Slackware 12.0: boot problem & sudo / wifi-radar problem

War_Ensemble · 01-14-2008, 06:27 PM

Hey there,

Running 12.0 On an IBM R51, the rest of the specs are in my sig.

1) After the LILO boot screen when it says:

Code:

Loading Linux............................................................

That "Loading Linux" part takes almost a minute to get through. Each dot takes almost a second to appear. On my other machines it goes so fast you can hardly see that part. Other than that it boots and runs fine once it gets through that initial part of booting. Anyone have any ideas why this would happen? The only thing I can think of is that LILO and the MBR aren't playing well on this machine. This machine would boot in 20-30 seconds, instead it takes a minute and a half. Not that big of a deal, just a nuisance.

2) wifi-radar. I edited sudoers with the line:

Code:

username ALL=/usr/sbin/wifi-radar

When I run wifi-radar as a normal user in a terminal I get:

Code:

username@thinkpad:~$ sudo /usr/sbin/wifi-radar
Password:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/sbin/wifi-radar", line 1618, in <module>
    set_network_device(INTERFACE)
  File "/usr/sbin/wifi-radar", line 120, in set_network_device
    INTERFACE = wireless_devices[0]
IndexError: list index out of range
username@thinkpad:~$

When I run it as super user in terminal it runs fine. If anyone can tell me what that error message is about I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks!

dracolich · 01-14-2008, 06:40 PM

Check that the compact option is in the global section of /etc/lilo.conf file. Also, how big is the kernel image compared to the faster ones? If you change anything in lilo.conf remember to run the lilo command to implement the changes.

War_Ensemble · 01-14-2008, 07:43 PM

Not sure what the compact option is...I don't think it is in there. I am running vmlinuz-generic-2.6.21.5

here is my lilo.conf:

Code:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 320
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
  reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 773
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-2.6.21.5
  initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
  root = /dev/hda1
  label = Linux
  read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/hda1
  label = Safe
  read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

It was way slower with the huge-smp kernel. Then I installed the generic-smp, that cut the time in half almost. Now I'm using the generic-2.6.21.5, which is a little faster than the generic-smp. It still takes almost a minute to get through that first stage.

Thanks

C-Sniper · 01-14-2008, 08:05 PM

i know that lilo might also depend on HD speed. a good example (for me atleast) is that Lilo loads my server (7200RPM) in about 2sec, my latop in about 20-30sec (4200RPM). This is what i think, but maybe wrong.

War_Ensemble · 01-14-2008, 08:29 PM

It has a brand new 5400RPM WD 120GB. No OS should take this long to boot. I don't think its the OS though, because when tux appears in the corner the text starts flying by. The slow part is just that "Loading Linux / BIOS Data check" part.

anyone have any ideas about the wifi-radar problem?

Thanks!

dracolich · 01-15-2008, 07:21 AM

Quote:

It was way slower with the huge-smp kernel. Then I installed the generic-smp, that cut the time in half almost. Now I'm using the generic-2.6.21.5, which is a little faster than the generic-smp. It still takes almost a minute to get through that first stage.

IIRC, each kernel that you switched to that became faster also has fewer option built into the kernel image itself. The smaller images, thus, load faster.

From the LILO.CONF man page:

Quote:

compact = Tries to merge read requests for adjacent sectors into a single read request. This drastically reduces load time and keeps the map smaller. Using `compact' is especially recommended when booting from a floppy disk.

I used to have to watch the trailing dots, too, until I added 'compact'. Here's the global section of my lilo.conf

Code:

# LILO configuration file
# Start LILO global section

boot=/dev/hda           # boot device - MBR 
lba32                   # enable logical block addressing for large drives
compact                 # enable faster hdd read (may hang on older systems)
prompt
#timeout=100            # delay in tenths of seconds
ramdisk=0               # create ramdisk (0=no ramdisk)
root=/dev/hda6

#Normal VGA mode
# vga=normal
#VESA framebuffer console mode 1024x768x256
vga=773

# End LILO global section

Hope this helps!

dracolich · 01-15-2008, 07:32 AM

I'd forgotten there was a second question! Sorry.

Maybe edit your sudoers file to be more like this:

Code:

username  HOSTNAME=(root)  NOPASSWD: /usr/sbin/wifi-radar

This is a modification of my line for using the shutdown command. That's all I can think of. I don't know the wifi-radar command myself, but if it calls out to any other commands that require root permission, iwconfig for example, that might produce such an error.

War_Ensemble · 01-15-2008, 09:49 AM

The compact option worked! My laptop goes from lilo to gdm in about 24 seconds!

Being as I have gotten WICD to manage my wireless and wired connections I have no need for wifi-radar, so I will removepkg that. I'm sure I could have figured it out, but it was easier to install a program that works with little or no config...

Thank you dracolich!