[gentoo-dev] install bootstrap problem

[gentoo-dev] install bootstrap problem

[Dave Bresson]

so i have a bit of a bootstrap problem.  i'm trying to install rc3 off of
the cd, however i'm installing onto an older machine (a p90) that can't
boot directly from the cd.  I made a floppy from the bootgrub image,
however, the machine locks up shortly into the install process.  The exact
point is right after it has found the cd and displays a few messages (the
last of which is "changine root" i believe).  Anyway, the machine just
sits at that point.  I'd also like to note that this is a clean hard
drive, so an install from an already existing os is a no go,
unfortunately.  I would like for the floppy/cd combo to work...has anyone
seen this kind of error, or could offer some tips?


thanks,


dave

Re: [gentoo-dev] install bootstrap problem

[Achim Gottinger]

Dave Bresson wrote:

> so i have a bit of a bootstrap problem.  i'm trying to install rc3 off of
> the cd, however i'm installing onto an older machine (a p90) that can't
> boot directly from the cd.  I made a floppy from the bootgrub image,
> however, the machine locks up shortly into the install process.  The exact
> point is right after it has found the cd and displays a few messages (the
> last of which is "changine root" i believe).  Anyway, the machine just
> sits at that point.  I'd also like to note that this is a clean hard
> drive, so an install from an already existing os is a no go,
> unfortunately.  I would like for the floppy/cd combo to work...has anyone
> seen this kind of error, or could offer some tips?
>

rc3 was optimized for i686 systems, so it does not run on pentium/k6 systems.
:-/
We changed that in rc4 (optimized for i486), so you need the lates rc4 (pre2)
cd.

bye achim

>
> thanks,
>
> dave
>
> _______________________________________________
> gentoo-dev mailing list
> gentoo-dev@gentoo.org
> http://www.gentoo.org/mailman/listinfo/gentoo-dev

Re: [gentoo-dev] install bootstrap problem

[drobbins]

On Mon, Jan 29, 2001 at 05:02:35AM -0500, Dave Bresson wrote:

> so i have a bit of a bootstrap problem.  i'm trying to install rc3 off of
> the cd, however i'm installing onto an older machine (a p90) that can't
> boot directly from the cd.  I made a floppy from the bootgrub image,
> however, the machine locks up shortly into the install process.  The exact
> point is right after it has found the cd and displays a few messages (the
> last of which is "changine root" i believe).  Anyway, the machine just
> sits at that point.  I'd also like to note that this is a clean hard
> drive, so an install from an already existing os is a no go,
> unfortunately.  I would like for the floppy/cd combo to work...has anyone
> seen this kind of error, or could offer some tips?

I'm guessing that it's because rc3 has some P6 instructions in it and therefore
is dying on your Pentium Classic.  rc4-pre2 should solve your problems.

Best Regards,

-- 
Daniel Robbins					<drobbins@gentoo.org>
President/CEO					http://www.gentoo.org 
Gentoo Technologies, Inc.			

[gentoo-dev] install bootstrap problem

[smk_va]

In response to Dave Bresson
>> so i have a bit of a bootstrap problem.  ...

Achim Gottinger wrote:

> rc3 was optimized for i686 systems, so it does not run on pentium/k6
systems. :-/ We changed that in rc4 (optimized for i486), so you need the
lates rc4 (pre2) cd.

A couple of points:

1. the rc3 disk does the same hang described by Dave on my Compaq ProSignia
500 with PPro which is a P6 class processor
2. when I try to bootstrap the rc4_pre2 CD on the ProSignia 500, I can't
because the kernel image in "bootgrub.img" does not support the NCR SCSI
adapter chip in the ProSignia 500 (booting from the image packaged with rc3
does find the CD, it just hangs at "changing root ..."
3. when I boot from the rc4_pre2 CD on a P5 (Compaq Deskpro), I get a
message that it appears not to be the distribution disk.

Any help getting Gentoo going on this machine would be much appreciated.

Murthy

Re: [gentoo-dev] install bootstrap problem

[drobbins]

On Mon, Jan 29, 2001 at 11:35:02AM -0500, smk_va@yahoo.com wrote:

> 1. the rc3 disk does the same hang described by Dave on my Compaq ProSignia
> 500 with PPro which is a P6 class processor

The glibc sources probably don't consider the PPro to be a P6-class processor.
The problem we were having had to do with glibc adding in its own optimized
assembly routines based on the current setting of the HOST environment
variable.  I'm guessing that rc4_pre2 will work in this regard, and Achim
is looking into the NCR SCSI issue.

Best Regards,

-- 
Daniel Robbins					<drobbins@gentoo.org>
President/CEO					http://www.gentoo.org 
Gentoo Technologies, Inc.			

Re: [gentoo-dev] install bootstrap problem

[Achim Gottinger]

smk_va@yahoo.com wrote:

> In response to Dave Bresson
> >> so i have a bit of a bootstrap problem.  ...
>
> Achim Gottinger wrote:
>
> > rc3 was optimized for i686 systems, so it does not run on pentium/k6
> systems. :-/ We changed that in rc4 (optimized for i486), so you need the
> lates rc4 (pre2) cd.
>
> A couple of points:
>
> 1. the rc3 disk does the same hang described by Dave on my Compaq ProSignia
> 500 with PPro which is a P6 class processor

Hmm, it worked on a PII/PIII/K7 over here. The main problem was glibc-2.2
which uses
special i686 instructions when compile for i686-pc-linux-gnu. Maybe the
classify ppro as
i586.

>
> 2. when I try to bootstrap the rc4_pre2 CD on the ProSignia 500, I can't
> because the kernel image in "bootgrub.img" does not support the NCR SCSI
> adapter chip in the ProSignia 500 (booting from the image packaged with rc3
> does find the CD, it just hangs at "changing root ..."

Hmm, support for NCR SCSI adapters should be in there. I will check this.

>
> 3. when I boot from the rc4_pre2 CD on a P5 (Compaq Deskpro), I get a
> message that it appears not to be the distribution disk.

Daniel, did you include the version file on the iso-image?

achim~

>
>
> Any help getting Gentoo going on this machine would be much appreciated.
>
> Murthy
>
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> gentoo-dev mailing list
> gentoo-dev@gentoo.org
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