Hello

I installed slackware before and it went well, but one day it just stopped booting up. Everytime it was about to load it freezes at this message "hda: attached ide-cdrom driver". I've tried reformatting my computer, but that didnt help. I used different linux boot disks, like knoppix, etc. and there is always a cd-rom error. This has been going on for a while, and i still couldnt find a solution... What could the problem be?

that line is saying you have the cdrom attached to /dev/hda (primary master, for whatever reason you'd have it like that, I do not know) and its using the ide-cdrom driver and not scsi emulation.

Is this an older computer, newer ? Since that line of output is not your problem, you'll have to start digging for answers some other way.

So can you boot into an installer ? Have you tried a different cdrom if not ? What happens if you do go through an installation ? So many questions

yeah,

we need your console output of

"cat /proc/partitions"

and we need to see your '/etc/fstab'

and we need to know basically how many hard drives you really do have plugged in and cd roms /dvd devices.

also let us know if you are plugging your hardware in to the IDE ports of the motherboard, or an off-board IDE controller card (e.g.scsi, raid cards) or if you are using scsi, etc.

also, let us know what the first few lines of your /etc/lilo.conf has. do you have anything in there like "append=..."

also what kernel are you using, slack default or homebrewed?

bye for now.

well i absolutly can not load up the installation of slackware because it freezes at it is loading on that message. This is a new computer, recently got it. I wont be able to show you the /etc/fstab because i cant get in... also using the original slackware cd.

try a slax live cd..boot up..go to /mnt directory in konqueror when your in slax and get the info

i've tried many live cds already and cant even get in, all errors similar to that.

Well, if you have the CD-ROM as Primary Master you should put it on Primary Slave or Secondary Master/Slave and the hard drive you want to install the system on should be Primary Master. Check with your cables, jumpers inside your pc. If that's the problem and get it to work, when installing slack at the boot loader lilo configuration pass the ide-scsi emulation option to the kernel ( hdb=ide-scsi for Primary Slave, hdc=ide-scsi Secondary Master and hdd=ide-scsi Secondary Slave , add the one that fits your needs). Good luck.

Boot into the BIOS and verify that it sees your hard drive(s) and optical drive(s), if not just like nykey said and check to make sure your cables are secured.

ok ill try both your suggestions, but nykey how would i tell if it is slave/master, and how would i change the settings if my cd-rom is not secondary master?

actually now thinking about it .. are you using SATA drives, and that is maybe why your cdrom was hda, since its probably the only IDE drive in there ? Are these recent versions of the distrobutions that you are trying to install ?

yes i am using a SATA drive. i was trying to install slackware 10.2; it was successfull installing on this computer before, but suddenly this message showed.

anybody?? btw what do i do to check for slave/master and change them?

How To Install and Troubleshoot Serial ATA (SATA) Hard Drives

"With a Serial ATA interface, each disc drive has its own cable that connects directly to a Serial ATA host adapter or a Serial ATA port on your motherboard. Unlike Parallel ATA, there is no master-slave relationship between drives that use a Serial ATA interface."

http://www.seagate.com/support/kb/di...ll_tshoot.html

Is the drive detected when you view the BIOS information? If the drive is not detected, then verify that the drive's cables are secured and ensure the autodetect is set for the drive per your drive's hardware manufacture and BIOS support documentation.

Sounds like a problem with your cd-rom drive of some sort. You could always try putting dev/hda=ide-scsi in your lilo.conf. And have you tried disconnecting the cd-rom drive ?

Hi,

Since you are using a sata drive try the test26.s boot. You are probably using the bare.i boot.