Good afternoon Staff and readers,

Starting from the point of ISO installation of open SUSE 9.3 about 3 weeks ago, the detailed boot sequence states "the DMA on the hard drive is turned off. This situation could greatly slow down the fsck."
A dictionary defines the DMA as the direct memory access and stresses its importance in facilitating the exchange of information between Windows OS and the Linux OS.
Can anyone help with the issue?

Sincerely,
langbein

You can turn on DMA on console as root with: hdparm -d1 /dev/hdX.

You should also check /var/log/warn and /var/log/messages.

If by help, you mean turn DMA on, maybe. That is what you want though, DMA (and UDMA) greatly increase the speed at which you can read and write data to the hard drive.

The first thing to check is that your board is not set to block DMA in the BIOS. If it is, change the setting from PIO or "DMA if available" to "DMA" the options may vary depending on board and BIOS version.

Then make sure the right chipset drivers are loading.

Thank you Keruskerfürst for your Linux specific response:

<<You can turn on DMA on console as root with: hdparm -d1 /dev/hdX.
You should also check /var/log/warn and /var/log/messages.>>

As a newbie I need some further help with your response: 1. what is "hdparm -d1 /dev/hdX?" It looks like a command, but I don't know where to use it. I can get into root/ but hdparm does not seem to be a sub-folder.

2. I did find the two files "/var/log/warn and /var/log/messages." They are very long! But certainly at least in messages I found the same phrase as in the boot sequence: "the dma on your hard drive is turned off." What do these var/log/ files mean? What does one do with them? Do you ever clear a log and start the collection over?

Sincerely,
langbein
PS: As you live in Germany you might be interested in the origin of langbein; this is the maiden name of my paternal grandmother, bless her departed soul. Her full name was Thekla Langbein and I've adopted her last name as a tribute to her German origins.

Thank you RedShirt for your suggestions,
I can't find much on LQ about DMA and wondered if I should have posted in another Forum such asLinux/Hardware?

<<The first thing to check is that your board is not set to block DMA in the BIOS. If it is, change the setting from PIO or "DMA if available" to "DMA" the options may vary depending on board and BIOS version.>>

Not being sure where BIOS is in WindowsXP, I selected F2 Setup during XP's boot sequence and opened the topic: DRIVE CONFIGURATION. There is a statement in this location: "IDE Drive UDMA------on" Not finding anything else in F2 Setup, I completed boot in WXP and opened Control Panel/Systems/Drive Manager/IDE ATA-ATAPI Controllers. The contents are as follows:

1. Primary IDE Channel and I see that "DMA if available" is the only affirmative option to choose; and below this entry another window I see displays: "Ultra DMA Mode 5."
2. Secondary IDE Channel where again "DMA if available" is present; and below a similar window to above with the display: "Ultra DMA Mode 2."

Could SUSE 9.3 be providing incorrect information? On a broader issue, if asked to change or review the settings of the OS BIOS in WinXP, what options, other than those I've used, are available to evaluate the BIOS settings?
Thank you again, you have become a visible surrogate Linux Teacher for me and others, but then I guess that is what monitors really are!

TTFN,
langbein

BIOS is before boot loaders. It is before WinXP or GRUB or anything else loads. The very first screen(well sometimes you get a video card splash first). Usually just after botting hit "del" or "f1" BEFORE it goes to a boot loader. It isn't in an OS, it is a firmware for your motherboard to set configurations and settings. You can skip this though if Windows says it is in UDMA mode, it means the board is set to allow DMA.

Well, anywho, after this, is the turning DMA on in SuSE, which is available as Kerusker mentioned command line. Or you can use Sax2 from YAST to check on hard drive settings and make sure they are all set right.

Hello again, RedShirt,
Well I arrived in yast2 using the command line. Under Hardware the subheading IDE DMA Setup showed that NO DMA WAS TURNED ON! I activated all 4 drives, pushed apply and finish. Returned and verified that all 4 drives now displayed DMA names and numbers. I rebooted to see if the detailed boot sequence no longer contained the warning that the hard drive DMA was turned off. As the sequence scrolled down the same "DMA on the hard drive is turned off" was still present.
Then even worse, the sequence stopped short of automatic booting to the SUSE desktop and asked for me to login. I complied, but began to worry as this had never happened before. Then this failed reboot to desktop unfolded as I've copied below:

1.linux login:

(i entered dietert)

2.password:

(i entered the root administrator pw)

3.xmodmap: unable to open display"
4.dietert@linux:~> <flashing cursor>

(you taught me this is the Konqueror shell terminal command line, so I entered "su" for super user, which has worked on the terminal window to open /root)

5.password:

(i entered the root administrator pw)

6.linux:/home/dietert # <flashing cursor>

(now I was unable to respond with any command to proceed; what to do? I typed and entered exit and the command line backed up to return to the terminal command line)

7.dietert@linux:~> <flashing cursor>

(I typed and entered exit)

8.Welcome to SuSE Linux 9.3 (i586)-kernel 2.6.11.4-21.9-default
9.linux login: <flashing cursor>

Here I am back at "square one." I need help again as I can't even return to the SuSE desktop; this posting is from WinXP.

Sincerely,
langbein

The first thing to check on is your xorg.0.log in /var/log/ and see if it yields any warnings in particular. If it does show you one, and you can't figure out what it means or how to fix it, post it here, so we can help get it sorted out.

Thanks for your response so quickly, RedShirt,

Quote: <The first thing to check on is your xorg.0.log in /var/log/ and see if it yields any warnings in particular.>

This suggestion sounds to me as if I need to open the /root folder and display its contained sub-folders, one of which is </var/log>.
But the problem is that I can't get out of the boot sequence into any recognizable folder.

When I get to <#4.dietert@linux:~> <flashing cursor>>, the use of the "su" command followed by #5. the administrator pw does not result in access to the /root folder!

I realize now that my statement (in which I was referring to the PAST before this debacle) quote: <"which has worked on the terminal window to open /root"> gave you the FALSE impression I could now open the /root folder.
I really apologize for this choice of words. Written communication is so difficult, because the listener can't immediately question the speaker to see if he/she understands the sense of a statement.

When I enter "su" into this string:
#4. dietert@linux:~> <flashing cursor> and follow with the #5. administrative pw, the result is NOT the /ROOT folder and its sub-folders in a nice column, but instead this string appears:

#6. linux:/home/dietert # <flashing cursor>---At this point I have no idea how to proceed; certainly I don't know how to go from this step to the /root folder. I was trying to demonstrate this result in my thread by using steps #4, #5, and #6, but I think I failed.

Please let me know if this makes sense to you; I somehow feel we are not "connecting" about what is happening on my end and what you "think" is happening on your end.

Sincerely,
langbein

Try doing
+enter
+enter.

That should put you in root.
I should mention ".." is "go up a directory level". As you start in "/home/USER_NAME/". Going back twice puts you in "/".

Good afternoon RedShirt,
Suddenly I understand what your ".." in the rectangle means!!

When I arrive at linux:/home/dietert#
I type ".." and enter; this moves the path back one directory and I arrive
at linux:/home#
I again type ".." and enter; the again moves the path back one directory and i arrive at linux:/#

But how to open the /root directory? I remembered the old DOS command: "dir"
On a chance, knowing nothing about UNIX, I typed dir and enter.
I found the entire /root directory displayed underneath:
Total 200
drwxr-xr-r 22 root root 536 2005-11-18 03:31 sub-directory name in BLUE

(multiple similar entries in a column)
Lacking any further /root commands, I tried your earlier suggestion of "/var/log/xorg.0.log" , but could not make any further headway.

Hoping for further enlightenment
langbein

PS: have discovered another DOS command works with Linux root position: i.e., the command "cd" will advance FORWARD into the sub-directory list! This will work from Linux:/#

Hello RedShirt, Sunday 2005/11/20
I have typed the contents of linux:/var/log #
using the command: dir+"enter"
.
..
boot.log
boot.omsg
cups
failog
fetchmail
firewall
kdm.log
lastlog
local messages
mail
mail.err
mail.info
mail.warm
messages
net-snmpd.log
news
ntp
samba
SaX.log
scpm
smpppd
snmpd.log
warn
wtmp
wtmp-20021105.gz
wtmp-20021118.gz
XFree86.0.log-->Xorg.0.log
XFree86.0.log.old-->Xorg.0.log.old
2005 11 19 xorg.0.log
2005 11 20 Xorg.0.log
2005 11 19 Xorg.0.log.old
Xorg.99.log
Xorg.99.log.old
YaST2

I can open the few sub-folders listed, but NOT THE FILES. Don't know how to display the contents of files in Linux SUSE---UNIX. Are we at an end of "remote problem solving?" How realistic is an eventual solution of corrupted Linux boot without going to a local PC service?
I appreciate your continuing support.
langbein

Okay, you have gotten most of the way there. Yes the .., the cd, familiar, now, eh?

Anywho, to view files I usually use the edit command, in case I need to change it. so for you,
should work. Otherwise Xorg99.log, whichever you can get to view. It should have a listing of processes and errors on startup.

Hello once more RedShirt,
The "latest" from the Richland Daily Update:
Here are the details of linux:/var/log/Xorg.0.log using command edit + enter
.
.(langbein: "boiler plate" in this area skipped)
.
Module Loader present
Markers: (langbein: skipped since you would recognize them)

(==) Log File: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" Time Sun Nov 20 13:05 2005
(==)Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"

DATA INCOMPLETE IN THE FILE /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Undefined InputDevice "Mouse[5]" referenced by ServerLayout "Layout[all]"
(EE) Problem parsing the config file
(EE) Error parsing the config file

FATAL SERVER ERROR:
no screens found
Please consult The X.Org Fondation support @ http://wiki.X.Org for help
Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information

Will await your "disease diagnosis and treatment:" surgery or oral meds?
TTFN,
langbein

PS: the scrolling detailed boot screen has a phrase quote: "Failed services in runlevel 5"

Okay, I would think the errors should speak for themselves, here. Firstly you have a mouse[5] defined in your "/etc/X11/xorg.conf" This is certainly causing the xorg.conf not to parse, and thus no video loads. You need to go into the etc/X11 directory and then . You will need to be root to do this. Then you need to look through the file and see where this mouse[5] is being made. You can do one of 2 things. Delete the lines if you have other mice set(or comment it out is safer, by adding a # in front of the line) or you can fix what is wrong with the device, if you know.
You are looking for lines like these, and you need to make it right, so the xorg.conf will parse again and X will load and you will have GUI back.

Once you have fixed it, ":save" and reboot. Hopefully that is the only error, if not, you will have to check the log again and see if it is another error needing to be fixed.