Software error:
data/versioncache did not return a true value at globals.pl line 699.
Someone should post a bug about it ;-)
]]>Again, thanks to all who helped me on this.
Because Gyroplast asked me to post the fix for thist problem:
DMA errors, especially if you have a Promise 20265 IDE controller, seem to occur because of a bug in the kernel 2.6 versions and maybe in 2.4. To temporarily solve the problem you can boot the kerel with `ide=nodma'. Maybe you can switch DMA back on after booting with `hdparm -d1 <device>'.
1. Archlinux with stock kernel 2.6.6/2.4.26: during boot errors with dma timeout - unable to boot at all or 1/10 is a successful booting.
2. Your lspci output and fstab
3. Workaround: set ide=nodma at kernel boot parameters.
4. Links to some pages describing detailed technical specification of your mainboard if you know them.
or something like that. Maybe others would suggest adding some more info.
Some people report to have same problems with 2.4 and even if they don't it's because their 2.4 kernels disable dma automatically so I think it's not different than setting ide=nodma. Those different results may be connected with different hardware configurations - I think some people suggest that errors stop when you do not use promise controller at all and all disks are controlled only by via chipset.
PS. You could also try adding ide2=ata66 and ide3=ata66. In twm's tur you can find smartmontools which could be helpful for diagnosing hardware, too.
]]>Well, the strangest thing seems to be the non-working kernel 2.4. The bug reports only mentioned 2.6.x and said, that 2.4 worked perfectly. This is something new then. Is it not?
Lanrat: Do you think I should post to http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2494? I fear not to be geek enough to do that...
It seems it's really a bug of the kernel. They had the problem with both the 2.6.3 kernel (standard arch 0.6) and the 2.6.6 (my upgrade, latest) and presumably the ones between. It has been asked for higher priority for this bug fix, so maybe in 2.6.7 we (owning a Promise ATA100 controller) won't have those problems anymore.
One strange thing though: All bugreports mentioned, that the errors only occured on heavy disk load. I had it already, when the kernel booted, so no programs were running. Well, INIT maybe.
:arrow: Does anyone know, whether there is heavy disk load on Arch startup (INIT)? Other distributions seem not to have problems on boot.
Well, lanrat, i haven't tried your suggestions yet (kernel24, ide0=...), but I will... And yeah, i didn't forget your tipp, i3839. Thanks.
For Gyroplast i have also the output of lspci:
00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8363/8365 [KT133/KM133] (rev 02)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8363/8365 [KT133/KM133 AGP]
00:04.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super South] (rev 22)
00:04.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586/B/686A/B PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 10)
00:04.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 10)
00:04.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 10)
00:04.4 Bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super ACPI] (rev 30)
00:0a.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1 (rev 07)
00:0a.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! MIDI/Game Port (rev 07)
00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: Macronix, Inc. [MXIC] MX987x5 (rev 20)
00:11.0 Unknown mass storage controller: Promise Technology, Inc. 20265 (rev 02)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc: Unknown device 5961 (rev 01)
01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc: Unknown device 5941 (rev 01)
I'll look into your suggestions as soon as I can.
What would really interest me: Am i the only one on this board having these problems? Or say: Such a big problem with it?
Aha! Your mainboard has via chipset and promise raid controller, right? They may be the source of your problems (if you are sure that hardware - cables and hdds - is not the problem).
Now some proposals:
1. You can try to insctruct kernel to use dma 66 for given ides. replace ide=nodma with ide0=ata66 ide1=ata66 ... change it according to your hardware/bios setup. I never tried this so no guarantee it will help.
2. There are some more advanced suggestions for your mainboard from mandrake users:
http://www.mmmchen.de/a7v133_eng.html
http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:fT … lr=lang_en
3. Unofficial Asus A7V and Linux ATA100 Quasi-Mini-Howto http://www.geocities.com/ender7007/index.html
4. Collection of links about Asus A7V problems http://www.computer-hardware-directory. … oblem.html
5. Install kernel 2.4.26 (pacman -S kernel24 it can safely coexist with kernel26 in arch), add new grub config line,.... and try it. Problems with your mainboard seems to affect many linux users. Here is some fresh kernel bug for example: http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2494
6. Asus mainboards have their own usenet group: http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&l … board.asus
That's it for now. Please tell us if anything of the above helps or not.
]]>For decent DMA support, you should whack Google for a while with your exact mainboard model number or do whatever else is necessary to find out exactly what IDE chipset the board is using. Then you can go about and see if that chipset has any known problems, who's responsible for fixing it, etc. The Kernel mailing list often is a good google hit.
Since it worked with other distributions, there shouldn't be any unsolvable problems or waiting for Godot^Wkernel fixes. When you identified the culprit, and can run your system with DMA support just fine, make sure to TELL US, so we know the FIX as well, for any other poor chaps experiencing this problem. Consider it as service payment.
]]>- I checked cables, but it didn't get better (did not alter the cable setting, just checked)
- i used ide=nodma ...
AND IT WORKED!!! THANK YOU LANRAT!!!
So i didn't check init=/bin/bash, since it worked. I also think (hd1,1) is okay, even though i don't know what it really means.
Now can anybody tell me, what could be wrong with my DMA stuff? The think is, i have a Asus A7V Mainboard which has an ATA66 AND an ATA100 controller. I can configure the ATA66 controler (dma, pio, ...) from the BIOS but i can't control anythin of ATA100 there, for a reason that is unknown to me. Here's my hardware 'plan':
ATA66 1 Master ASUS CD-S500/A /dev/cdrom
ATA66 1 Slave None
ATA66 2 Master WDC WD300BB-00AUA1 [unimportant win partition *sorry*]
ATA66 2 Slave PLEXTOR CD-R PX-W1210A /dev/cdrom1
ATA100 1 Master IBM-DTLA-307030 /, /home <<<< important partitions here
ATA100 1 Slave None
ATA100 2 Master WDC WD800BB-00CAA1 /data
ATA100 2 Slave None
so, because i boot from ATA100 1 Master, i cannot have that slave-grub problem you (sarah31) mentioned, can i?
I would like to thank all of you guys for helping me on this. You're really great!
But still my DMA problem seems not to be solved. I don't want to buy a new cable, if not absolutely necessary (costs about 30$ coz of UATA100). Uhh, i figured out that it is a kernel problem, isn't it? It's now definately not INIT. I think i'll build a custom kernel and i'll see whether that works or not. Maybe you have some more ideas?
]]>Just that you know, reinstalling hardly ever helps fixing any problem with Linux, it's always better to find out what went wrong and fix it the good way. Getting rid of the problem by upgrading is another matter though.
To make debugging as easy as possible I would disable hotplug and other stuff, and boot with init=/bin/bash as kernel parameter. I would also try to boot with only the hd with root on it enabled (plug out the power cable of the other devices or something).
If it got worse and you didn't really changed anything, then it's probably some hardware problem. Instead of buying a new ide cable it's better to try the one that currently works for sure, or the other one at least.
Just try one thing at a time and don't do anything rash.
]]>I don't get asked for /boot! Does that mean, i have to mention it at `additionals' or not at all? Might that be the reason for my problems (i did not consider it at `additionals')?
If I recall correctly (been a few days since an install ), you first get asked for swap, then for /, then you get asked for anything else. Chooose the first partition then, and it will prompt for a mount point. I think I recall the /home was the default. Just change it to /boot.
]]>Maybe google has some answers too - lots of links?
http://www.google.com/search?q=dma_intr … 8&oe=utf-8
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=dma_i … &scoring=d
i3839: what do you think, hotplug has to do with this?
Here's the question about install:
When i parition manually, i'll have to select the mountpoints after, right? I get asked for swap, root, and additionals. I don't get asked for /boot! Does that mean, i have to mention it at `additionals' or not at all? Might that be the reason for my problems (i did not consider it at `additionals')?