Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

Cub69 · 2006-09-08 01:19:28

Hi all,

Building another system. This one has a new Asus P5VDC-X motherboard in it.

Each time I've installed it and booted to the new system, it can't find my /dev/hda3 (root /) partition. The initrd seems to be missing something. Using the built initrd image, it says it can't pivot_root. Using the initrd_full just dies saying no device present.

The CD boots and finds the hard drive, so I'm not certain why it doesn't find it during the building of the initrd file.

I'm going to wipe the hard disk one more time and try it again -- perhaps I did something wrong...

Norm

luca · 2006-09-08 06:05:02

Hi Cub69,
try to boot with the installation cd and see which modules are loaded with

lsmod

I think that you can find the driver for the controller of your disk

Mr Green · 2006-09-08 06:40:13

Your mobo have jmicron controller ?

Have you tried running a livecd to see if it works ....

Cub69 · 2006-09-08 11:28:51

Something isn't right -- I can boot with Knoppix and it finds my hard drives. I can boot with a rescue CD and even the install CD for Arch and it finds my hard drives.

The initrd just does not find my drives to allow booting.

I tried the arch root=/dev/hda3 ... but it doesn't work, it still boots the installer.

Any suggestions on what I'm missing in the initrd?

Mr Green · 2006-09-08 12:02:05

have you tried using ahci ?

you using ide drives or sata?

# vim:set ft=sh
# MODULES
# The following modules are loaded before any boot hooks are
# run.  Advanced users may wish to specify all system modules
# in this array.  For instance:
#     MODULES="piix ide_disk reiserfs"
MODULES="ahci"

mkinitcpio.conf....

If knoppix is working then it may not be a jmicron problem...

Cub69 · 2006-09-08 13:14:16

I've done more investigation. The drives are IDE.

I added the module as via82cxxx as I believe that is the chipset -- I'm not 100% because I can't boot a system with hwdetect to confirm.

While the initrd is booting, I see the VP_IDE loading, but no IDE devices. It does comment about Southbridge chipset unidentified so disabling DMA but thats only a performance issue, not a boot issue I think.

I'm using ext2 for my /boot and ext3 for /.

Mr Green · 2006-09-08 13:36:39

when you say you boot does arch start at all.. or does it panic no drives found..

.

Cub69 · 2006-09-08 13:40:39

Arch panics with no drives found at all and drops to the busybox prompt.

I was able to chroot into the new install so I ran a mkinitrd auto --show after I sent autodetect on in the .conf file.

It showed the generic ide stuff and it showed the via82cxxx driver! It wrote the new initrd25.img file but when I reboot I get the same error.

hightower · 2006-09-08 13:43:56

Have you checked the cables and connections?

It might seem stupid to do this with the other operating systems booting, but you never know.

hightower

Cub69 · 2006-09-08 13:49:05

Actually, not stupid -- I did and no difference

lspci confirms its a via82cxxx chip for IDE while chrooted. I'm at a loss...

I think I'll have to build a custom kernel for the time being and see if that works.

byte · 2006-09-08 14:00:46

http://archlinux.org/news/252/
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Mkinitcpio

Mr Green · 2006-09-08 14:13:02

Does your BIOS show jmicron at boot start?

In BIOS what is SATA set to?

Got a kernel here you could try ... but of course you will need to able to chroot in to set it up ....

Cub69 · 2006-09-08 14:27:44

byte wrote:

http://archlinux.org/news/252/
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Mkinitcpio

The Installer is still using mkinitrd, so that's why I'm using it. I don't think mkinitcpio is installed by default. I'll have to check.

Norm

Cub69 · 2006-09-08 14:30:00

Mr Green wrote:

Does your BIOS show jmicron at boot start?
In BIOS what is SATA set to?
Got a kernel here you could try ... but of course you will need to able to chroot in to set it up ....

Since I'm not using SATA, it is set as disabled. I also can't find any reference to jmicron.

Where can I get this kernel to try out? Much appreciated.

Norm

ralvez · 2006-09-08 14:32:46

I've seen a couple of problems in the past similar to what you experience.
I'm gessing you are using GRUB (which is where I run into troubles) try using lilo if that is the case, you may find it just works.

I have had two machines with that problem and could not find why they would not boot with GRUB (my preferred bootloader) but they would with LILO.

go figure...

Mr Green · 2006-09-08 14:38:56

Ok IDE it is then ok check your lilo/grub configs rty and post them may help up ...

Cub69 · 2006-09-08 14:40:58

Well, I will certainly try LILO and see whether it fixes the problem.

I'm using the generic menu.lst created by the installer -- nothing different or odd in there.

Norm

EDIT -- SAME ERROR with lilo.

Mr Green · 2006-09-08 14:55:35

I still think its the jmicron issue... but I have been wrong before

In my case my P5B would not show dvd drive ... had to patch kernel to get it to work

Have you done a google for your board & problem ...

Sorry I cannot be of much more help If you need kernel then let me know ...

MrG

Cub69 · 2006-09-08 15:01:27

Yes, I googled for the board and linux and its actually shown as compatible by Keylabs:
http://www.keylabs.com/linux/results/asus_p5vdc-x.html

How can I get that kernel from you to try?

Norm

Mr Green · 2006-09-08 15:54:37

I'll pm you the url ;-)

I got to upload it to my webspace .....

BRB

phrakture · 2006-09-08 17:19:58

Cub69 wrote:

byte wrote:
http://archlinux.org/news/252/
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Mkinitcpio
The Installer is still using mkinitrd, so that's why I'm using it. I don't think mkinitcpio is installed by default. I'll have to check.
Norm

It is not, but it is if you upgrade. I highly recommend you switch to mkinitcpio, as it should fix your problem. /me crosses his fingers

Cub69 · 2006-09-08 18:16:46

Perhaps, but how can I upgrade if I can't boot into the system I want to upgrade? Hence my endless loop... sigh.

phrakture · 2006-09-08 18:22:20

You do an ftp install.

Cub69 · 2006-09-08 18:54:47

Ok, I'll try and post what happens.

Thanks all for the assistance and suggestions -- I have been working on linux/unix for almost 5 years now and I haven't hit a problem quite like this one -- but then, you don't do installs all the time either.

Norm

Cub69 · 2006-09-08 19:53:33

Ok, for the record, mkinitcpio made no difference.

I found a package in extra (kernelmm) which has all of the IDE modules built-in and it boots -- HOWEVER, udev fails because the kernel is 2.6.13 and you need > 2.6.15 for udev.

Unless there is another package out there, I'm going to build a kernel with the IDE modules built-in and see how that goes.

Norm

Arch Linux

#1 2006-09-08 01:19:28

Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#2 2006-09-08 06:05:02

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#3 2006-09-08 06:40:13

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#4 2006-09-08 11:28:51

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#5 2006-09-08 12:02:05

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#6 2006-09-08 13:14:16

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#7 2006-09-08 13:36:39

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#8 2006-09-08 13:40:39

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#9 2006-09-08 13:43:56

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#10 2006-09-08 13:49:05

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#11 2006-09-08 14:00:46

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#12 2006-09-08 14:13:02

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#13 2006-09-08 14:27:44

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#14 2006-09-08 14:30:00

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#15 2006-09-08 14:32:46

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#16 2006-09-08 14:38:56

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#17 2006-09-08 14:40:58

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#18 2006-09-08 14:55:35

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#19 2006-09-08 15:01:27

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#20 2006-09-08 15:54:37

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#21 2006-09-08 17:19:58

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#22 2006-09-08 18:16:46

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#23 2006-09-08 18:22:20

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#24 2006-09-08 18:54:47

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

#25 2006-09-08 19:53:33

Re: Asus P5VDC-X Motherboard -- can't get it to boot

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