Boot fails: unable to load sfs

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inoxidabile
Posts: 148
Joined: Sat 13 Sep 2008, 12:37

Boot fails: unable to load sfs

#1 Post by inoxidabile »

Hi everybody!

I was trying a Puppy derivative (Lxpup) but I had a problem about boot and I would like to know if there is a solution.
I put the ISO on a CD and I tried on a couple of pc, without any problem, but after that I tried on this hardware:
- Thin Client HP t5720 (cpu Sempron 2100+ / 1GB ram / flash disk 8M)
- external CD drive, having its own supply and connected with usb
After the initial boot and driver loading, it appears a message: unable to find the sfs.
The cd is ok because I tried on other pc, as I said at the beginning.
Then I tried with an older Puppy version (4.3.1) and with the latest Puppy release.
With the older one there are no problem but with the latest it's the same.
I never have had this problem in the past and then I'm going on with the test, using various derivatives and it seems the same behaviour.
Then, I think that maybe it could be something about kernel and/or driver.
Is it right? could I do anything to solve this problem?
Many thanks in advance for any suggestion.

watchdog
Posts: 2021
Joined: Fri 28 Sep 2012, 18:04
Location: Italy

#2 Post by watchdog »

Try to copy vmlinuz, initrd.gz, isolinux.cfg, .sfs file from cd to hd. Open with geany isolinux.cfg on hd and change "pmedia=cd" with "pmedia=atahd". Boot the cd with option:
"boot:" puppy pmedia=atahd

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inoxidabile
Posts: 148
Joined: Sat 13 Sep 2008, 12:37

#3 Post by inoxidabile »

Hi watchdog, thanks for Your reply.

I see Your suggestion, it's a nice workaround and I will try it.
In order to be able to write on hd, I should start with puppy 4.3.1 and then to copy that files from the other one (say, Lxpup).
But, I also could go on with a manual frugal install:
- boot with 4.3.1
- copy the files of Lxpup to hd
- use the grub installer of the 4.3.1

Ok, yesterday I was lost, now I have two solutions (maybe) :)

Peterm321
Posts: 411
Joined: Thu 29 Jan 2009, 14:09
Location: UK

#4 Post by Peterm321 »

I had a problem with unetbootin/slacko, it may however not be relevant to this particular problem but it does seem somewhere along the same lines.

Using unetbootin and a slacko 5.4 ISO I created a bootable USB pen drive and all went well up to the point where the slacko system sfs failed to load and the boot sequence exited to a console command prompt.

Pressing F3 and trying out the advanced options didnt seem to change things. Finally I looked at the USB drive and noticed both isolinux.cfg and syslinux.cfg had pmedia=cd on the boot command line, I amended both to pmedia=usbflash and then the sfs file was found and the boot could proceed.

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inoxidabile
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#5 Post by inoxidabile »

Hi Peterm321, thanks for the description of Your experience and the related suggestion.
I apologize for this, but in my post I forgot to say that I also have tried to change the pmedia options, without success.
Your suggestion (and the similar from watchdog) has as assumption to be able to edit and/or copy some files.
They are both nice workaround but they are no applicables with the "cd-iso" alone.
My hope was about some "hidden" parameters or setup at boot stage...
However, yesterday evening I made a manual frugal install, starting the pc with a 4.3.1 (and, let me say, till now it has the best hw compatibility I have ever seen, I use it as a swiss knife! :) ) .
So, from a certain point of view now the pc is running but I must say I keep both suggestion in evidence if in future I will have to check again some Puppy derivatives

Peterm321
Posts: 411
Joined: Thu 29 Jan 2009, 14:09
Location: UK

#6 Post by Peterm321 »

Hi inoxidabile

The strange thing was that I tried passing pmedia=usbflash via the boot: command line but it didnt work until I amended the .cfg files. It was as if the code that searches for the SFS file only considered its .cfg file and not the commands passed at run time. Being a bootable read/write usb device, these files can be amended quite quickly.

ISOs can be remastered then burnt to a CD/DVD but that is rather more work than editing .cfg files on a usb drive unfortunately.

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inoxidabile
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#7 Post by inoxidabile »

Hi Peterm321,

I had the same thought... I believed that it's enough to change the setup on boot with pmedia options and someone on the web says this.
But in Your experience and also in mine it isn't true and in my opinion this is very strange and maybe it would be worthy considering by someone more skilled than me :)
I agree with You, it's very uncomfortable to edit iso also because it could become a "solution" only for that hw and in an othre case it should be changed again :(

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inoxidabile
Posts: 148
Joined: Sat 13 Sep 2008, 12:37

#8 Post by inoxidabile »

Hi evrybody!
Just in case of interesting by someone...
This topic has been considered (and maybe solved...) in the following thread, please have a look at the following link

http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... &start=465

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