Topic: Installion Hangs When Anaconda Starts

[AlistairH]

I'm a complete newbie at this Linux lark, but being a certified member of the 'Evil Empire' I was finding it increasingly difficult to persuade my clients that the cost of MS server software and licensing was justified. So here I am, having downloaded SME 6 and successfully installed it on two servers at a client site. No doubt I'll be returning to ask many questions over the coming weeks.

Rant over, my first posting concerns the difficulty I'm having installing SME on a machine at home (from the same disk as the successful ones above).

When anaconda starts to run, the pc appears to hang for around 3 mins after which the following message is displayed - 'error 2 reading header: cpio: Bad magic'. shortly after, the screen corrupts and the system stops. If I reboot with the installation disk still in the CD drive, the system hangs with the following last few lines displayed:

RAMDISK: Compressed image found at block 0
crc error<6>Freeing initrd memory: 1572k freed
EXT2-fs: unable to read superblock
cramfs: wrong magic
FAT: unable to read boot sector
isofs_read_super: bread failed, dev=09:0, iso_blknum=16, block=32
Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root on fs on 09:00

From this, my initial guess was there was a problem with the disk drive. I have since tried two other disks to no avail. I've also completely changed the memory.

As a matter of interest, I also tried installing two other Linux distros - Fedora Core 4 also hangs at the anaconda stage, corrupting the screen in the process but ClarkConnet Home Edition installs quite happily. I'd prefer to have SME installed as this is the distro I've chosen to support and offer to my clients.

Any idea what might be causing the problem in this case?

Thanks in advance

Alistair

[electroman00]

One word MEMORY.......

Check speed & size.

I have an HP that takes 2X 128@133 but only 1 256@100.

Explain that to me, I know it a bios thing.
Working to fix that bios, just need a round tuit.

[AlistairH]

Thanks for that.

I'm currently running the mem test utility memtest85 from the Fedora core 4 disk. With 3 x 128MB it's taking forever and a day! So far, no errors have been flagged.

I've down loaded the latest BIOS which I'll flash once the memory test is complete.

So far I'm not convince it's the memory (though don't quote me on that   ) as I've already replace the memory as well as having had Win 95 through to Win 2000 Server in stalled on that machine with no problems, not to mention the Clark Connect distro already mentioned.

Once I've installed the new BIOS, and stripped everything down to the bare minimum, I'll try again, enabling things as I go. Unless there's any other suggestions out there.....

[AlistairH]

No progress I'm afraid.

New BIOS - no change.
Swapped memory around in numerous combinations and specs, all according to the motherboard's spec - no change.
Memory fully checked OK with memtest85 - no change.
All unecessary adapters and component stripped out - no change.

I was at this through the night - this machine simply doesn't seem to want a new life!

[electroman00]

Well that's not good news...

Some things to look at.
I assume you scanned HD for errors just for the haha's.

isofs_read_super: bread failed, dev=09:0, iso_blknum=16, block=32

**** bread failed *****
I think you need to put the CD in the oven and bake it some more...ha
bread failed a.k.a b-read failed a.k.a binary read.
That's someone's way of saying I'm toooo... lazy/tired to type a dash...ha

Looks like a bad read from cdrom currupting the install.
Could also have been memory but that's checked.
You know first things first.

dev=09 ....in this case is the ide controller

if standard checks = OK;
If you haven't already (check drive jumpers) M/S.
You may want to put both drives on Pri IDE.
Both drives bios detect on boot OK?

else try;
Swapping out read cdrom drive.
Sometimes these dang things woun't hold disk speed
and give you flaky results.

else the burn side of the deal;

burn iso @ 12-16X -- faster burn rates sometimes
leads to hocky pucks.

else;
use different cd burner
I used Nero_v6 & Roxio_v7 to burn
both worked for 7.0b5.

If all that fails..... it's hammer time!
The real joy of computers!!!
You can buy one here!

end if

[AlistairH]

If all that fails..... it's hammer time!
The real joy of computers!!!
You can buy one here!

Yes, but where can I buy the hammer?  

Thanks for the feedback, but it's beginning to look like a trip to the hardware store.

All disks I've tried have been checked OK and found quite happily by the BIOS. I've tried them on their own and together, in the same IDE channel as Master/Slave and in both IDE channels with each configured as the master in their corresponding channel - same problem.

I used Nero 6 to burn the CD which I then used to install in two separate machines at a client. It just won't install on my machine - grrrr!

I've swapped just about everything in the box except the CDROM drive, the NetGear NIC and the display adaptor - I'll do that tomorrow then, as you say, it will come to blows! There's no point wasting any more time on it. I'll de-commission an existing Win 98 machine and use that instead.

Thanks again

[electroman00]

Ok folks...it's now post time.....

Place your bets....

My bet is the CDROM is going to see the HAMMER..!
Also I bet it's one of those.... you have to search
the FCC database to find out who made it...
then you find out their out of business cdrom's....ha!

The NIC & Video is a long shot 20:1 bet, no thanks.

Yes, but where can I buy the hammer?

Ok...lets try it again... click HERE !!

You thought I was joking, I never joke around.
Sorry...now you have to click HERE !!

[AlistairH]

Time to stop wasting time!

It's not the CDROM - tried 3 other models and no change. Re-burned the CD at slower rate and no change.

Rather than buy a hammer, I've condemed this machine to be a Windows box and given it to my daughter. I'll cobble together another machine from all the bits I've got lying around and try again.

Thanks for your efforts.

[electroman00]

You can't say you didn't give it a good shot.

Wasn't a PCchips MB by any chance, or should I say
PCshits MB

Won't allow them in the door, the boards suck the company sucks their website sucks.

I have pissed away more time with their boards,
won't even look a one anymore.

Their GARBAGE..!

Put them all in a burning barrel and watched them burn!
What...joy that was.

Well

[AlistairH]

The NIC & Video is a long shot 20:1 bet, no thanks.

Damn, I wish I'd placed a bet   . Turns out it was the graphics card! Like you, I didn't consider it as likely. However, when I installed XP (the pc is somewhat under powered for MS's resource hungry monster but my 10 yr daughter wouldn't know) it limited the graphics to 640x480 and 4bit!

Despite having had all previous versions of windows installed on this machine it transpires that XP is incompatible with the Tseng chip based card.

I managed to swipe an ATI card from a decommissioned pc at work and thought I'd give it one last chance. Hey Presto! One fully configure SME server.

Thanks for taking the time to make suggestions. I'm now taking suggestions on how to break the news to my little 'un.

[mvdwolf]

Hello,

I had a lot trouble to install Redhat based distributions on my pc, all went wrong in the anaconda fase.
After a lot trying I discovered it was my samsung cd player in the pc.
I have tried 10 different machines (Fujitsu-siemens), all went wrong.
After I replaced the drive all worked