Topic: Clean 5.6 Software Raid install - LI error

[Geoff Bennion]

Server Spec : AMD XP 2000, 256mb Ram

IDE0 : Primary : HDA - 40Gb Maxtor
IDE1 : Primary : HDC - 40Gb Maxtor, Secondary : HDD - IDE CDROM Drive

Will boot from rescue floppy.

When booting from Hard Disk, displays LI

I have tried removing the linear option in the lilo.conf
I have manually upgraded the RPMs with Update4

Anyone got any clues ?


Thanks in advance.

Geoff Bennion.




LILO.CONF:

#------------------------------------------------------------
# BE CAREFUL WHEN MODIFYING THIS FILE! It is updated automatically
# by the SME server software. A few settings are altered by the
# template processing of the file and white space is removed,
# but otherwise changes to the file are preserved.
#
# For more information, see http://www.e-smith.org/custom/ and
# the template fragments in /etc/e-smith/templates/etc/lilo.conf/.
#
# copyright (C) 2002 Mitel Networks Corporation
#------------------------------------------------------------



prompt
timeout=50
default=SME
boot=/dev/md0
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/mitel.pcx
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-5
   label=SME
   initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.18-5.img
   read-only
   root=/dev/md1
        append="idebus=100"



lilo -v -v -v results :
LILO version 21.4-4, Copyright (C) 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger
'lba32' extensions Copyright (C) 1999,2000 John Coffman

boot = /dev/hda, map = /boot/map.0301
Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Merging with /boot/boot.b
Device 0x0301: BIOS drive 0x80, 16 heads, 14120 cylinders,
               63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.
Secondary loader: 11 sectors.
Device 0x0301: BIOS drive 0x80, 16 heads, 14120 cylinders,
               63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.
Mapping message file /boot/mitel.pcx
Device 0x0301: BIOS drive 0x80, 16 heads, 14120 cylinders,
               63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.
Message: 53 sectors.
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-5
Device 0x0301: BIOS drive 0x80, 16 heads, 14120 cylinders,
               63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.
Setup length is 10 sectors.
Mapped 2075 sectors.
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.18-5.img
Device 0x0301: BIOS drive 0x80, 16 heads, 14120 cylinders,
               63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.
RAM disk: 269 sectors.
Added SME *
   
    "ro root=901 BOOT_FILE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-5 idebus=100"
/boot/boot.0300 exists - no backup copy made.
Map file size: 16384 bytes.
Writing boot sector.
boot = /dev/hdc, map = /boot/map.1601
Reading boot sector from /dev/hdc
Merging with /boot/boot.b
Device 0x0301: BIOS drive 0x80, 16 heads, 14120 cylinders,
               63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.
Secondary loader: 11 sectors.
Device 0x0301: BIOS drive 0x80, 16 heads, 14120 cylinders,
               63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.
Mapping message file /boot/mitel.pcx
Device 0x0301: BIOS drive 0x80, 16 heads, 14120 cylinders,
               63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.
Message: 53 sectors.
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-5
Device 0x0301: BIOS drive 0x80, 16 heads, 14120 cylinders,
               63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.
Setup length is 10 sectors.
Mapped 2075 sectors.
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.4.18-5.img
Device 0x0301: BIOS drive 0x80, 16 heads, 14120 cylinders,
               63 sectors. Partition offset: 63 sectors.
RAM disk: 269 sectors.
Added SME *
   
    "ro root=901 BOOT_FILE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-5 idebus=100"
/boot/boot.1600 exists - no backup copy made.
Map file size: 16384 bytes.
Writing boot sector.


/proc/partitions :
major minor  #blocks  name     rio rmerge rsect ruse wio wmerge wsect wuse running use aveq

   9     0     102208 md0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
   9     1   39781632 md1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
   9     2     262016 md2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  22     0   40146624 hdc 61 537 1280 460 20174 242750 2102580 1766910 -2 355400 1008730
  22     1     102280 hdc1 46 510 1136 280 51 106 320 2840 0 1720 3120
  22     2   39781728 hdc2 4 0 32 40 20120 242644 2102248 1763640 0 215550 1763680
  22     3     262080 hdc3 6 0 48 70 1 0 8 430 0 500 500
  22    64       9674 hdd 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -11 368630 38895072
   3     0   40146624 hda 27416 243403 2166186 1799980 4345 8389 101060 135820 -2 356220 1175760
   3     1     102280 hda1 12 12 72 110 49 108 320 3130 0 2180 3240
   3     2   39781728 hda2 27392 243358 2165994 1799750 4293 8281 100728 132080 0 293910 1931830
   3     3     262080 hda3 5 0 40 80 1 0 8 610 0 690 690


/etc/mtab :
/dev/md1 / ext3 rw,usrquota,grpquota 0 0
none /proc proc rw 0 0
/dev/md0 /boot ext3 rw 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts rw,gid=5,mode=620 0 0
none /dev/shm tmpfs rw 0 0
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy vfat rw,nosuid,nodev 0 0

[byte]

Hi,

have you checked you Bios settings making sure that HD detection is set to LBA not normal or Large I know that can sometimes cause  a problem.

If all else fails try booting off a dos disk typing fdisk /mbr to clear boot record in case you might have had other linux OS.

Hope this Helps

Byte

[Graeme Fleming]

Try changing the UDMA settng in the BIOS to UDMA 2 (instead of auto or poss up to 5)

This is a fix thats been nominated for a coupla issues, perhaps you can add yours to the list!

HTH

[Geoff Bennion]

Hard Drives were brand new, have already tried wiping the mbr's with the dd command, no joy.  Just tried using the fdisk /mbr and still the same problem.

In the Bios both disks have LBA disabled, if it is enabled, primary master is recognised as 255/63/4998 and secondary master as 16/63/79656.
(I had this problem on 5.1.2 and turning off lba fixed it)
But I know that RedHat 8 identifies them as the same geometry, must be something in sme.

UDMA 2 - Have tried, along with PIO only ( desperate measures and all that )

I have also tried turning on/off Block access, 32bit access, IDE Busmastering

From what I can work out, lilo can't see the boot partition, but as far as I can understand them the lilo.conf settings are defacto-standard.
( Appart from the idebus=100, which was another lets try idea )

[Geoff Bennion]

SOLUTION FOUND !!!!!!!

Just as I was about to launch this server at a window, I decided to try and replace the linear setting in lilo.conf with LBA32, ran lilo -v -v -v, rebooted, and readied mysqlf for an overhead lift to launch the machine.

And what do you know, it worked.


My thanks go out to Byte and Graeme for responding so quickly.

As usual, it is the really small silly mistakes/overlooks that cause 99.9% of the problems. ( Usually the user, but that is another story )

Again, Many Thanks.


Geoff Bennion

Current - Working - LILO.CONF

#------------------------------------------------------------
# BE CAREFUL WHEN MODIFYING THIS FILE! It is updated automatically
# by the SME server software. A few settings are altered by the
# template processing of the file and white space is removed,
# but otherwise changes to the file are preserved.
#
# For more information, see http://www.e-smith.org/custom/ and
# the template fragments in /etc/e-smith/templates/etc/lilo.conf/.
#
# copyright (C) 2002 Mitel Networks Corporation
#------------------------------------------------------------



prompt
timeout=50
default=SME
boot=/dev/md0
map=/boot/map
#linear
lba32
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/mitel.pcx
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-5
   label=SME
   initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.18-5.img
   read-only
   root=/dev/md1
      append="idebus=100"

[Graeme Fleming]

It looks like the prob is with the BIOS.  If both drives are actually identical (same size, brand, batch, firmware, etc) then the BIOS looks like it is mis-reporting the parameters.

As a consequence it looks like SME can't determine the correct parameters on install and sets up LILO incorrectly.

What make/model of mobo is it?
What BIOS revison is installed?
Is there a newer one available from the vendors website?

I would strongly recommend using the LBA settings along with the UDMA 2 option (hopefully once the BIOS is updated) and trying again.

These checks are worthwhile eventhough its now working so that you don't carry this prob forward and then promptly forget the next time you do a rebuild

Happy, happy, joy, joy!