[SOLVED] Slackware 14.2: ldconfig fails to run on Pentium MMX

Gunnersky2002 · 07-04-2017, 08:21 PM

Hi,

I recently installed Slackware 14.2 on my 133MHz Pentium MMX with 64MB of RAM. I get the following error booting up:
ldconfig: ../sysdeps/x86_64/cacheinfo:262: handle_intel: Assertion `maxidx >= 2' failed.
I installed the 32 bit version on the machine. My system stops booting after that.

Thanks,
Gunnersky2002.

upnort · 07-04-2017, 09:27 PM

The info you posted seems to indicate a mismatch of 32-bit and 64-bit packages. Perhaps double-check the ISO and any subsequent packages?

The MMX is an i586 and the good news is Slackware is compiled for i486. Many 32-bit distros are compiled for i686 and the MMX does not support the CMOV instruction. Been there done that years ago.

I have Slackware 14.1 32-bit installed on a Pentium I system. I have 256 MB RAM.

The Slackware-HOWTO states 128 MB of RAM is required although you might succeed at installing with less RAM.

On my system, console operations run reasonably OK but booting into and using X is slow.

If you still have problems installing, a trick I have used a few times is pull the hard drive from the older system and temporarily install in a system with more RAM. Unplug the other hard drives. Install the 32-bit ISO, then move the hard drive back into the MMX box.

volkerdi · 07-05-2017, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunnersky2002

I recently installed Slackware 14.2 on my 133MHz Pentium MMX with 64MB of RAM. I get the following error booting up:
ldconfig: ../sysdeps/x86_64/cacheinfo:262: handle_intel: Assertion `maxidx >= 2' failed.
I installed the 32 bit version on the machine. My system stops booting after that.

Seems to be related to this glibc commit that's not in Slackware 14.2's glibc-2.23:

https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc....eb4f2a59431601

upnort · 07-05-2017, 02:34 PM

@Gunnersky2002: Perhaps install 14.1? Still supported.

Often every summer I pull my old boxes from the shelf and update them, mostly for exercising the electronics and experience a little nostalgia. I will do so with my 14.1 systems and post here if you remain interested. I am not planning to update the 14.1 systems to 14.2. That would take all day because the hardware is so slow.

According to Pat, updating from 14.1 to 14.2 will not resolve your specific boot problem.

anscal · 07-06-2017, 05:12 AM

From today's changelog for -current:

Thu Jul 6 00:57:41 UTC 2017
patches/packages/glibc-2.23-i586-3_slack14.2.txz: Rebuilt.
Recompiled with upstream patch from git:
"[PATCH] X86: Don't assert on older Intel CPUs [BZ #20647]"
This fixes an ldconfig failure on older Intel CPUs including Pentium MMX.

Thank you Mr. Voelkerding

upnort · 07-06-2017, 09:46 AM

Quote:

From today's changelog for -current:

Same change for 14.2.

Raises the question of how to help the OP. The patched package is in /patches and not the original ISO. The patched package would have to be updated before rebooting that very first time. Or rc.M temporarily edited (comment out ldconfig) before rebooting?

bassmadrigal · 07-06-2017, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upnort

Same change for 14.2.

Raises the question of how to help the OP. The patched package is in /patches and not the original ISO. The patched package would have to be updated before rebooting that very first time. Or rc.M temporarily edited (comment out ldconfig) before rebooting?

Once installation is complete, but before rebooting, grab the patched package (either from a thumbdrive or networked connection) and run the following:

Code:

ROOT=/mnt upgradepkg /location/to/glibc-2.23-x86_64-3_slack14.2.txz

kjhambrick · 07-06-2017, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upnort

Same change for 14.2.

Raises the question of how to help the OP. The patched package is in /patches and not the original ISO. The patched package would have to be updated before rebooting that very first time. Or rc.M temporarily edited (comment out ldconfig) before rebooting?

Good point upnort !

Making an ISO from Current and Booting Current should 'just work' but one would need to construct a patched version of 14.2 and make an ISO from that ...

Interesting catch-22.

I wonder if something like the following would work ?

Code:

##################################################################################
# assume you've got a local Slackware64-14.2 repo in say, /tmp/slackware64-14.2/ #
##################################################################################

# make a working directory for a patched version of Slackware64 14.2

mkdir /tmp/slackware64-14.2-patched

# copy your original repo into the new patched/ directory ...

cd  /tmp/slackware64-14.2                     # assumes your repo is here !
cp -a  * /tmp/slackware64-14.2-patched/

# remove the original Slackware64 14.2 glibc packages 

cd /tmp/slackware64-14.2-patched/slackware64/l/
rm -fv glibc*

# and replace glibc with the recently patched version

cp -av /tmp/slackware64-14.2/patches/packages/glibc-* /tmp/slackware64-14.2-patched/slackware64/l/

# finally make an iso file in /tmp/ the Slackware way 
# using the content of /tmp/slackware64-14.2-patched/ 

cd /tmp/slackware64-14.2-patched

mkisofs                                  \
  -o /tmp/slackware64-14.2-patched.iso   \
  -R -J                                  \
  -A "Slackware64 14.2-patched Install"  \
  -hide-rr-moved                         \
  -v -d -N                               \
  -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4        \
  -boot-info-table                       \
  -sort isolinux/iso.sort                \
  -b isolinux/isolinux.bin               \
  -c isolinux/isolinux.boot              \
  -m 'source'                            \
  -V "SlackDVD"                                    .

# /tmp/slackware64-14.2-patched.iso is the burnable / bootable ISO File

isohybrid "/tmp/slackware64-14.2-patched.iso"

-- kjh

kjhambrick · 07-06-2017, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassmadrigal

Once installation is complete, but before rebooting, grab the patched package (either from a thumbdrive or networked connection) and run the following:

Code:

ROOT=/mnt upgradepkg /location/to/glibc-2.23-x86_64-3_slack14.2.txz

Yikes !

This would be much simpler than making the patched ISO File I posted !

Thanks bassmadrigal !

-- kjh

Didier Spaier · 07-06-2017, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upnort

Raises the question of how to help the OP.

I assume that Slackware is installed, but can't boot.

Start the machine with the installation media inserted, then as soon as logged in as "root" type:

Code:

lsblk -o model,name,size,fstype # to check the installed system's root partition's. Let's assume it's hda1.
mount /dev/hda1 /mnt
ROOT=/mnt removepkg glibc-solibs
ROOT=/mnt removepkg glibc
wget http://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-14.2/patches/packages/glibc-2.23-i586-3_slack14.2.txz
wget http://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-14.2/patches/packages/glibc-solibs-2.23-i586-3_slack14.2.txz
installpkg --root /mnt glibc-2.23-i586-3_slack14.2.txz
installpkg --root /mnt glibc-solibs-2.23-i586-3_slack14.2.txz
umount /mnt

Then, remove the installation media and reboot.

PS I didn't see previous answers before posting. upgradepkg is not included in the installer.
PS2 As suggested by others you can have the new packages available on another media instead of downloading them.

kjhambrick · 07-06-2017, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Didier Spaier

<<snip>>... upgradepkg is not included in the installer ...<<snip>>

Thank you Didier Spaier !

I didn't know that upgradepkg isn't available with the installer.

Good to know

-- kjh

upnort · 07-06-2017, 12:37 PM

Wow! We probably just scared the bejeebers out of the OP!

kjhambrick · 07-06-2017, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upnort

Wow! We probably just scared the bejeebers out of the OP!

Maybe so, but I hope not

-- kjh

Gunnersky2002 · 07-06-2017, 01:49 PM

Thank you everyone for your help. I installed the new packages on my Slackware installation and it fixed the error.

upnort · 07-06-2017, 02:23 PM

Quote:

I installed the new packages on my Slackware installation and it fixed the error.

What method did you use?