[SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

CPUnltd · 2011-11-21 22:54:58

Trying to install Arch on an E4100 from Gateway and I am running into what seems like kernel and Udev issues. I got an initial install after a couple of bad boots to the live CD where it either hung on starting udev or said something about the system not accepting the kernel (can see if I am able to recreate the error so I can post a proper error message). Now that it's actually installed (only took 3 attempts to boot the CD) it's not loading into the actual OS (on first boot). I now get a kernel panic. How can I troubleshoot this? No problem reinstalling if necessary (downloading the i686 iso... originally used the dual arch iso)...

SOLUTION:

It's pretty "left-field" how I pulled this off, but here's a quick explanation...
1: installed CTKArch
2: removed yaourt and package-query (so I could update properly... looking back, I probably could've just taken them out of pacman.conf)
3: commented out static repo and added repo-ck repo from wiki ( wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Linux-ck )
4: did complete update (plus necessary locale.sh removal, forced filesystem update and menu.lst edits as noted on archlinux news archives)
5: set system to boot to -ck img's instead of standard
6: booted into safemode twice (has to push through some kernel/cpu hickups that caused hard locks when booting directly into ANY kernel... theoretically, could work on standard arch install with boot into fallback kernel img once or twice before booting into standard)
7: boot into standard kernel and edit settings as you see fit... IT WORKS!!! (so far)

Last necessary step (figure out how to get this thing to use a label-based fstab instead of UUID... can't STAND using UUID because it breaks so easily and doesn't translate when resizing partitions)...

Last edited by CPUnltd (2012-03-03 06:35:26)

empthollow · 2011-11-22 01:31:53

I had this problem with a live cd I made. It was a kernel bug. I would recommend a different version of a live cd. Here is a link to my live cd. I know this kernel does not have the bug which I ran into.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=R50I8XLS

CPUnltd · 2011-11-22 05:26:03

I'm usually questionable about custom ISOs, but I will try this out to see if it actually installs...

empthollow · 2011-11-22 05:30:39

Thanks, I wrote the installer, I think there are some issues with options other than the install as on cd option because of repository package version conflicts. I just put the web site back up at http://fluxcapacity.99k.org/index.php?content=about

Last edited by empthollow (2011-11-22 05:35:30)

CPUnltd · 2011-11-23 02:55:17

I have come to the conclusion that these machines are NOT linux friendly... I have 13 of them that I was setting up for an internet cafe and my experience has been such: no net for ANY distro I've tried, net works fine on the supplied XP install... boot is painful (even with flux capacitor) with either kernel panics, kernel hangs, udev failures or general boot hangs...

Unsure of why these systems do not like Arch (tried default, flux cap, and connos), but they seriously DON'T work with Arch Linux (regardless of x86 arch). Will likely image the one I installed on back to XP and just run them like that for now (swapping them out and selling them as I can so I can replace them with Linux friendly systems)... If I could just find a program that makes a user account read-only for XP, I'll be ok for now. I really don't wanna stick with the default OS... but I'm kinda stuck since I'm opening shop in a few days and was expecting to knock all these systems out in one night (which wouldn't have been hard)... Unless someone else figures something out that I'm not aware of, then that's how it has to be for now. I refuse to not open on schedule because I have competition up the road opening 5 or 6 days later...

NOTE: to be more specific, the computers I have are Gateway matxhrn mdp e4100 slim desktops... the matxhrn makes the difference, because the models without that are standard, tall towers vs the slim models I have...

Last edited by CPUnltd (2011-11-23 03:07:18)

empthollow · 2011-11-23 03:55:00

Bummer about those machines. I don't know what else to suggest. Just out of curiosity, where's your shop located? I grew up in Milwaukee and travel back there a few times a year.

CPUnltd · 2011-11-23 05:56:20

I'll do better than tell you it's location, I'll just drop a shameless plug!

Name of the shop is Media Nexxus... can be found on Facebook, Google+ and Google Places (maybe Foursquare too )

empthollow · 2011-11-24 00:53:37

Thanks, Looks like a really cool business. Maybe I'll stop in when I'm in the area. Good luck to you.

quasifilmie · 2011-11-27 17:51:13

You mentioned the dual arch cd. If your computer is 64 bit, you should you use the dual arch or 64 bit iso.

CPUnltd · 2011-11-27 22:31:54

@ emp: looking forward to seeing you drop by... we are open noon to 9 mon - sat...

@ quas: systems are 32bit and I've tried both the dual and i686 isos... official and test releases made on 11-17 & 11-20... all 6 are no-go...

CPUnltd · 2012-02-07 07:26:30

The process has proven to be a slight bit iffy, but I seem to have gotten the machine to boot with the -lts kernel... will see if I can get it up to the point of having a gui between tonight and tomorrow... if all goes well, i will be VERY happy and be able to do what I intended originally to do with these systems. Here's to further success!

*********
UPDATE: after spending a day or so updating and installing other software as I saw fit prior to loading a gui, I finally rebooted the system so I could see if things are working. I am currently looking at a hard LOCKUP on cpu1 reported by watchdog.

WARNING: at kernel/watchdog.c:241 watchdog_overflow_callback+0xa0/0xd0
Hardware name: MIDWAY
Modules liked in: processor(+) button pci_hotplug agpgart ext4 rc16 jbd2 mbcache sr_mod cdrom sd_mod pata_acpi ata_piix libata scsi_mod
Pid: 140, comm: udevd Not tainted 3.2.4-1-ARCH #1
Call Trace:
warn_slowpath_common+0x72/0xa0

any help?

*********

UPDATE: it now hangs indefinitely at Waiting for UDev events to be processed" ... will research this soon...

Last edited by CPUnltd (2012-02-10 21:55:34)

CPUnltd · 2012-03-01 11:36:17

NEW DEVELOPEMENT!!!:

I have come to the conclusion that there is either a udev or kernel bug that will not work with this system. I was able to get CTKArch installed with no problems, but after a full update to current Arch repos, I am experiencing kernel panics. If anyone could help me figure out whether the issue is udev or kernel related, I'd sincerely appreciate it. So far, MoonOS is the only thing I can get running consistantly, but I am adamant about running Arch on these systems. If anyone could direct me to where I can hash out the issues myself, that's fine too... now that I've gotten CTKArch running on here as a base install, I refuse to believe I can't get Arch updated and running on here. Any and all help is welcome!

EDIT: could the issue be that the computer has a P4 processor?

Last edited by CPUnltd (2012-03-01 11:37:55)

empthollow · 2012-03-02 01:54:56

I would suggest installing CTKArch and putting whatever kernel package is default in the holdpkg= line of the pacman.conf. Then upgrade. If it is a kernel issue, you will not get the errors. If it is a udev or other issue it will re-appear. Also, not sure if you saw the archwiki about udev hangs.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ud … gs_at_boot

CPUnltd · 2012-03-02 06:18:37

if I keep that kernel, I can't update anything at all... CTKArch is still running a fairly old 2.6.xx kernel... I'm gonna try something out that I found today and see what happens... Thanks for the udev info... will look further into it after I see whether or not it's a kernel issue...

EDIT: figured it out (for the most part)... solution added to first post of this thread... so far, only completed this work on one desktop, I have 12 more to "test" it on. But wanna get fstab set to identify partitions by label instead of UUID so I can fsarchive my partitions for safe keeping...

Last edited by CPUnltd (2012-03-03 06:37:32)

Arch Linux

#1 2011-11-21 22:54:58

[SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#2 2011-11-22 01:31:53

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#3 2011-11-22 05:26:03

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#4 2011-11-22 05:30:39

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#5 2011-11-23 02:55:17

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#6 2011-11-23 03:55:00

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#7 2011-11-23 05:56:20

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#8 2011-11-24 00:53:37

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#9 2011-11-27 17:51:13

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#10 2011-11-27 22:31:54

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#11 2012-02-07 07:26:30

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#12 2012-03-01 11:36:17

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#13 2012-03-02 01:54:56

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

#14 2012-03-02 06:18:37

Re: [SOLVED ...technically] Gateway E4100 odd install issues...

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