Arch Linux

unexpectedly

Member

Registered: 2008-04-29

Posts: 8

another install hang at GRUB> [resolved]

Hey everyone,

The recent instabilities introduced in ubuntu have set me on a quest for a different linux. I like kde a lot and searching for "best kde linux" routinely brings up arch. That and many on the ubuntuforums.org site speak highly of arch as well as kdemod.

I've got a recent laptop, a Dell D630 intel core duo, and it won't boot the 2008.04RC disk, only shows the GRUB> prompt, similar to as discussed here: http://bugs.archlinux.org/task/6292   If work isn't crazy tomorrow, I'll try to learn what they mean by getting 0.7.2 iso and try that.

I blindly tried a few commands...
configfile (cd)/boot/grub/menu.lst gives
Error 25: Disk read error

root (cd)
Filesystem type is iso9660, using whole disk

And their example of trying to cat a file on (cd) does show there are files or folders present.

Information about this Dell:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=518702

# lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile Memory Controller Hub (rev 0c)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 0c)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 0c)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI #4 (rev 02)
00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI #5 (rev 02)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI #2 (rev 02)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 02)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 02)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 02)
00:1c.5 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 6 (rev 02)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI #1 (rev 02)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI #2 (rev 02)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI #3 (rev 02)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI #1 (rev 02)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev f2)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile LPC Interface Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation Mobile IDE Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation Mobile SATA AHCI Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 02)
02:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection (rev 02)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5755M Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express (rev 02)
04:01.0 CardBus bridge: O2 Micro, Inc. Cardbus bridge (rev 21)
04:01.4 FireWire (IEEE 1394): O2 Micro, Inc. Firewire (IEEE 1394) (rev 02)

I thought I'd post up in the event there is something simple I'm missing. FWIW, this Dell won't boot the normal ubuntu install cd either and requires their alternate cd iso. The link above lists the many and varied work-arounds I had to perform to get the D630 happy in ubuntu. At least 7.04 would install almost everything without too much heartache.

Thanks,
Chris

Last edited by unexpectedly (2008-04-30 22:33:37)

Allan

Pacman

From: Brisbane, AU

Registered: 2007-06-09

Posts: 11,384

Website

Re: another install hang at GRUB> [resolved]

I run a very similar laptop but haven't tried the 2008-04 iso so I can't tell you if I have the same problem. It looks like you have all Intel hardware so this should work...

As a quick fix I would download the 2008-03 iso and use that.  Got the the "Get Arch" link and choose a mirror and go to the iso directory.  That should get you started. 

You should realize that Arch will take a bit more to get setup than Ubuntu but if you read the Beginners Guide in the wiki you should get up and running fairly quickly.

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unexpectedly

Member

Registered: 2008-04-29

Posts: 8

Re: another install hang at GRUB> [resolved]

Hi Allan,

Thanks for replying! Yes, the 2007-08 image is working for me, no problems. I picked the FTP install and have printed out the newb's install hints guide. Pared down to the relevant parts in 8pt font, it's only 18 pages.

The configuration is not a problem here. I've got production web-servers so I'm all about being presented with entertaining challenges and investigating their antidote.

*said with intentionally (and obviously fake) air of snobbery* And I use vi.

I tar'd all my files, did the format and partition, and now I'm at the editing scripts stage of the install.

Thanks!
Chris

I run a very similar laptop but haven't tried the 2008-04 iso so I can't tell you if I have the same problem. It looks like you have all Intel hardware so this should work...

As a quick fix I would download the 2008-03 iso and use that.  Got the the "Get Arch" link and choose a mirror and go to the iso directory.  That should get you started. 

You should realize that Arch will take a bit more to get setup than Ubuntu but if you read the Beginners Guide in the wiki you should get up and running fairly quickly.

unexpectedly

Member

Registered: 2008-04-29

Posts: 8

Re: another install hang at GRUB> [resolved]

Hmmm, now I have a different problem and it is quite the catch 22...

The installer seems to be mounting the HD to /mnt, however it is not copying any files there. So I go to bed with the drive partitioned and formatted but with nothing on the disk. Unfortunately, I have carefully gone through the process 3 times (and sadly ftp'd the installation 3 times   ) and it's odd... the installer is sometimes expecting "something" to be happening to the partitions on /mnt, however it doesn't actually copy anything there.

Since I have now twice edited the config files by hand ... killing the Alt-F keys to transpose the uuid of the volumes for fstab... I give up for the evening on attempt #3 now that it's wanting me to edit the files in the non-existant /mnt/etc again. mount shows they're all rw and everything makes sense. Is there a step in the install guide that forgets to say to Alt-F2 and cp -R /etc/ /mnt   ?? 

nothing actually ever happens to the installed harddisk once past the part where they get setup and the mount points chosen.

i'll download the CD-ROM install iso (as opposed to the ftp install) and give it another go tomorrow.

Sadly, I was hoping to have made better progress. Tomorrow at 6pm is when this project needs to show some promise. I leave out of town for the weekend and when I get back Monday, I'll give it Monday, but it'll have to be up and running by then, or I'll lose too much $$$.

I'm disappointed as I was looking forward to something better than kubuntu. I like Arch's simplicity (which is what I see transparency as) and I work in the KDE world, so Arch needs to get working. My config fu definitely isn't weak. When the D630 first came out, there were some amazing things to be done in order to get 1440x900 video working in ubuntu! In my efforts to have 1440, sound, and wireless, I compiled the kernel a number of times and seemed could get any two... I was intimidated by the task, but got to where I could compile a working kernel in about 1/2 hour with the Dell.

From the research I did leading up to the current wipe and reinstall on my work computer, I decided that the most reliable *buntu install would be to install ubuntu server and then add kubuntu-desktop etc, etc, etc to get something less buggy. If I end up going 32 bit, I'll probably give vectorlinux another stab. It intrigued me when I gave it a whirl on my sony sz220 dualcore ... booted from off to KDE desktop in just over 30 seconds. What keeps me from just going there is my desire to use everyday the linux that I see my servers moving towards. I don't see them going to vector, and definitely envision them running arch.

Anyhow ... I'll update in 16 hours... 
Chris

unexpectedly

Member

Registered: 2008-04-29

Posts: 8

Re: another install hang at GRUB> [resolved]

Update: installing now via CD-Rom iso (and not the FTP iso) and everything is working out thus far. Config fies are showing up and I watched it work on the vmlinuz and initrd so this is promising!

unexpectedly

Member

Registered: 2008-04-29

Posts: 8

Re: another install hang at GRUB> [resolved]

Sweet. I've got my # prompt on the first try. Sometimes I wish this wasn't so rewarding. Boot time was about 2/3 the time that ubuntu formerly required. I wouldn't be surprised for it to end up faster once I read about tweaks.

And, yes when the install CD works, it is actually a pretty easy install. I'd compare it to ubuntu server.

Allan

Pacman

From: Brisbane, AU

Registered: 2007-06-09

Posts: 11,384

Website

Re: another install hang at GRUB> [resolved]

Good to see you got it working in the end.  Welcome to Arch!

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PGP Key: F99FFE0FEAE999BD