Grafpup-2.xx fourth (and final) alpha

Message

Nathan F · #196 Post by **Nathan F** » Thu 26 Apr 2007, 21:53

Simon - This is the first iso I have included Jason's updated probedisk and probepart in. These are scripts which replace the old binary version. I'll attach the binaries so you can try with them, and it might also be a good idea to test with Dougal's rewrites also.

Dougal - Yes the messages should probably be verbose in the test iso's. It should be easy to accomplish that with a modification to isolinux.cfg, and I could turn off the framebuffer while I'm at it so the screen isn't taken up by the bootsplash.

The script does mention it is loading modules, but it probably would be better if it mentioned each one. I think Barry's whole idea has been to make the bootup less scary for newbies, and since the newer kernel comes with the loglevel patch already incorporated in I just left those parts well enough alone. I think this would end up being a pretty major rewrite though, especially since we need a really easy way to turn the verbhose messages and logging on and off.

Hang in there guys, it will eventually all come together.

Nathan

msumner · #197 Post by **msumner** » Thu 26 Apr 2007, 22:07

Hi Nathan, I am up and running with the new iso on a type 2 install!
Seems to be running fine. The live cd also picked up the save files during boot.

Tried a frugal but it keeps hanging at boot. Just trying to see if I have done something stupid.

Cheers, Mike
EDIT
The frugal seemed to hang after it picked up the old grf.save.sfs files that were hanging around from all the previous attempts. I deleted them, and tried again, and this time, it mounted sda8, the FAT32 partition which has the working type2 install. Lots of error msgs, one of which was:

Mtng graf_005.sfs off /dev/sda8...mounting on (/initrd) /graf-rofailed

Then a kernel panic.
So is it trying to mount the save file for the type 2 install?

Nathan F · #198 Post by **Nathan F** » Thu 26 Apr 2007, 23:26

Hmm, there should be no save file for a type 2 install, that's just basically everything expanded onto the hard drive in a conventional manner. What does your boot prompt look like (in menu.1st)? It's failing to mount the main filesystem (graf_005.sfs) is what is going on here. Not sure why at this point, but obviously we've come a bit further along than before.

Ah wait, I see a little more what you're talking about now. For some reason it's trying to get the frugal install files from the wrong partition, the one with the full install. Again, I think the first step is to look at menu.1st, along with some idea how your partitions are layed out, including which partition has the frugal install.

Nathan

WhoDo · #199 Post by **WhoDo** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 00:00

Nathan F wrote:For some reason it's trying to get the frugal install files from the wrong partition, the one with the full install. Again, I think the first step is to look at menu.1st, along with some idea how your partitions are layed out, including which partition has the frugal install.

Sorry to butt in here, guys, but that sounds like you need to use the hide/unhide grub boot options to mask the other partition from the one you are booting. Here is how I would do it:

Code: Select all

# Linux bootable partition config begins
  title Grafpup-Frugal (on /dev/hda1)
  hide (hd0,3)
  unhide (hd0,0)
  rootnoverify (hd0,0)
  kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/ram0
  initrd /boot/initrd.gz
 # Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
  title PuppyLinux-Full (on /dev/hda4)
  hide (hd0,0)
  unhide (hd0,3)
  root (hd0,3)
  kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda4 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends

Hope that helps. At least you won't need to go hunting for and deleting pup_save.2fs files that may be backups or whatever.

msumner · #200 Post by **msumner** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 06:25

Hi Whodo, the fullHDD still works, but I get:
"Error 17: Cannot mount selected partition" when I try the frugal.
Do I need to use sd rather than hd somewhere?
Here is my menu.lst entry:

# Other bootable partition frugal config begins
title Grafpupfrugal (on /dev/sda6)
hide (hd0,7)
unhide (hd0,0)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/ram0 loglevel=3 PMEDIA=satahd
initrd /boot/initrd.gz
# frugal ends
#
# Linux bootable partition config begins
title grafpupfullHDD (on /dev/sda8)
hide (hd0,0)
unhide (hd0,7)
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda8 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends

Cheers, Mike

Nathan F · #201 Post by **Nathan F** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 07:08

Well if the frugal install is on sda6 you will need to specify hd0,5 rather than hd0,0. In grub terms hd0,0 would be the first partition on the first hard drive, or in your case /dev/sda1. Not entirely sure if there's anything else we're going to need to tweak here, but that definately accounts for why it can't find graf_005.sfs from what I can tell. You're probably getting somewhere because the kernel you specified is present from your full install (/boot/vmlinuz on sda8).

I'd start with this setup, assuming you're on sda6 with the frugal install. Place the four files "vmlinuz" "graf_005.sfs" "zdrv_005.sfs" and "initrd.gz" from the iso right in the root of the partition sda6, then edit menu.1st to read like this.

Code: Select all

# Other bootable partition frugal config begins
title Grafpupfrugal (on /dev/sda6)
hide (hd0,7)
unhide (hd0,5)
root (hd0,5)
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/ram0 loglevel=3 splash vga=0x312 PMEDIA=satahd
initrd /initrd.gz
# frugal ends
#
# Linux bootable partition config begins
title grafpupfullHDD (on /dev/sda8)
hide (hd0,0)
unhide (hd0,7)
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda8 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends

I really don't know whether or not you will need "rootnoverify" or not, so you can try it with either "root (hd0,5)" or "rootnoverify (hd0,5)". The splash and vga options just set up the graphical boot, so you can dispense with them if you like, and the loglevel you have set is actually more verbose messages. That variable is normally set to 1 now.

I'll be waiting to hear from you to see if you get it working. In the meantime I went ahead and made this beta, and have uploaded both the Opera and Seamonkey builds as well. Since you have a working full hd install I think it's safe to say the kernel is seeing your drive properly now, which was the main stumbling block to going beta. This gives me a couple more weeks to get the rest of the issues you guys are dealing with straightened out before the final, and then we'll of course make things even better for 2.01.

Nathan

SimonW · #202 Post by **SimonW** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 08:22

OK I am back with you. I managed to write another bootable CF card after having some problems with the first one I tried.

The 'working' one is a Sandisk 512Mb that's never been reformatted - ie. it has always been FAT16. I was using it in my camera.

The one I 'wanted to use' started life as a camera card, then has been formatted with ext3, had partitions erased & rewritten, ext3/FAT16, the lot. I tried to create a FAT filesystem after correctly partitioning the card by using 'mkdosfs' ... it returned quickly and silently - I could not prove that it had worked.
The Puppy Installer couldn't seem to handle this card - it gave the following messages (in the orange window):
/mnt/data is /dev/root
Cannot open device /dev/root
:
umount: /mnt/data : Invalid argument

I kind of hoped the Puppy Installer would handle a card either (a) with a blank partition table, (b) an ext3 partition already. It looks like I fell outside the comfort zone of the Installer! Thus the only hint I can give others is to use a FAT16-formatted card, and ensure that it really *is* formatted. The grafpup mkdosfs may not work for you. Like, use it in your camera first.

There were also problems with the sdxxx descriptors as I noted in previous posts. That was with the new iso, booted from CD, on the machine I used to write the CF card. There I was using a multi-port USB card reader, and I also have a no-name plug-in reader. They may well differ in how they appear to Linux.

Like I said, success was eventually obtained with a FAT16 virgin card, I told the installer to add the Mbr from Syslinux. It booted in my VIA machine... I can move forward again

So, how well does the new 20070426 iso work in a via eden mobo with Sata? Pretty good! The Pmounter shows the Sata drives, one click to mount, write/read a small test file ok.

I'm concerned about trying the Puppy Installer to Sata again - I don't want to get Grub written over my 2nd CF card just yet.
Nathan - perhaps this is something that needs attention. Perhaps the PMEDIA variable is being used to find the destination for Grub. Would it be better to put Grub on the 'real destination' drive??

I've attached the dmesg output - I noted it now says 'attached sata drive' or somesuch, which is new. (Oh, I had to lie - it is a plain text file not a .gz)

Also here's the probedisk and probepart output (the ones included in the new iso - Jason's updated ones). This is running on the VIA machine, with the CF moved into the IDE bus adapter.

probedisk:
/dev/hda|disk|SanDisk SDCFB-512
/dev/sda|Direct-Access|ATA SAMSUNG SP1614C SW10

probepart:
/dev/hda1|vfat|1000880
/dev/sda1|ext3|155653722
/dev/sda2|swap|1012094
/dev/sda3|ext3|155910824

Looking good. Perhaps it's just multi-slot usb readers there is a problem with. I will soon try other probedisk/probeparts on the machine with the problematic multi-slot reader.

Great job so far

I guess next I should test preservation of Static IP setup over a reboot when using a savefile, since that was a problem earlier on.

Cheers,
Simon.

msumner · #203 Post by **msumner** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 09:24

Hi Nathan, tried the new menu.lst but it didn't work. I forget what happened now, and I seem to have lost grub altogether, so I am going to download the opera iso and try that as a frugal first, then do a type 2.
I will probably stick with the type 2 for now as it boots so fast, and I think it will run plenty fast enough with the 7,200 rpm hdd, 1667 mhz processor and 1gb ram. Maybe go back to frugal when everything is stable.
Mike

Dougal · #204 Post by **Dougal** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 15:08

Jason: thanks for the info. I actually borrowed a USB pendrive from a friend last night and have been trying it and realized my mistake...a shame.

This device is a 32MB drive with two buttons on it that seems to have one "partition" with a boot floopy image and one with XP bootloader or something.

The old probepart completely got it wrong: listed sda1, sda2, sda3 and sdb1 -- all with "none" for fs!

In fact it's detected as sda and sdb, both with no partition tables... wierd.

The April-25th probepart just had "/dev/" twice.

Anyway, I fixed probepart.

Nathan: the debug comment would be easy: the main place is the loop that runs through the output of lspci.
I might get a chance to download your iso over the weekend and then I'll do one as an example and send it to you.

Now that I have that pendrive, I'll write a hw-test script and run it. Also test the hotplug daemon with it and try and fix everything.

Nathan F · #205 Post by **Nathan F** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 15:58

Simon - Mostly good news all around, and I'm really glad to hear it. The dmesg output looks good, and now I know a little more what it should look like.

I wonder, when you ran the installer the first time (when it wrote grub to the cf card) what option did you choose for the grub install? Was it just MBR (usually the right choice)?

In looking at the dmesg output I see the cf card is showing up as hda, with all your other parts showing up as sd* since they are sata. I imagine that is what confused grubconfig. The way it is written it gives preference to the first hard drive on the system, which is considered to be hda. So sata hardware and a cf card showing as hda really mess with this.

Until it is fixed I have a suggested workaround. Boot it up from the cd, without your cf card inserted. Make sure you leave it out the whole time as a matter of fact. Then install grub by running grubconfig. You can run the installer and elect not to install grub at all, actually (unless this has changed without my knowledge).

Out of curiosity, I'm wondering why a cf card is showing up as hda rather than sd*, because that doesn't sound right to me. Is it in one of those ide to cf adaptors?

Mike - not a bad plan for now. You've already done a lot of testing and I appreciate that.

Thanks to all.

Nathan

msumner · #206 Post by **msumner** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 16:00

Nathan, I guess the ipw3945 wireless driver was one of the ones that got missed in the beta iso. Is there any way I can install it?
Well done on sorting out the sata bugs.

Mike

Nathan F · #207 Post by **Nathan F** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 16:10

I'll have to get back to you on that driver. I want to give it a fresh start since it's given you so many problems.

Nathan

msumner · #208 Post by **msumner** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 16:14

OK, fine. Are you still aiming to release the final next week? I will need to get on with the manual!

Nathan F · #209 Post by **Nathan F** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 16:31

I don't want to push it too hard. Since beta was delayed I'll knock back the final a bit too, give it two weeks.

Nathan

SimonW · #210 Post by **SimonW** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 19:50

Out of curiosity, I'm wondering why a cf card is showing up as hda rather than sd*, because that doesn't sound right to me. Is it in one of those ide to cf adaptors?

Yes it is. The concept is to have the OS on flashcard and all data on (removable) Sata drives.

I can see that it isn't a typical scenario, and I blundered in and wrote Grub 'on autopilot'. The right way, as you say, would be to skip Grub install and do it later - manually, with care.

Nathan F · #211 Post by **Nathan F** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 20:02

Thanks, that answers that question and clears up a little different sccenario in my mind. I know Barry is working on fixing some bugs in grubconfig, but this is one of those special cases we are going to have to take into account sometime. I'll start looking at grubconfig and see if there's anything I can do about it, even if it's just a little warning in there somewhere.

Nathan

msumner · #212 Post by **msumner** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 20:53

Hi Nathan, Been playing with opera-beta. I tried installing kino. It all seemed to go well, but kino won't load from the menu. I found it in the file system and clicked it to run it, but still no go, nothing. A search revealed lots of kino files so it all seems to be there.
Also, gparted is not in the start menu. Don't know if that was intended?
Mike

Nathan F · #213 Post by **Nathan F** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 21:59

Kino more than likely missed some library dependency. I may not have gotten that information all up to date, or it might possibly be related to the updated ffmpeg. Can you run it in a terminal and let me know what it says?

Gparted is more than likely a case of a .desktop file gone missing. It should definately be in the iso.

Nathan

msumner · #214 Post by **msumner** » Fri 27 Apr 2007, 22:48

gparted runs ok from the terminal.
Kino gets:
sh-3.00# kino
kino: error while loading shared libraries: libdts.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
EDIT: Hardware Probe doesn't run from the menu.

Nathan F · #215 Post by **Nathan F** » Sat 28 Apr 2007, 00:15

Kino has a dependency on libdts, which is in the repo as well. It was the only one I didn't get lited in the database file, so with beta you will have to install libds manually using one of the package managers.

Gparted was a missing .desktop file, or rather an incorrect one that needed a quick edit. I just fixed both issues in the current tree.

I'm checking on the hardware probe now.

Nathan

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Grafpup-2.xx fourth (and final) alpha