Slacko RC

[otropogo]

otropogo, I have been where your at with software and people that just won't work right.
think everyone here gets your frustrated. pms instead of open posts may get you better results.

How so? The posters who write gratuitous insults and misinformation publicly are going to turn miraculously into gracious correspondents and precious sources of information via Private Messaging?

Dream on...

I post in the forums in the hope that my problems will be read by as many people as possible who might have something insightful to offer in return, or who at least will be able to make good use of my methodical reporting. To do as you suggest would be to throw out the baby and swallow the bathwater.

[otropogo]

otropogo,
I think we might be getting somewhere after the line you saw that said
"loading kernel modules...[107.636962] BUG:unable to handle kernel."

It just may be that the kernel in the version you downloaded is incompatible with that PC. I do not think saving to an NTFS vs VFat formatted partition should make any difference.

There are two kernel versions of Slacko and it just may be that that particular PC may require the other kernel version.

If we can get 01micko to chime in here, he may be able to shed some light on that part.

Does it make sense to you that it would boot and run fine from the LiveCD?

Update: trying to test your conclusion that the host partition filesystem for the save files couldn't be the cause of boot failure, I tried rebooting Slacko on my desktop system in order to make a save to an ntfs partition. However, this time, every attempt at booting failed whether using the pfix=ram command, or selecting "0" from the boot menu. One attempt even produced a replay of the last error text reported.

So apparently it was just my bad luck that the system ever booted from the Slacko 5.29.6 liveCD at all (and twice in a row, at that!). The system it works on is one I only have intermittent access to...

The only other thing I can think of is the sfs file on the hard drive.

[Jades]

I'm looking at it (all 32MB of it) sitting right beside the original 512MB 3fs file on my hard drive.

If you're seriously trying to run Slacko with a 32MB Pupsave, that's the cause of your problem right there. I can use that up on a pfix=ram start just by downloading the MESA graphics driver (20MB) and the Flash Player (about 12MB?).

Another thing to be aware of, which has caught me out in the past, is that some versions of Puppy don't check whether there is actually enough space on the target partition while creating the save file. Everything will seem to go well until you reboot, at which point weird stuff happens.

[8-bit]

otropogo,

From kernel errors in /usr/include/asm-generic/errno.h I looked up the code returned without the last part after the decimal and it shows:
"#define ENOTCONN 107 /* Transport endpoint is not connected */
"
That might not mean much to you and me, but for the more knowledgeable, it could mean a lot as it relates to your boot problem.

But for now, I think I would try a version with the other kernel.
And to me, it does not make sense.
It sounds like a memory problem of pointers as to where to load the files into memory.

I should state that I am shooting in the dark here as I make no claim to know a lot about linux and how Puppy boots as to how it relates to this kernel error.

[Jades]

Does it make sense to you that it would boot and run fine from the LiveCD?

I'm not being particularly bright today, sorry. Is your problem that Slacko boots fine from a pfix=ram situation but attempting a normal boot from a pupsave is failing? Could be that for some reason the system isn't creating a functioning save file - I've seen this before myself while testing with the Lucid branch.

Is it just the 32MB saves you're having trouble with (in which case the reason is the save is too small) or is it with a default 512MB one as well?

A pfix=ram boot will be fine because it's loading everything off the CD or DVD and isn't accessing any files at all from any other drives - including previously generated saves.

I actually had a situation with Lupu 525 on my K6 2 500 machine where it couldn't create new saves but would happily work with ones from older versions and even managed to upgrade a full install of Lupu 520 to 525.

Sometimes tracking these things down can be difficult but detail and patience from all concerned can sometimes help.

[8-bit]

Me dumb. Me should learn to read. Me should have better memory.
Post/reply deleted due to remembered content that did not correspond with reality.

[jim3630]

otropogo, I have been where your at with software and people that just won't work right.
think everyone here gets your frustrated. pms instead of open posts may get you better results.

How so? The posters who write gratuitous insults and misinformation publicly are going to turn miraculously into gracious correspondents and precious sources of information via Private Messaging?

Dream on...

otropogo,

how it works is if you keep unloading, venting, sarcastic, showing outburst of anger in the open forum then a critical number of people may quit being forgiving of your behavior.

You don't like the help you received and expect others who are not paid and do so out of the goodness of their heart to help someone who does public anger outbursts.

good luck with that.

[jim3630]

otropogo, I have been where your at with software and people that just won't work right.
think everyone here gets your frustrated. pms instead of open posts may get you better results.

How so? The posters who write gratuitous insults and misinformation publicly are going to turn miraculously into gracious correspondents and precious sources of information via Private Messaging?

Dream on...

I post in the forums in the hope that my problems will be read by as many people as possible who might have something insightful to offer in return, or who at least will be able to make good use of my methodical reporting. To do as you suggest would be to throw out the baby and swallow the bathwater.

otropogo,

your correct. would throw out the baby then the rest of us would not have to listen to the whining.

[8-bit]

otropogo,
I am now at a loss. I just downloaded Slacko-5.29.6-SCSI.iso and burnt a Cd of it. I booted from he CD and after the initial settings, rebooted and created a 512meg slackosave.2fs file on a 4 gig USB flash drive that was format as fat.
I am typing at you from the reboot with the slackosave.2fs file loaded.
And all went flawlessly.
I had previously downloaded Slacko-5.29.5.iso and had done a frugal install of it.
On rebooting the SCSI version with the PAE kernel, it found both slackosave files and I selected the one I had just made on the USB flash drive.

Again, all went well.

My test PC for this is a Compaq Presario with AMD Athalon 4800 Dual Core Processor, 3 gigs of ram, and an Nvidia GeForce 6150SE graphics card.
I should also mention this system has 32bit hardware and max memory is 4 gigs.
The other PC, a Toshiba Satellite with 512megs of ram, and 1.8ghz intel processor, and intel 8150 graphics booting Slacko-5.29.5.iso installed on a 4 gig flash drive also boots and runs fine.

This could be one of those cases of a PC being not compatible with an OS due to the hardware.
It is possible that your video settings are being ignored on reboot or causing the boot failure.
If you want to pursue this further, I will help as much as I can.
But it is hard to troubleshoot something I cannot duplicate on my end.

[otropogo]

...

Is it just the 32MB saves you're having trouble with (in which case the reason is the save is too small) or is it with a default 512MB one as well?

...

Sometimes tracking these things down can be difficult but detail and patience from all concerned can sometimes help.

Sure. And maybe you could start by having the patience to read the posts you're replying to and not asking questions that have already been answered.

[otropogo]

..


how it works is if you keep unloading, venting, sarcastic, showing outburst of anger in the open forum then a critical number of people may quit being forgiving of your behavior.

You don't like the help you received and expect others who are not paid and do so out of the goodness of their heart to help someone who does public anger outbursts.

good luck with that.

What have you contributed to this thread, exactly? A lot of senseless barking, and up the wrong tree at that!

If, as it seems, you have nothing at all to contribute to the technical discussion, would you please just keep your nose out of it? All you're doing is creating noise that makes the real communication harder to focus on.

[Sage]

Jades : you under-rate your abilities by a very large margin. You need very little electronic knowledge to discover the problem. There are countries in this world where greedy capitalists coach their citizens from birth to believe their DIY capabilities are zero and that holding a hammer is dangerous.
To open a PSU you only need to remove four small Philips screws from the lid, sometimes another one or two along the sides. To look inside to see if it's dirty isn't dangerous! In your case, however, symptoms suggest some of the capacitors in the output stages have failed - this is common. You can see bulges in their tops, possibly a brown stain. Note: so far you haven't touched anything, so you are in no danger. Now you need to short the large heatsinks to the case with a big old screwdriver with a plastic (insulating) handle. At this stage it's a good idea to hose out the innards with a garden hose. This has two effects: it cleans out the cr*p and it discharges all the parts. Now you could lick the parts dry if that amuses you. Only four Philips screws hold the board to the case - remove them. Lift out the small chassis, disconnecting any plugged leads as possible. Invert the board, remove the bulging capacitors with a 15-25W soldering iron and replace them with approximately same physical and electrical specifications. Electrolytics have huge tolerances and circuitry adds even more tolerance, so don't worry about replacing a 2,200mfd with a 1,800 or 3,300. For low level applications like yours, don't worry about other electrical specifications like leakage and power factors, despite what you read on http://www.badcaps.org. Whilst you're in a state of undress like this, lube the fan bearing by lifting the label with a Stanley - crude engineering, isn't it! So far no 'knowledge' has been required. If you're worried about residual moisture, dry everything with your wife's hairdryer. Reassemble, switch on - good for another decade.
As for the one that went bang - open it up - due to the 'bang' there is absolutely no danger inside any longer! If the fuse has blown (~20% chance) replace it - it may blow again, though. If the varistors (Google) have blown, there's a 50% chance this was due to some 'brown' excursion on your supply - could try suing the electric company?! - could replace them (both) - they will be black and obvious. Ask a proverbial six-year old to do this if necessary. They may blow again - this suggests the input MOSFET has blown - at this stage give up, but give the remnants to your local hobbyist for parts, set it in acrylic as an ornament, but, please, no landfill whatever your wife says!
Whatever your local 'experts' tell you - you almost certainly do NOT need anything bigger and more powerful. I run 64bit machines off 300/350W PSU without problems this last twenty years. It's the quality of parts inside that counts. Cheap Chinese clones often outperform expensive badged units which are designed for profit rather than longevity. However, this is where real 'knowledge' is required and it comes down to trial and error. Avoid 'Color' supplies, 'hec' are excellent, however the names appended to clones come and go and are designed for Western eyes who are generally ignorant (US:paranoid!) about the Communist system. It's the capitalists you should worry about - start with bankers! Got the message yet?

AND: do everyone a favour - edit your profile, even if you're American, it's not your fault - I blame the parents!

[otropogo]

otropogo,
I am now at a loss. I just downloaded Slacko-5.29.6-SCSI.iso and burnt a Cd of it. I booted from he CD and after the initial settings, rebooted and created a 512meg slackosave.2fs file on a 4 gig USB flash drive that was format as fat.
I am typing at you from the reboot with the slackosave.2fs file loaded.
And all went flawlessly.

OK. So I don't have to explore that possibility.

My test PC for this is a Compaq Presario with AMD Athalon 4800 Dual Core Processor, 3 gigs of ram, and an Nvidia GeForce 6150SE graphics card.
I should also mention this system has 32bit hardware and max memory is 4 gigs.
The other PC, a Toshiba Satellite with 512megs of ram, and 1.8ghz intel processor, and intel 8150 graphics booting Slacko-5.29.5.iso installed on a 4 gig flash drive also boots and runs fine.

This could be one of those cases of a PC being not compatible with an OS due to the hardware.

It's starting to look like it. Although what's most disconcerting is the intermittency - the fact that I was able to boot twice from the CD, configure the system, and create two save files, before everything went South consistently.

I know the CD is ok, because I've booted from it repeatedly on my USB3-equipped laptop.

It is possible that your video settings are being ignored on reboot or causing the boot failure.

Well, that might explain the failure to boot with the save files, but not the clean boot failures.

If you want to pursue this further, I will help as much as I can.
But it is hard to troubleshoot something I cannot duplicate on my end.

No problem. I don't expect people to help me for my good looks. I posted here in the hope that someone with more technical know-how would take an interest in the problem and be moved to suggest or create a solution. The Intel D865GLC Mobo is quite a common one after all.

Having spent so much time on this I'm not averse to investing a bit more if there's a glimmer of hope. So if I can somehow get Slacko to boot reliably with a save file on my desktop system, I'll be happy to accept any help you care to offer.

But the only option left that I know of is to go to an earlier version, which may not have the USB3 support I need.

[8-bit]

I do not know if this would help you, but your board is still listed by intel and they have a trove of information including linux support and video drivers for linux.
I found the site at THIS_LOCATION.
It gets into processor types, bios upgrades, memory types, linux video drivers, and a lot of other stuff.
I am hoping your video card shows a linux driver as it might be a step toward getting things to work.

We also have to realize that the version of Slack we are working with is a release candidate and as such is subject to change before it goes to final.

[mavrothal]

Happily, it was mercifully sparse these last two times.

Try this boot option

Code: Select all

puppy loglevel=7

This will tell you exactly what the kernel is doing and hopefully where it freezes.

Also try booting a puppy that works with your hardware, use the sysinfo pet and post it to give some more precise info on your hardware.

These may not solve your problem immediately but may help the next version do it.

Sorry if some of the above is addressed already, I just had a hard time scavenging relevant info from flames.

If you want to help and be helped more, read this and try to follow the best you can.

Be assure that no offense or blame is intended or assigned from my side.

[8-bit]

The periodic save to my pupsave is at it again. It has displayed the message of "Saving RAM to 'pup_save' file..." for about 30 minutes now. Any other place I could look to see why this save function is hanging? I am assuming that the text from xerrs.log I quoted is part of the problem.
Also, my USB ports are 2.0 and the USB flash drive is a SanDisk 4gig Cruzer Blade.
At this point, I am about ready to disable periodic saves using Puppy Event Manager.
I honestly think something is broken in the script(s) that do the save and it is really hard to trace the problem with the jump from script to script. I may try modifying /sbin/pup_event_frontend_d to initially create file called "/tmp/snapmergepuppyrequest" and then run it from a terminal to see if any errors are fed back to me. Did not work as another script jump to /usr/sbin/snapmergepuppy occured.
Also, after a reboot, but not related, I get these 2 errors reported in /tmp/xerrs.log.
(EE) AIGLX error: dlopen of /usr/lib/xorg/modules/dri/swrast_dri.so failed (/usr/lib/xorg/modules/dri/swrast_dri.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory)
(EE) GLX: could not load software renderer

And another message just developed there after the change in Puppy Event Manager setting session save to zero.
GLib-GIO-Message: Using the 'memory' GSettings backend. Your settings will not be saved or shared with other applications.
I assume they will still be saved on shutdown or reboot.





xerrs.log shows this and keeps repeating it:

Merging /initrd/pup_rw onto /initrd/pup_ro1...
chown: unknown user UNKNOWN
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/vcs4': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/vcsa4': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/dsp': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/mixer': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/audio': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/log': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/vcsa3': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/vcs3': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/vcsa2': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/vcs2': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/usbdev1.4': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/usbdev1.6': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/usbdev2.5': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/usbdev2.4': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/usbdev2.6': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/usbdev2.2': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/usbdev1.1': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/usbdev2.1': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/bus/usb/001/004': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/bus/usb/001/006': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/bus/usb/001/001': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/bus/usb/002/002': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/bus/usb/002/006': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/bus/usb/002/005': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/bus/usb/002/004': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/bus/usb/002/001': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/usb/hiddev0': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/usb/lp0': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/usb/lp1': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/sequencer2': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/sequencer': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/input/event7': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/input/event6': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/input/event5': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/input/event4': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/input/event3': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/input/event0': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/input/event1': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/input/event2': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/snd/pcmC0D2c': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/snd/controlC0': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/snd/hwC0D0': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/snd/pcmC0D0c': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/snd/seq': File exists
cp: cannot create special file `/initrd/pup_ro1/dev/snd/timer': File exists
Clipboard is null, recovering ...

[tasmod]

otropogo,

jim3630 hit the problem with you right on the button, but you wouldn't see that.

You're too full of it.

Being sarcastic got you a sarcastic comment.

[8-bit]

IMPORTANT!
I need information on anyone booting Slacko SCSI from CD with a save file on another medium, not the CD.
I was having problems with the periodic save taking a long time.
It went from there to built in applications not working correctly.
As examples, right clicking on a mounted drive icon and selecting unmount would not unmount the drive.
Also Pmount when run would not unmount the drive and Pmount window would vanish.
But typing "umount /mnt/[drive] would unmount the drive.
Also, trying to restart X would fail.
Also, alt-ctrl-backspace would not work without doing it twice.
So until this gets corrected, I would suggest bypassing the "Boot from CD with save file on another medium."
Frugal hard drive installs seem to work correctly as well as a frugal install to a USB flash drive or USB hard drive.

And after having this corruption of the file system, I can see how otropogo was having problems as this was his method of running Slacko.

I am relatively sure others can duplicate this over a period of time.
So, until this is figured out, I would suggest that you run with a multisession CD/DVD with saves going to it, or a frugal install to hard drive or USB flash drive or USB hard drive.
So far, each has worked for me.

Also, comments welcome here. As I am just the second as far as I know to try the CD boot with pupsave on another medium.

And to otropogo,
If you are reading this, I would strongly suggest you either do a frugal install to your hard drive, or to a USB flash drive.
It is a wonder that you did not go insane with all the problems.
I know now because I almost did!

That also means that my previous posts of problems with the save button and periodic saves was most likely due to the same thing.

[jim3630]

..


how it works is if you keep unloading, venting, sarcastic, showing outburst of anger in the open forum then a critical number of people may quit being forgiving of your behavior.

You don't like the help you received and expect others who are not paid and do so out of the goodness of their heart to help someone who does public anger outbursts.

good luck with that.

What have you contributed to this thread, exactly? A lot of senseless barking, and up the wrong tree at that!

If, as it seems, you have nothing at all to contribute to the technical discussion, would you please just keep your nose out of it? All you're doing is creating noise that makes the real communication harder to focus on.

ogootrop,

everyone here comes to the forum from their own place, time, and experience. bringing with them their customs, social manners, and personal values.

no one country, political system, or religious standard has preference or right over others. the forum has members from all four corners of the world, representing many diverse cultures.

None of which value rudeness. without certain prerequisites there would be no technical discussion.

[bigpup]

In testing an operating system a few things that need to be considered.

1. Installs frugal or full
2. Save files
Need to be to a clean location. Fresh new partition. Newly formated.
Why?
This eliminates any chance of old files or code getting picked up and used, by mistake, during the install process or making of the save file. Deleting something only removes the location and identity info from the file allocation table. The data is still there. Repartitioning and formatting does more to remove old code data.

3. Windows formated partitions (Vfat or NTFS) need to be defraged before putting a Puppy save file on it.
Why?
Windows formates store data any place there is space. Small chunks of data get put all over. Thus fragmented. If partition is defragmented first,
there is a better chance the save file will not be fragmented.

4.Upgrading operation is a function of testing, but test upgrading a clean install of a previous version. Full install or frugal save file.

5. An RC version is just that, a release test. It should be very problem free, but not the best possible. What does not work is the key items to identify.