be easy if you can cross support your Toshiba Satellite with another computer that's running Slack 12.2. Otherwise you'll have to run Slackware 12.1, install the 12.2 kernel packages from either the 12.2 install CDs or online, compile a new 12.2 kernel, etc.

Ok,

I've booted with the 12.1 DVD, installed (everything except games) from the 12.2 DVD, then rebooted from the 12.1 DVD with the following:

huge.s root=/dev/hda2 rdinit=ro

And now I get:

INIT: cannot execute "/sbin/agetty"
INIT: Id "c1" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes

So I can't login! It can't be X since the default runlevel is set to 3 for console. /sbin/agetty does exist and is executable. The permissions of tty 1-9 are:
crw-rw-rw-

I've used Slackware for over ten years and this is the most trouble I've ever had. Have the creators of Slackware lost their touch? I don't mind messin' around a bit to get things working but I really don't have the time these days for this sort of grief.

Thanks in advance...

You omitted the space between the rdinit= and the ro, maybe that's part of the problem.

Running a 12.1 kernel in a 12.2 environment is iffy because 12.1 won't find its modules there. It works on my particular computer because the hugesmp kernel has everything it needs to do a kernel compile. If it's not working on your computer, you might try to install a 12.1 system and compile a 12.2 kernel.

I think this is a driver problem. It's not a Slackware problem. You & I and maybe the one other guy who's posted on another forum on this subject are just unlucky in using a computer that's vulnerable to this problem.