I have an install of Debian Sarge on a Dell Poweredge 2900. Since debian does not directly support the latest and greatest Dell hardware I had to find a custom install .iso with all of the goodies. I found only one that would install.

http://kmuto.jp/ under his backport sections. Specifically the 801 build.

My problem is that the install system detects the drives as sdc1, sdc2, sdc3 but after the install I have to go in with knoppix and change grub so that it points to sda1, sda2, sda3 in order for the system to recognize the drives and boot.

This would be fine, but I get a superblock error upon startup.

Here is my dmesg:

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ge 0xca9-0xcab has been reserved
pnp: 00:08: ioport range 0xcad-0xcaf has been reserved
pnp: 00:09: ioport range 0xca8-0xca8 has been reserved
pnp: 00:09: ioport range 0xcac-0xcac has been reserved
PCI: Bridge: 0000:08:00.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: f4000000-f7ffffff
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:07:00.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: f4000000-f7ffffff
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:07:01.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: disabled.
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:06:00.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: f4000000-f7ffffff
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:06:00.3
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: disabled.
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:00:02.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: f2000000-f7ffffff
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:00:03.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: disabled.
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:00:04.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: disabled.
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:01:00.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: fc400000-fc5fffff
PREFETCH window: d8000000-d80fffff
PCI: Bridge: 0000:01:00.2
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: disabled.
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:00:05.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: fc300000-fc5fffff
PREFETCH window: d8000000-d80fffff
PCI: Bridge: 0000:00:06.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: disabled.
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:00:07.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: disabled.
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:04:00.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: f8000000-fbffffff
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:00:1c.0
IO window: disabled.
MEM window: f8000000-fbffffff
PREFETCH window: disabled.
PCI: Bridge: 0000:00:1e.0
IO window: e000-efff
MEM window: fc100000-fc2fffff
PREFETCH window: d0000000-d7ffffff
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:02.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:02.0 to 64
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:06:00.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:06:00.0 to 64
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:07:00.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:07:00.0 to 64
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:08:00.0 to 64
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:07:01.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:07:01.0 to 64
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:06:00.3 to 64
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:03.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:03.0 to 64
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:04.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:04.0 to 64
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:05.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:05.0 to 64
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:01:00.0 to 64
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:01:00.2 to 64
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:06.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:06.0 to 64
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:07.0 to 64
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1c.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1c.0 to 64
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:04:00.0 to 64
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1e.0 to 64
audit: initializing netlink socket (disabled)
audit(1164737326.444:1): initialized
VFS: Disk quotas dquot_6.5.1
Dquot-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order 0, 4096 bytes)
Initializing Cryptographic API
io scheduler noop registered
io scheduler anticipatory registered (default)
io scheduler deadline registered
io scheduler cfq registered
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:02.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:02.0 to 64
assign_interrupt_mode Found MSI capability
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:02.0cie00]
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:02.0cie01]
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:03.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:03.0 to 64
assign_interrupt_mode Found MSI capability
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:03.0cie00]
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:03.0cie01]
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:04.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:04.0 to 64
assign_interrupt_mode Found MSI capability
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:04.0cie00]
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:04.0cie01]
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:05.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:05.0 to 64
assign_interrupt_mode Found MSI capability
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:05.0cie00]
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:05.0cie01]
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:06.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:06.0 to 64
assign_interrupt_mode Found MSI capability
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:06.0cie00]
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:06.0cie01]
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:07.0 to 64
pcie_portdrv_probe->Dev[25e7:8086] has invalid IRQ. Check vendor BIOS
assign_interrupt_mode Found MSI capability
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:07.0cie00]
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:07.0cie01]
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1c.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1c.0 to 64
assign_interrupt_mode Found MSI capability
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:1c.0cie00]
Allocate Port Service[0000:00:1c.0cie03]
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:06:00.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:06:00.0 to 64
Allocate Port Service[0000:06:00.0cie10]
Allocate Port Service[0000:06:00.0cie11]
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:07:00.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:07:00.0 to 64
assign_interrupt_mode Found MSI capability
Allocate Port Service[0000:07:00.0cie20]
Allocate Port Service[0000:07:00.0cie21]
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:07:01.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:07:01.0 to 64
assign_interrupt_mode Found MSI capability
Allocate Port Service[0000:07:01.0cie20]
Allocate Port Service[0000:07:01.0cie21]
isapnp: Scanning for PnP cards...
isapnp: No Plug & Play device found
hpet_resources: 0xfed00000 is busy
PNP: No PS/2 controller found. Probing ports directly.
serio: i8042 AUX port at 0x60,0x64 irq 12
serio: i8042 KBD port at 0x60,0x64 irq 1
Serial: 8250/16550 driver $Revision: 1.90 $ 4 ports, IRQ sharing enabled
serial8250: ttyS0 at I/O 0x3f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A
serial8250: ttyS1 at I/O 0x2f8 (irq = 3) is a 16550A
00:06: ttyS0 at I/O 0x3f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A
00:07: ttyS1 at I/O 0x2f8 (irq = 3) is a 16550A
RAMDISK driver initialized: 16 RAM disks of 8192K size 1024 blocksize
EISA: Probing bus 0 at eisa.0
EISA: Detected 0 cards.
NET: Registered protocol family 2
IP route cache hash table entries: 65536 (order: 6, 262144 bytes)
TCP established hash table entries: 262144 (order: 8, 1048576 bytes)
TCP bind hash table entries: 65536 (order: 6, 262144 bytes)
TCP: Hash tables configured (established 262144 bind 65536)
TCP reno registered
TCP bic registered
NET: Registered protocol family 1
NET: Registered protocol family 17
NET: Registered protocol family 8
NET: Registered protocol family 20
Using IPI Shortcut mode
ACPI wakeup devices:
PCI0
ACPI: (supports S0 S4 S5)
Freeing unused kernel memory: 232k freed
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Driver bnx2 v1.4.31 (January 19, 2006)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:09:00.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
eth0: Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5708 1000Base-T (B1) PCI-X 64-bit 133MHz found at mem f4000000, IRQ 169, node addr 00188b38edac
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:05:00.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
eth1: Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5708 1000Base-T (B1) PCI-X 64-bit 133MHz found at mem f8000000, IRQ 169, node addr 00188b38edaa
SCSI subsystem initialized
megasas: 00.00.02.04 Fri Feb 03 14:31:44 PST 2006
megasas: 0x1028:0x0015:0x1028:0x1f03: bus 2:slot 14:func 0
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:0e.0[A] -> GSI 142 (level, low) -> IRQ 66
Uniform Multi-Platform E-IDE driver Revision: 7.00alpha2
ide: Assuming 33MHz system bus speed for PIO modes; override with idebus=xx
usbcore: registered new driver usbfs
usbcore: registered new driver hub
USB Universal Host Controller Interface driver v2.3
scsi0 : LSI Logic SAS based MegaRAID driver
Vendor: ATA Model: WDC WD1600JS-75N Rev: 2E04
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 05
Vendor: ATA Model: WDC WD1600JS-75N Rev: 2E04
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 05
Vendor: ATA Model: WDC WD1600JS-75N Rev: 2E04
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 05
Vendor: ATA Model: WDC WD1600JS-75N Rev: 2E04
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 05
Vendor: ATA Model: WDC WD1600JS-75N Rev: 2E04
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 05
Vendor: ATA Model: WDC WD1600JS-75N Rev: 2E04
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 05
Vendor: ATA Model: WDC WD1600JS-75N Rev: 2E04
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 05
Vendor: ATA Model: WDC WD1600JS-75N Rev: 2E04
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 05
Vendor: DP Model: BACKPLANE Rev: 1.00
Type: Enclosure ANSI SCSI revision: 05
Vendor: DELL Model: PERC 5/i Rev: 1.00
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 05
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.0[A] -> GSI 21 (level, low) -> IRQ 74
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1d.0 to 64
uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.0: UHCI Host Controller
uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.0: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 1
uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.0: irq 74, io base 0x0000dce0
usb usb1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
hub 1-0:1.0: USB hub found
hub 1-0:1.0: 2 ports detected
SCSI device sda: 2179989504 512-byte hdwr sectors (1116155 MB)
sda: test WP failed, assume Write Enabled
sda: asking for cache data failed
sda: assuming drive cache: write through
SCSI device sda: 2179989504 512-byte hdwr sectors (1116155 MB)
sda: test WP failed, assume Write Enabled
sda: asking for cache data failed
sda: assuming drive cache: write through
sda: sda1 sda2 sda3
sd 0:2:0:0: Attached scsi disk sda
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.1[B] -> GSI 20 (level, low) -> IRQ 82
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1d.1 to 64
uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.1: UHCI Host Controller
uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.1: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 2
uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.1: irq 82, io base 0x0000dcc0
usb usb2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
hub 2-0:1.0: USB hub found
hub 2-0:1.0: 2 ports detected
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.2[C] -> GSI 21 (level, low) -> IRQ 74
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1d.2 to 64
uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.2: UHCI Host Controller
uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.2: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 3
uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.2: irq 74, io base 0x0000dca0
usb usb3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
hub 3-0:1.0: USB hub found
hub 3-0:1.0: 2 ports detected
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.3[D] -> GSI 20 (level, low) -> IRQ 82
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1d.3 to 64
uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.3: UHCI Host Controller
uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.3: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 4
uhci_hcd 0000:00:1d.3: irq 82, io base 0x0000dc80
usb usb4: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
hub 4-0:1.0: USB hub found
hub 4-0:1.0: 2 ports detected
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1d.7[A] -> GSI 21 (level, low) -> IRQ 74
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1d.7 to 64
ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: EHCI Host Controller
ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: debug port 1
PCI: cache line size of 128 is not supported by device 0000:00:1d.7
ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 5
ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: irq 74, io mem 0xfc600000
ehci_hcd 0000:00:1d.7: USB 2.0 started, EHCI 1.00, driver 10 Dec 2004
usb usb5: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
hub 5-0:1.0: USB hub found
hub 5-0:1.0: 8 ports detected
ESB2: IDE controller at PCI slot 0000:00:1f.1
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:1f.1[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 169
ESB2: chipset revision 9
ESB2: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
ide0: BM-DMA at 0xfc00-0xfc07, BIOS settings: hdaMA, hdbio
Probing IDE interface ide0...
usb 5-5: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2
usb 5-5: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
hub 5-5:1.0: USB hub found
hub 5-5:1.0: 2 ports detected
hda: TSSTcorp CD-RW/DVD-ROM TS-H492C, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive
usb 5-7: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 3
usb 5-7: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
hub 5-7:1.0: USB hub found
hub 5-7:1.0: 4 ports detected
usb 5-5.1: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4
ide0 at 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6 on irq 14
usb 5-5.1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
hub 5-5.1:1.0: USB hub found
hub 5-5.1:1.0: 4 ports detected
hda: ATAPI 48X DVD-ROM CD-R/RW drive, 1536kB Cache, UDMA(33)
Uniform CD-ROM driver Revision: 3.20
kjournald starting. Commit interval 5 seconds
EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode.
usb 5-5.1.1: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 5
usb 5-5.1.1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
usb 5-5.1.3: new low speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 6
usb 5-5.1.3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
usb 5-5.1.4: new low speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 7
usb 5-5.1.4: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
usbcore: registered new driver hiddev
input: Logitech USB-PS/2 Optical Mouse as /class/input/input0
input: USB HID v1.10 Mouse [Logitech USB-PS/2 Optical Mouse] on usb-0000:00:1d.7-5.1.3
input: Dell Dell USB Keyboard as /class/input/input1
input: USB HID v1.10 Keyboard [Dell Dell USB Keyboard] on usb-0000:00:1d.7-5.1.4
usbcore: registered new driver usbhid
drivers/usb/input/hid-core.c: v2.6:USB HID core driver
Real Time Clock Driver v1.12ac
pci_hotplug: PCI Hot Plug PCI Core version: 0.5
shpchp: Standard Hot Plug PCI Controller Driver version: 0.4
Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
usbcore: registered new driver usb-storage
USB Mass Storage support registered.
usb-storage: device found at 5
usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
ts: Compaq touchscreen protocol output
mice: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice
hw_random hardware driver 1.0.0 loaded
floppy0: no floppy controllers found
EXT3 FS on sda1, internal journal
Vendor: Generic Model: Flash HS-CF Rev: 4.44
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 00
sd 1:0:0:0: Attached scsi removable disk sdb
Vendor: Generic Model: Flash HS-COMBO Rev: 4.44
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 00
sd 1:0:0:1: Attached scsi removable disk sdc
usb-storage: device scan complete
bnx2: eth1: using MSI
bnx2: eth1 NIC Link is Up, 1000 Mbps full duplex, receive & transmit flow control ON
NET: Registered protocol family 10
lo: Disabled Privacy Extensions
IPv6 over IPv4 tunneling driver
NET: Registered protocol family 5
eth1: no IPv6 routers present

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Here is the error I get when I run fsck

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Password:
brcserver:/home/elliot# fsck
fsck 1.37 (21-Mar-2005)
e2fsck 1.37 (21-Mar-2005)
/dev/sdc1 is mounted.

WARNING!!! Running e2fsck on a mounted filesystem may cause
SEVERE filesystem damage.

Do you really want to continue (y/n)? yes

fsck.ext3: No such file or directory while trying to open /dev/sdc1

The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2
filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2
filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock
is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:
e2fsck -b 8193 <device>

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Since I don't want to go searching for more install iso's with Debian, is there any way to manually fix this? Or am a looking at a world of hurt?

Just a quick question:

Are you booting with linux26?

I have seen issues with 2900's and the stock 2.4 kernel.

Yeah, I am booting with Linux26!

What kind of disk is sdc1 on?
Is it even using ext2/3 for a file system ?
Unmount the drive before you check it (theres a warning for a reason)

It is an ext3 filesystem. The disk is attached to a SCSI controller.

Im confused if your system uses sda1 for the drive then why are
you checking sdc1 with fsck ??

Yes, this is the crux of the problem. The system installs with recognizing the drive as sdc1. However, in order for me to boot the system I have to make the grub changes so that it boots from sda1. Then when I boot, I get an error on my third partition /home saying that sdc3 has a superblock error. Basically, the installer that I used installed the system flagging the drives as one sdc1, sdc2. sdc3 but the boot kernel will only recognize them as sda1, sda2. sda3. Thus I have a nomenclature problem internal to the system. Thus the title of this post. I am wondering how to correct this problem! Normally I would simply find a new installer, but finding a correctly rolled Debian .iso install image has proved to be extremely difficult through this Dell proprietary based system. (This is the only one I have found to work.)

Ok I think I understand the problem now and here is a possible solution.
the fstab file probably has the incorrect drives. Boot with the media again and
go into the root parttion and then to /etc edit the fstab file so that / is
mounted to /dev/sda1 instead of /dev/sdc1 Also change any other parttions from sdc to sda
that should at least get you booting.