Arch Linux

qba

Member

Registered: 2007-02-14

Posts: 3

Installation Problem

Hi guys,

I want to try out arch really bad, but i have a really nasty problem here.
I've tried to install Arch 0.7.2 and most recently Arch 0.8 but during booting the installation/rescue cd i got this message:

...
RAMDISK: Compressed image found at block 0
RAMDISK: incomplete write (-28 != 32768) 16777216
invalid compressed format (err=2)
No filesystem could mount root, tried:
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,3)

Machine is IBM ThinkPad 600x (Pentium iii 500MHz, 64+256MB RAM)
at first it looks like a RAM failure, i've run memtest+ for hours, nothing. i've tried booting only with one memory module (64MB and 256MB), same output. Then i thought that it could be cdrom reading problem (cause once i got Input/output error, at the begining of kernel booting), and that it's rather old cd-rom drive (about 7 years) and it could have problems with cd-rws, same things. I additionaly tried to boot very same cd-rws on other machines at my home (on every each one of the it booted like a charm :)).

I got desperate. Tried to boot slax into ram, then mount arch cd and istall from there, but i didn't manage. and yes slax boots normally. the same with other live cds (gentoo install cd, knoppix, you name it).

BIG thanx in advance for helping me out!

qba

Member

Registered: 2007-02-14

Posts: 3

Re: Installation Problem

I've just spotted another section titles "installation problems" on this forum sorry for messing up.
oh i've just read something about http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Qui … stallation it looks promising

filoktetes

Member

From: Skien, Norway

Registered: 2003-12-29

Posts: 287

Re: Installation Problem

What a co-incidence, I just got hold of a Thinkpad 600X (PIII 448MHz 384Mb). I got exactly the same errors as you with the 0.8Beta 1, but the 0.7.2 boots fine. I still don't know what's wrong with the 0.8, but you might try to boot the 0.7.2 again. It's quite bothersome to get up to date with that one, though, just so you'll be warned

qba

Member

Registered: 2007-02-14

Posts: 3

Re: Installation Problem

hmm i've booted 0.7.2 - full and got errors, but when i booted -base (or -ftp, don't remember) one i booted fine but, then freshly installed system didn't boot.
now i'm installing arch from, slax. i'm getting real progress now, compiling kernel, hope it will work.

i got problems cause my internet connection is through usb-wifi-dongle, throught PPPoE, and so it's not straight forward to get internet connection without one, if you know what i mean.

hmm... thx for the reply, so it's not hardware issiue (at least it's not problem with my hardware - it's a feature of all of them )

detto

Member

Registered: 2006-01-23

Posts: 510

Re: Installation Problem

Please use wiki.archlinux.org ... and to install archlinux use the 0.8beta CD. Its a shame that arch devs still didnt refreshed their "get arch" link with it, more and more people are getting problems because 0.8beta "is not final, buhuuu" (sry, but its really gettin nasty) :roll: