[gentoo-user] AMD64 problem...

[gentoo-user] AMD64 problem...

[Chris Walters]

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I recently got a system with an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Processor 4200+ (dual
core).  The problem I keep having with both of the Gentoo AMD 64 CDs
(Minimal and Full) is that: 1. Unless I disable the frame buffer, it
will sit there (forever, I think). 2.  When I disable the frame buffer,
it will go okay up until a point, then it will freeze.

It will never allow me to get to the point where I can retrieve logs to
see where the problem is.  It has been quite frustrating - I can get the
Minimal Install disc for x86 to boot, and can even try to set up my
system, but if I try to change to the AMD64 profile, it will not
function.  I'd be grateful for any ideas on how to get this thing to work.

Regards,
Chris
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Re: [gentoo-user] AMD64 problem...

[Erik]

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Chris Walters wrote:
> I recently got a system with an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Processor 4200+
> (dual core).  The problem I keep having with both of the Gentoo AMD
> 64 CDs (Minimal and Full) is that: 1. Unless I disable the frame
> buffer, it will sit there (forever, I think). 2.  When I disable
> the frame buffer, it will go okay up until a point, then it will
> freeze.
>
> It will never allow me to get to the point where I can retrieve
> logs to see where the problem is.  It has been quite frustrating -
> I can get the Minimal Install disc for x86 to boot, and can even
> try to set up my system, but if I try to change to the AMD64
> profile, it will not function.  I'd be grateful for any ideas on
> how to get this thing to work.
>
> Regards, Chris
I had this problem for a while as well.  Adding 'noapic' to my boot
options fixed it for me.  I think it's a problem with certain
motherboards, like the Asus M2NPV-VM.
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Re: [gentoo-user] AMD64 problem. (Partly SOLVED)

[Chris Walters]

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Erik wrote:
> I had this problem for a while as well.  Adding 'noapic' to my boot
> options fixed it for me.  I think it's a problem with certain
> motherboards, like the Asus M2NPV-VM.

Thank you Erik.  That worked and allowed me to boot with the Minimal
Install Disc.  I was able to install Gentoo.  Now I have a different
problem.  Before I go into it, I will describe my system.

I have 1  250 GB SATA II HDD (which has Windows XP on it), and one 160
GB IDE HDD that I placed in an enclosure, so now it is a USB 2.0 drive
(this is where Gentoo is installed).  When I boot up the Install Disc,
the Windows HDD shows up as /dev/sda, and the USB drive shows up as
/dev/sdb.

I have tried both Grub and Lilo and when I try to boot it, I get a very
similar error - I've tried all sorts of configurations for the boot
managers, and still it will not boot.  It will boot from the Gentoo Boot
CD.  The message I get is like this:

VFS: Cannot open root device "813" or unknown-block(8,19)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on
 unknown-block(8,19)

Any suggestions would be welcome.  TIA.

Regards,
Chris

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Re: [gentoo-user] AMD64 problem. (Partly SOLVED)

[Richard Fish]

On 11/18/06, Chris Walters <cjw2004d@comcast.net> wrote:
> VFS: Cannot open root device "813" or unknown-block(8,19)

This means the kernel found your root drive/partition, but couldn't
mount it.  Most likely you forgot to compile the filesystem driver
*into* your kernel (make sure it is =y and not =m).

-Richard
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Re: [gentoo-user] AMD64 problem. (Partly SOLVED)

[Chris Walters]

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Richard Fish wrote:
> On 11/18/06, Chris Walters <cjw2004d@comcast.net> wrote:
>> VFS: Cannot open root device "813" or unknown-block(8,19)
> 
> This means the kernel found your root drive/partition, but couldn't
> mount it.  Most likely you forgot to compile the filesystem driver
> *into* your kernel (make sure it is =y and not =m).
> 
> -Richard

Hello Richard,

I do have all the file system drivers compiled into my kernel (not as
modules), as I always have.  I am beginning to think that the problem is
that this is a USB drive (well, converted into one, anyway).  Not to
mention the fact that my primary partition is Windows and not Linux.

If anyone has been able to boot from a USB 2.0 drive, I would appreciate
some pointers on how to get this installation working.

Regards,
Chris
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Re: [gentoo-user] AMD64 problem. (Partly SOLVED)

[Richard Fish]

On 11/19/06, Chris Walters <cjw2004d@comcast.net> wrote:
> If anyone has been able to boot from a USB 2.0 drive, I would appreciate
> some pointers on how to get this installation working.

Yes.  The fact that you made it to the "VFS: Cannot open root device"
message means that you successfully "booted" from the drive, in the
sense that the BIOS found a drive to boot from, and that grub (or
lillo) loaded and started executing the kernel.  At this point, it is
down to your kernel configuration or the options passed to it by the
bootloader.

As long as the BIOS supports booting from a USB drive, the proceedure
is basically the same...make sure you have all the right drivers
compiled into your kernel (USB support, USB Mass Storage, SCSI disk,
and filesystem), and pass the appropriate root= option to the kernel.

Can you post the output of "grep -i -e =y -e =m
/usr/src/linux/.config", "fdisk -l", and your grub.conf (assuming you
are using grub to boot).

-Richard
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Re: [gentoo-user] AMD64 problem. (Partly SOLVED)

[Richard Fish]

On 11/20/06, Chris Walters <cjw2004d@comcast.net> wrote:
> > Can you post the output of "grep -i -e =y -e =m
> > /usr/src/linux/.config", "fdisk -l", and your grub.conf (assuming you
> > are using grub to boot).
> >
> > -Richard
>
> Hello Richard,
>
> Here are the results of those three operations.  First the output of the
> grep command:

Ok, I think I found the problem:

CONFIG_USB_STORAGE=y
CONFIG_USB_LIBUSUAL=y

You apparently did not include any of the USB_STORAGE drivers.  Try
adding all of the options (except verbose debug) under USB Mass
Storage Support in Device Drivers->USB Support.  In particular, the
Freecom and USBAT stuff seems pretty common.

HTH,
-Richard
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Re: [gentoo-user] AMD64 problem. (Partly SOLVED)

[Chris Walters]

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Richard Fish wrote:
> On 11/20/06, Chris Walters <cjw2004d@comcast.net> wrote:
>> > Can you post the output of "grep -i -e =y -e =m
>> > /usr/src/linux/.config", "fdisk -l", and your grub.conf (assuming you
>> > are using grub to boot).
>> >
>> > -Richard
>>
>> Hello Richard,
>>
>> Here are the results of those three operations.  First the output of the
>> grep command:
> 
> Ok, I think I found the problem:
> 
> CONFIG_USB_STORAGE=y
> CONFIG_USB_LIBUSUAL=y
> 
> You apparently did not include any of the USB_STORAGE drivers.  Try
> adding all of the options (except verbose debug) under USB Mass
> Storage Support in Device Drivers->USB Support.  In particular, the
> Freecom and USBAT stuff seems pretty common.
> 
> HTH,
> -Richard

Hello Richard,

First, thanks for taking the time to help me.  Second, I am sorry to
report that even though I compiled a new kernel with all those options,
as you suggested, I am getting the same error - exactly the same one.  I
am thinking one of two things: 1. There is still something I need in my
kernel that isn't there.  2.  I need to change the "root=" line, or 3.
Something I haven't thought of yet.

Regards,
Chris
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Re: [gentoo-user] AMD64 problem. (Partly SOLVED)

[Richard Fish]

On 11/20/06, Chris Walters <cjw2004d@comcast.net> wrote:
> First, thanks for taking the time to help me.  Second, I am sorry to
> report that even though I compiled a new kernel with all those options,
> as you suggested, I am getting the same error - exactly the same one.  I
> am thinking one of two things: 1. There is still something I need in my
> kernel that isn't there.  2.  I need to change the "root=" line, or 3.
> Something I haven't thought of yet.

Ok, sorry that idea didn't work.

The only other thing I can think of to try is change root=/dev/sda3.
If for some reason the USB storage stuff initialized before the SATA
system, then the USB drive would become sda and the SATA drive sdb.
This doesn't happen on my system, but it should show up in the kernel
messages above the error, so I guess check there to make sure things
seem sane.

-Richard
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Re: [gentoo-user] AMD64 problem. (Partly SOLVED)

[Chris Walters]

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Richard Fish wrote:
> Ok, sorry that idea didn't work.
> 
> The only other thing I can think of to try is change root=/dev/sda3.
> If for some reason the USB storage stuff initialized before the SATA
> system, then the USB drive would become sda and the SATA drive sdb.
> This doesn't happen on my system, but it should show up in the kernel
> messages above the error, so I guess check there to make sure things
> seem sane.
> 
> -Richard

Hello Richard,

I looked at my boot logs, and I does appear that USB storage does get
initialized before SATA.  When I tried root=/dev/sda3, I got a similar
error - only this one says it cannot read from sda3 (I did try other
letters, and they all failed).  I am beginning to think that the only
way it will be possible to get a working Gentoo system on my computer is
to open it up and install some more hard drives.

Anyway, thanks you your advice and help.

Regards,
Chris
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Re: [gentoo-user] AMD64 problem. (Partly SOLVED)

[Dale]

Chris Walters wrote:
>
>
> Hello Richard,
>
> First, thanks for taking the time to help me.  Second, I am sorry to
> report that even though I compiled a new kernel with all those options,
> as you suggested, I am getting the same error - exactly the same one.  I
> am thinking one of two things: 1. There is still something I need in my
> kernel that isn't there.  2.  I need to change the "root=" line, or 3.
> Something I haven't thought of yet.
>
> Regards,
> Chris

Just to make sure since I have no clue with this.  You did make SURE you
are booting the new kernel right?  I can't tell you how many times I
have booted my old kernel without thinking about it.  Of course, as
anyone here will tell you, I make some silly mistakes.  ;-)

Dale

:-)  :-)  :-)
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Re: [gentoo-user] AMD64 problem. (Partly SOLVED)

[Chris Walters]

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Dale wrote:
> Just to make sure since I have no clue with this.  You did make SURE you
> are booting the new kernel right?  I can't tell you how many times I
> have booted my old kernel without thinking about it.  Of course, as
> anyone here will tell you, I make some silly mistakes.  ;-)
> 
> Dale
> 
> :-)  :-)  :-)

Hello Dale,

Nope - no silly mistakes in this case, though I have made my fair share.
 Just to be certain, I did a make clean, a menuconfig, checked all the
parameters, and recompiled the kernel...  Then when I copied it again, I
checked it out to make sure it really copied...  It still will not load
the root file system.

Regards,
Chris
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