Updated Universal Installer

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Sit Heel Speak
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#31 Post by Sit Heel Speak »

Everybody: Please test this, at least the first few stages, when it just detects your HW
From 2.15CE live-DVD, with a pup_save on hdd1...your new PUI detects both a USB stick (sdb) and an SCSI hard disk (sda).

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Dougal
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#32 Post by Dougal »

Sit Heel Speak wrote:
Everybody: Please test this, at least the first few stages, when it just detects your HW
From 2.15CE live-DVD, with a pup_save on hdd1...your new PUI detects both a USB stick (sdb) and an SCSI hard disk (sda).
You mean a "real" SCSI drive? Or SATA? If it's a real scsi, I need help in trying to figure out how to know it's scsi and not sata... (I know sata might have "ATA" at the vendor -- 1st part of the name in probedisk -- but don't know if scsi drives will have "scsi" written anywhere...

If it's a real scsi I can give you more things to test...
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Gn2
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#33 Post by Gn2 »

help in trying to figure out how to know it's scsi
Philosophy

Architecture
*****************

The Linux SCSI Generic (sg) Driver:

SG3 Utils

SG-IO

Great Fun All: sg_raw ~ cdrecord-scanbus( outputs much same data)

TOOLS
LSSCSI/MAPSCSI

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#34 Post by Gn2 »


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rerwin
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Autodetected CDROM incorrect

#35 Post by rerwin »

Thanks very much, Dougal, for tackling the installer to make it more "universal". I have tested your new version (as of yesterday) and find that it does not correct a related problem introduced in 2.15. It relies on /dev/cdrom and /dev/dvd as set during initialization or by the drive wizard.

However, in 2.14 the wizard shows the detected drive correctly, as hdc; the 2.15 wizard incorrectly shows hdb. This causes the installer to persistantly prompt for insertion of a CD into hdb!

The workaround, of course, is to run the wizard to set hdc. This suggests that the dialog might recommend the user do that.

But the main problem is that the initial cdrom detection is invalid; however, the installer is what shows the crazy behavior when the user relies on the default detection. (My PC has only a primary-master HD and secondary-master CDRW. My other PC with 2 HDs gets even more bizarre -- the HDs are offered as the CDROM candidates.)

Here are the differing wizard dialog boxes:
2.14:
Puppy has probed your PC and found these CD/DVD drives:
/dev/hdc LITE-ON_LTR-48125W

Puppy thinks the default CDROM reader drive is: /dev/hdc
Puppy thinks the default DVD reader drive is:
Puppy thinks the default burner drive is: /dev/hdc

DEVICE LINKS:
/dev/cdrom is currently linked to: /dev/hdc.
/dev/dvd is currently linked to: .

2.15:
Puppy has probed your PC and found these CD/DVD drives:
/dev/hdc LITE-ON_LTR-48125W

Puppy thinks the default CDROM reader drive is: /dev/hdb
Puppy thinks the default DVD reader drive is: /dev/hdb
Puppy thinks the default burner drive is:

DEVICE LINKS:
/dev/cdrom is currently linked to: /dev/hdb.
/dev/dvd is currently linked to: /dev/hdb.
I also note that the 2.15 version misleadingly shows a DVD device, even though the device is only a CDROM.

I hope you can correct these regressions as part of your upgrade to the installer (and that on which it depends). Thanks in advance.

Richard

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#36 Post by BarryK »

Dougal, the 'init' script distinguishes between sata and true scsi drives, well, it does so in the latest 2.16. Information is written to /etc/rc.d/PUPSTATE, and it has the variable 'SATADRIVES='
...I could put some more variables in there.
I think Pup 2.14 also creates SATADRIVES variable.

In the init script, USBDRIVES is the USB drives (but not USB CD/DVD drives), SATADRIVES is the SATA drives (but not SATA CD/DVD drives).
The USBDRIVES variable is not exported as that can change, but you can dynamically test if a drive is USB or SATA by checking against the SATADRIVES variable. The same thing holds for testing if it is a true SCSI drive.

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Sit Heel Speak
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#37 Post by Sit Heel Speak »

Dougal wrote:You mean a "real" SCSI drive? Or SATA?
Real SCSI. Vintage-1998 Seagate ST32155W on an Adaptec AHA-2940UW PCI SCSI controller. Delighted to help...

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#38 Post by bobn9lvu »

Ok, BUT if installed on a scsii drive, WILL it boot from that drive??? :shock:
That's what inquiring minds want to know?? :wink:

Bob 8)
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Dougal
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#39 Post by Dougal »

Users of boot loaders: Please help.

Grub users: I am trying to get the script to autodetect a grub installation. Please run the attached script (in a terminal) and see if it gives the right results.
Note: do not place the script in /tmp as scripts don't work well from within there.

Lilo users: I'm thinking of possibly adding support for Lilo, so any info will be helpful.
Examples:
The output of "disktype /dev/hda" (if had has Lilo installed to it's MBR)
Same for "hda1" if Lilo is installed to that partition (is it possible with Lilo, or only with Grub?)
Also the output of "fdisk -l"
Where is the menu file? With grub it's called "menu.lst" and located in /hda1/boot/grub/ (for example).
Also what the entries look like for a full install and for a frugal.


I will reply to recent posts shortly.
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Dougal
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#40 Post by Dougal »

SHS: I'm more interested in simple info on how to know (from within a script) that it's a scsi drive. I know of lsscsi, but that means adding it to Puppy and waiting for the next release so people test with it etc. and also I don't like to rely on such contraptions (see probedisk/probepart and all the trouble they cause in Puppy). Lsscsi also gives you a lot of info -- I just want to know: scsihd or satahd?

As for the "sg" module, if I recall correctly, when I worked on adding scsi modules to my initrd.gz I tried it on my machine (=no scsi devices) and it caused my two IDE cdroms to be given scd0 and scd1 -- as well as the usual hdc and hdd -- which will cause a mess (and dmesg had a warning saying not to use it since it's deprecated…).
So I didn't put "sg" in with the scsi modules.


Rerwin: I was wondering if I should use /dev/cdrom /dev/dvd or actually look for devices… the reason I chose it this way was
1) laziness… couldn't be bothered doing the whole looking for cdroms
2) it seemed simpler to write the code this way. I guess I could just create a loop that goes through the cdroms
3) I try and assume that if the code in rc.local0 does a lot to check the drives, then the links are ok…

I'll see, I might just go to using device names (not rely on anything…).

The wizard is beyond my control…


Barry: the SATADRIVES parameter is not very reliable, so I don't use it. When I added scsi modules to my init script I thought of also creating a SCSIDRIVES parameter, but it's not worth the trouble and I don't like to rely on it for finding files: for example, if PMEDIA is "satahd" I just scan all "sd" devices…


Bobn9lvu: I think that Sage keeps complaining about Grub not being able to boot scsi. Is that so? If so it's a matter of using Lilo (I might get to that…).
However, you also need the init to be able to boot scsi… Jesse just tried my modified version with a scsi drive and it worked, but froze in rc.modules… so that's another hurdle in the way to booting off scsi drives.
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#41 Post by Gn2 »

Where does "disktype" come from - another "puppy variant " ?
fdisk -l will output all probe located hard drives
lspci/lsusb & sg_io (IOCTRL/sg3) > utilities probe M/Brd bus /DMA return of OEM device capabilities
(dmesg shows boot probe results - tail /var/log files last system events)

NTIM to others - I have long maintained - use of "generic" names such as cdrom/dvd etal - was poor Linux NON nomenclature -
They are NOT true block devices - (only symlinks)
~ Have caused vast confusion over Distro variants using same
Names/mount points are optional (calll any "Pink Elephants" if wished - just ensure symlnks/loader Cfg's point where needed)
Why the reluctance to Linux conventions > everything is user syscal accessed as a file ?

/etc/lilo.conf is the configuration for Lilo loader

http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/l ... tload.html

http://syslinux.zytor.com/faq.php (emulation when loader exceeds media size limit)
# $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo-x86/sys-boot/lilo/files/lilo.conf,v 1.2 2004/07/18 04:42:04 dragonheart Exp $
# Author: Ultanium
#
# Start LILO global section
#
# Faster, but won't work on all systems:
#compact
# Should work for most systems, and do not have the sector limit:
{above line refers to old 1024cyl limitation}
lba32
# If lba32 do not work, use linear:
#linear
# MBR to install LILO to:
boot = /dev/hda
map = /boot/.map
# If you are having problems booting from a hardware raid-array
# or have a unusual setup, try this:
#disk=/dev/ataraid/disc0/disc bios=0x80 # see this as the first BIOS disk
#disk=/dev/sda bios=0x81 # see this as the second BIOS disk
#disk=/dev/hda bios=0x82 # see this as the third BIOS disk
# Here you can select the secondary loader to install. A few
# examples is:
#
# boot-text.b
# boot-menu.b
# boot-bmp.b
#
install = /boot/boot-menu.b # Note that for lilo-22.5.5 or later you
# do not need boot-{text,menu,bmp}.b in
# /boot, as they are linked into the lilo
# binary.
menu-scheme=Wb
prompt
# If you always want to see the prompt with a 15 second timeout:
#timeout=150
delay = 50
# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# VESA console with size 1024x768x16:
#vga = 791
#
# End LILO global section
#
# Linux bootable partition config begins
#
image = /boot/bzImage
root = /dev/hda3
#root = /devices/discs/disc0/part3
label = Gentoo
read-only # read-only for checking
#
# Linux bootable partition config ends
#
# DOS bootable partition config begins
#
other = /dev/hda1
#other = /devices/discs/disc0/part1
label = Windows
table = /dev/hda
#
# DOS bootable partition config ends
#
Sorry - Sg is NOT deprecated - try to use virtual file system for removable media without it
The "versions" have changed (sg-sd-sr-st)
If you re-read Docs - it's use is Esp valuable for naming convention variables ! (hot-plugging, daisy-chain/first found claims)
Sg is generic driver - used to address the V/FS of device
VARIABLES

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Sit Heel Speak
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#42 Post by Sit Heel Speak »

@Dougal: I don't have a SATA drive, only a USB stick and the SCSI drive, but, does this provide clues?

Seagate=SCSI hard disk
SanDisk = USB stick

Samsung, WDC (Western Digital), and Fujitsu are all IDE disks.

Can someone please post the output of probedisk on a SATA drive?
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probedisk and jesseprobeusb in 2.15CE with SCSI disk and USB stick.png
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bostonvaulter
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#43 Post by bostonvaulter »

Here's my output of find-grub, I ran it from /root

# time ./find-grub
grub installed to MBR of device |hda|

real 0m5.713s
user 0m0.110s
sys 0m0.130s
#


This is correct. I have an internal ide hard drive. Grub is installed on hda5 (well the /boot directory is there, i don't know if you actually call it "installed" there)

Jason
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Sit Heel Speak
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#44 Post by Sit Heel Speak »

...ehrrrm, perhaps my earlier enthusiasm was premature...

When installing a full hd Puppy...there should be, somewhere, a vmlinuz and an initrd.gz on the destination disk, right?

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Dougal
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#45 Post by Dougal »

bostonvaulter wrote:# time ./find-grub
grub installed to MBR of device |hda|
That's actually not good... my script also looks for the "menu.lst" file, which should be in /hda5/boot/grub/ (I assume).

Am I correct in assuming where it should be? Maybe I should make the script more verbose, to find out where the problem is.


SHS: You mean the files that should be in /boot are missing?


Gn2: disktype is an app that gives info about drives -- if I do disktype /dev/hda it tells me that grub is installed to it (MBR).
If I have grub installed to, say, hda3 -- disktype /dev/hda3 will say grub is installed there.

I use fdisk -l for finding bootable partitions, but there isn't always a bootable partition! For example the case when grub is installed to a partition...
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#46 Post by Gn2 »

Thnx Dougal (disktype)

Yes, fdisk will show IF any partition is flagged as "bootable"
But Linux doesn't require that flag (M.S. does > I/Out portion of intiate instructions)

Further, a loader may be "chained".... for BIOS to find/read contigous boot bytes

Recall, after install - Initrd is NOT a requisite to boot - only the loader to point BIOS to
2nd stage of initiation sequence.
Users often confuse - the MBR is located on First hard drive FOUND containing initial boot data:
That device need NOT be hda !!
Change cabling -or Bios boot sequence - where the first loader instruction set was installed will not necessarily be found by BIOS

Boot instructions may reside on other media (I.E. Syslinux-there are others)

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#47 Post by bobn9lvu »

Dougal wrote: Bobn9lvu: I think that Sage keeps complaining about Grub not being able to boot scsi. Is that so? If so it's a matter of using Lilo (I might get to that…).
However, you also need the init to be able to boot scsi… Jesse just tried my modified version with a scsi drive and it worked, but froze in rc.modules… so that's another hurdle in the way to booting off scsi drives.
No, once installed onto a scsii drive, Grub WILL boot, but when the kernal
gets loaded, it does NOT recognize the scsii drive and locks up the system
where only a hard reset will work to "try" and fix problem... :(
I had it work just fine from the MBR of a scsii drive but thats as far as it got.

I was able to select any of the menu entries I had made.

Puppy was one, and freedos was the other, and freedos booted just fine... through grub..

Bob 8)
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#48 Post by Sit Heel Speak »

Dougal wrote:SHS: You mean the files that should be in /boot are missing?
Correct. Subdir /boot is not being created.

Screenshot:

http://tinypic.com/2vlp85g.png

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#49 Post by bostonvaulter »

@Dougal

Yes my menu.lst file is in hda5/boot/grub/menu.lst
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#50 Post by miriam »

Dougal, I am impressed! It worked like a charm! The installer saw the partitions on the hdc drive and installed Puppy on /mnt/hdc2 exactly like I wanted.

I did have a little problem at first, of no /boot dir being created, but I think that was because I opted out when it moved on to the grubconfig part. I figured I didn't need to configure it because I already had it installed (on my old Puppy installation). I intended to simply go in later with a text editor and edit the old menu.lst file to start my new Puppy installation. But with no /boot dir on my new Puppy installation grub wouldn't be able to unpack and run the vmlinuz file (because it lives in /boot).

So I backed up the old menu.lst file in case of stuff-ups, ran the installer again, this time continuing thru the grubconfig sequence, and all ended well.

Thanks Dougal. I'm very grateful.

As a few people have mentioned, the choice between the 2 kinds of install -- option 1 and option 2 is somewhat harder to read than need be, though much, much better than previously. I'll look at it and see if I can't work out a simpler way to make that bit.

Hmmm... I just noticed an odd thing... Grub appears to misdiagnose my Puppy partition as ext2fs, when it is actually ext3fs. Doesn't seem to be a problem though. It boots fine.
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