input/output error during read on /dev/hda

bm1 · 11-22-2002, 05:05 PM

i am trying to install RH 8.0 and cant get past RH trying to format and partition the hard drive. i keep getting "an error has occurred no valid devices were found on which to create new file systems please check your hardware for the cause of this problem" someone told me it had something to do with linux calling the hard drive hda? i have a fujitsu mpe3064at hard drive
please help me, windows sucks

finegan · 11-22-2002, 05:50 PM

Is this hard drive attached to an ATA100/133 riser card or onboard controller? If so it sometimes takes some non-standard tricks to get those to work. Post back the model and we'll work it out.

The other issue could be if the drive is jumpered cable select, with some boards the kernel has issues figuring out where to assign the drive.

If its neither of these, describe more about the system, oddly enough the model of the drive matters little... pretty much all drives work out of the box. Its everything the drive is connected to and how it is that is usually the source of issues.

Cheers,

Finegan

bm1 · 11-23-2002, 06:54 AM

ive purchased a hewlett packard comp the writting on the motherboard is sparx - m rev 1.01. i rung hp and they said puma 2 make this brand how ever i cannot find anything on the web. the model of hp is 4404 pavilion. i am in New Zealand if that helps. the motherboard has an atx power supply and two ide controllers. it has 2 pci slotts and 2 isa slotts. there are 4 sets of jumpers on the motherboard next to the ide controllers. thanks

bm1 · 11-23-2002, 07:24 AM

i found this at hewlett packard

http://h20015.www2.hp.com/en/documen...cName=bph04803

i dont understand what the jumpers are for but i am willing to learn.
bm1

bm1 · 11-24-2002, 04:36 AM

hewlett packard say that the motherboard is made by puma. i found a picture of it and some jumper details but i dont understand what they are for.

http://h20015.www2.hp.com/en/docume...ocName=bph04803

it has onboard controllers, im not sure what ata 100\133 is.

thanks bm1

moses · 11-24-2002, 05:15 AM

The jumper setting referred to by finegan is on the hard drive, not the
motherboard.

At what point does RH fail? before, during or after an attempt to partition
the hard drive?
In order for RH to create a valid linux filesystem, it needs a partition
that is tagged correctly. This should be done during the partition step,
similar to the way MicroSoft OSs used fdisk early in the install on a
fresh hard drive (if you've ever done that). RH should provide the tools
to do this correctly, so it's important to know when the failure occurred.

bm1 · 11-24-2002, 06:01 PM

when red hat gives you the option of using the druid wizard or automatically initialising then partitioning, i get a screen that says you will lose all data. then 1 miniute after that i get the error message. the hard deive is set to master, there are four other options for my hard drive
-master
-slave
-cable select
-slave present
thanks

bm1 · 11-24-2002, 06:12 PM

just wondering would the cd rom being jumpered on cable select cause the error. just about to test it
bm1

moses · 11-24-2002, 06:28 PM

Yeah, any "cable select" drive can cause problems. Try setting all of your
IDE devices to their correct master/slave configurations.

bm1 · 11-24-2002, 06:42 PM

still got an error i have both hard drive and cd rom masters, my cd rom is on ide1, and hard drive on ide0. what you think?
bm1

bm1 · 11-24-2002, 06:58 PM

in the bios there is a setting large disk access mode other or dos it says if you are installing unix it should be on other. i changed this and still got the error. just below that optiion is local bus ide adapter, what is this and would it have anything to do with my error. oh and when rh is probing through my system it does recognise the monitor
bm1

moses · 11-24-2002, 07:17 PM

Keep your HD on ide0, your CD on ide1, both masters should be fine.
Does the RH install disk allow you to exit to a terminal?
If so, try this:
fdisk -l /dev/hda
post the output here.

(you might have to hit: Alt-F2 to get to a terminal)

bm1 · 11-24-2002, 07:26 PM

i used alt F1 when i was given the error and when i type the command
fdisk -l /dev/hda
i get no such file or directory

moses · 11-24-2002, 09:00 PM

Sorry, try /sbin/fdisk -l /dev/hda

If you still get a no such file or directory, try:

/bin/dmesg | less
look through this for something like:

Code:

hda: IBM-DTLA-305030, ATA DISK drive
ide0 at 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6 on irq 14
hda: 60036480 sectors (30739 MB) w/380KiB Cache, CHS=3737/255/63

Post what you find.

bm1 · 11-24-2002, 10:37 PM

still getting no message, i must be using a terminial at the wrong time. when would be the best time to access a terminal.
when i execute the second command end_ appears at the bottom of the screen then summary of less commands come up