install problems
 

trying to install on an AMD k6-2, Seagate Meadalist 2132....


i wiped the hard drive using autoclave v0.03






boot: linux no-hlt

kernel loads fine till i get this;

Partition check:
hdc: unknown partition table
VFS; Cannot open root device on 03:42
Kernel panic: VFS: unable to mount on root fs on 03:42


so i boot with this;


boot: linux root=/dev/hdc no-hlt

and i get another kernel panic: VFS: unable to mount root fs on 16:00





help is appreciated!

perhaps its becuase i need to have apartitioned haard drive for linux install



/dev/hda1 and /dev/hda2 right?




but how do i partition a blank hard drive??

Hmmm,

Is it dual boot?
What is boot: linux no-hlt ?

What version are you installing?
Are you booting from a Linux install CD?
Is there already an operating system on hda

format drive > (substitute as necessary)

Hope this helps,
alar

Hello #GIVE BLOOD#

Did you looked at the jumpers of the hard drive, is the hard drive set as MASTER.

With a Seagate hard drive that means there is 1 jumper on the back, look at the top view of your drive for the exact jumper settings.

With kind regards,

Richard

If you need to have a look at the drive you can either use a Windows or linux boot disk, and Windows install CD and most linux install discs. Run fdisk and have a play with the drive and see whats up.

You shouldn't need it partitioned before install but yeah, what is no-htl?

the harddrive is completely blank....i wiped it all off...its blank.



on that particular machine im trying to instal vector linux.



hlt is a pentium command....since it is an AMD, thekernel would hang-up on "checking hlt instruction".....so i told the kernel not to check the hlt.

Hi ##GIVE BLOOD##,

Does the HDD get reconized by the PC --> BIOS
Is the HDD your only Drive in you PC? Except for the CDROM off course.
If the HDD is wiped you can't use linux root=xxxxxx because there is no root partition yet.
Just a question but have you tried to boot without that hlt thing?
Is there another OS on your PC so you could maybe check the HDD or maybe you could try to boot with another boot CD. Like Knoppix, Windows or even an DOS Disk?

Hope I could help!!!

greetings
jtr

HD is recognized

i have a floppy also

yes, the kernel hangs at "checking hlt intruction"




im trying to partition the drive through XP.....i hooked it up as a slve....but i couldnt get fdisk to run....so i quit before i got to pissed


please help....this install has been on my back for a few months now....heh..

Hmmm.
XP. That's an operating system right? I think I have an install CD around here
somewhere. Does it support Linux <alar ponders>

I do not know vector linux. Do you have it on CD? Could it possibly be contained on a floppy (I doan think so).

You have to boot to vector.
Do not reformat hda (I assume that is Windows). Your boot to vector should have the smarts to say formatted drive hda, unformatted dribe hdb. I never had a problem installing linux on my AMD.

Don't count on support from an XP boot. Forge your own path!!
Good luck :)

alar

Hi again,

Let's see...
BIOS is recognizing the drive, so it's correctly connected.
XP should and would normally recognize the drive and ask if you want to format it.

Is that a new drive or did you use it before? What size is it?
Has the BIOS recognized the correct size as well?
Maybe you have to change to LBA, normal or large mode.
If you have the correct values for heads, cylinder and so on you could enter them by hand.
But be careful cause wrong values could mean bye bye HDD.

That tools that you used to empty your drive with it that like a low level formating tool?
Cause you should'nt low level format HDD these days. That is something from the old times and can damage them.

Have you got another distro to try because I don't know Vector Linux.
Knoppix is quite up to date. Maybe a SuSe or Mandrake Live-CD from a Magazine or a friend.

The last thing you could try is to connect the HDD to another PC from a friend or so, just to make sure that there is nothing wrong with yours.


greetings
jtr

the hard drive is fine and everything...i think tis just that it has no partitions and linux needs its own partition to install.....so im going to partiton it by hooking it up as a slave and running partition magic or something.


if that doesnt work...ill shoot my foot

I don't know Vector but

You can partition with Cfdisk. It gives you a graphical inteface that is understandable to use. You'll need a /boot or / partition to install linux. You can get by with just a / and make it bootable. You will also have to have a swap partition. Cfdisk will allow you to make all the partitions that you want. A good usable linux HD could be something like 3 partitions
/
/home
swap
or /usr

/ for the os /usr is where software getrs installed
/home for your files, only /home is sharable on a network
and swap space.

If you make just 1 partition / then everything will install under root.

If you make a /home part. then you can reinstall the OS or change it if you have probs without wiping out your files.

If you have had linux on that drive XP will no longer work on it the way it is. You will need to boot from the install disk into recovery consol and enter FIXMBR.

Take a breath and have another go at it. Linux is worth the bother.

Also I've put Mandrake and Fedora on a K6-2 with no probs with the processor instruction set.

what exactly is cfdisk?

Hallo,

cfdisk is like fdisk from DOS just a little better ;-)

If it's a Inst-CD than it does'nt need a partition until you start the installation.
The CD boot probably starts it's inst-menu and so on.

eample:
With SuSe starts automatically yast, with Slackware you have to login, start cdfisk if needed and than type setup. Different distro choose different ways but all of them don't need a partition untill the actual installation process has stated.

Try another distro or is there a special reason you choose Vector Linux?


greetings
jtr

Would it be a wise idea to partition a drive using Windows if it's planned on being used by Linux? Not sure if there are differences between them or not. But if I were using Linux, I'd use a Linux based disk utility just to be safe. The distributions I have tinkered with haven't needed a partition on a clean drive before installation...only option I can see is run the disk utility program 1st (like cfdisk or something).