Arch Linux

Gasmann

Member

Registered: 2009-07-22

Posts: 6

[SOLVED] Arch Linux 2009.02 FTP CD doesn't find my VIA IDE Controller!

Hi,

I want to install Arch Linux to a computer having an MS-6380 mainboard utilizing a VIA VT8233 southbridge (that's what I read on the chip...).
Unfortunately, the FTP Install CD doesn't find my IDE Controller, and thus neither hard disks nor the install CD itself.
I've tried both the new and the legacy IDE boot option... neither works.
Grub boots fine, then I get until the point where it says something like "Waiting 6s for USB devices" and looks for the install medium in different places. It can't find it and drops me into a rescue shell.
When I look in /dev there, there are neither srx, nor hdx, nor sdx...
However, this same burnt CD works fine in my brother's computer, which has some SiS chipset (I don't remember exactly which one now). It finds the IDE controller and subsequently the hard disks and cd/dvd drives...
So is it possible that the creator of the FTP image did a mistake by excluding the driver for VIA VT8233? Is there a workaround or a fix somewhere? I'm unfortunately unable to boot from USB, otherwise I'd try that...
By the way, contrary to this CD, the GParted LiveCD (I don't know which version exactly, but I burnt the newest in September of 2008) works like a charm. So it can't be Linux's fault, but only Arch's...

Best regards,
Thomas

Last edited by Gasmann (2009-07-26 20:20:30)

Gasmann

Member

Registered: 2009-07-22

Posts: 6

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Linux 2009.02 FTP CD doesn't find my VIA IDE Controller!

I've just downloaded 2008.06 FTP ISO and burnt that; it works well and recognizes my IDE controller. So I'll install using this older version. Nevertheless this problem should be fixed.

GerBra

Forum Fellow

From: Bingen/Germany

Registered: 2007-05-10

Posts: 207

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Linux 2009.02 FTP CD doesn't find my VIA IDE Controller!

Could you file a bugreport here: http://bugs.archlinux.org/index.php?project=6
Please also told what module is loaded for your IDE controller using 2008.06. If unsure post output of lspci.
If your lspci offers the -k Option please also the output of: lspci -k

Gasmann

Member

Registered: 2009-07-22

Posts: 6

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Linux 2009.02 FTP CD doesn't find my VIA IDE Controller!

I was wrong, sorry... Carefully observing the boot process again, I found out that the problem must be a very different. By regarding the gunzipped initrds with a text editor, I found the string pata_via.ko in ARCHISO_PATA.IMG and via82cxxx.ko in ARCHISO_IDE.IMG, like it has to be. So these modules are very likely *not* missing.
I now think that the problem must be with udev or so. What made me aware of it is that the Hook [udev] in 2008.06 not only finds input like in 2009.02 (look below) but also a lot of my other hardware, for example besides the IDE controller also the USB controller. I tried to access my usb stick which I plugged in before booting 2009.02 and couldn't access it either from within this rescue shell...

After the kernel has finished booting fine, this happens:

:: Loading Initramfs
:: Running Hook [archiso-early]
:: Running Hook [udev]
Loading udev...input: AT Translated Set 2 Keyboard as /class/input/input1
done.
:: Running Hook [archiso]
:: Mounting tmpfs, size=75%... done.
:: Waiting for devices to settle...
:: Waiting 6s for USB devices
:: Scanning cd drives...
:: Scanning usb drives...
ERROR: cannot find boot device, cannot continue
   Falling back to interactive prompt...
ramfs$

What should I do now? I'd want to file a bug, but I don't even know what exactly the problem is! udev just doesn't find anything more than my keyboard, which is a shame... but I don't know why, and I also don't have a clue how to find that out. I don't want to bug the developers with a problem which I don't even know how it's caused...:(

EDIT: here's my complete lspci -k:

00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333]
    Kernel driver in use: agpgart-via
    Kernel modules: via-agp
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333 AGP]
    Kernel modules: shpchp
00:06.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB12LV26 IEEE-1394 Controller (Link)
    Subsystem: TERRATEC Electronic GmbH Device 1133
    Kernel driver in use: ohci1394
    Kernel modules: ohci1394
00:07.0 USB Controller: NEC Corporation USB (rev 43)
    Subsystem: NEC Corporation Hama USB 2.0 CardBus
    Kernel driver in use: ohci_hcd
    Kernel modules: ohci-hcd
00:07.1 USB Controller: NEC Corporation USB (rev 43)
    Subsystem: NEC Corporation Hama USB 2.0 CardBus
    Kernel driver in use: ohci_hcd
    Kernel modules: ohci-hcd
00:07.2 USB Controller: NEC Corporation USB 2.0 (rev 04)
    Subsystem: NEC Corporation USB 2.0
    Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
    Kernel modules: ehci-hcd
00:08.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)
    Subsystem: Allied Telesyn International AT-2500TX/ACPI
    Kernel driver in use: 8139too
    Kernel modules: 8139too, 8139cp
00:09.0 Multimedia audio controller: ESS Technology ES1969 Solo-1 Audiodrive (rev 02)
    Subsystem: ESS Technology Device 8898
    Kernel driver in use: ESS ES1938 (Solo-1)
    Kernel modules: snd-es1938
00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233 PCI to ISA Bridge
    Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233 PCI to ISA Bridge
    Kernel modules: i2c-viapro, via-ircc
00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
    Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT8233/A/C/VT8235 PIPC Bus Master IDE
    Kernel driver in use: pata_via
    Kernel modules: pata_via, via82cxxx
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV17 [GeForce4 MX 440] (rev a3)
    Kernel driver in use: nvidiafb
    Kernel modules: nvidia, nvidiafb, rivafb

Best regards,
Thomas

Last edited by Gasmann (2009-07-24 21:53:23)

djszapi

Member

From: Cambridge, United Kingdom

Registered: 2009-06-14

Posts: 1,439

Website

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Linux 2009.02 FTP CD doesn't find my VIA IDE Controller!

Can you try it with similar PC, other version of cd image? Is it 32 bit or 64 system, if 64, please try it with 32 bit too.

The kernel config must be seen , that's the relevant here.

---

http://lpapp.blogspot.com

Gasmann

Member

Registered: 2009-07-22

Posts: 6

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Linux 2009.02 FTP CD doesn't find my VIA IDE Controller!

As I said before, 2008.06 works on my VIA computer, just 2009.02 doesn't. However, 2009.02 (the same burned disc that doesn't work on my computer) works on my brother's computer, which has a SiS chipset.
No, I unfortunately can't try the 64-bit version, because my system is 32-bit only (AMD Athlon XP 2100+)...
What do you mean by kernel config? It's a normal burned 2009.02 FTP ISO I downloaded via the official torrent... (btw I also verified the burned disc against the ISO, no errors found)
Or do you mean all the messages the kernel spits out? I could do that, but it would cost me a lot of time because I'd have to retype everything (remember that I can't access any permanent storage from within the rescue console...)

GerBra

Forum Fellow

From: Bingen/Germany

Registered: 2007-05-10

Posts: 207

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Linux 2009.02 FTP CD doesn't find my VIA IDE Controller!

Could you try a iso from here: http://build.archlinux.org/isos/
and look if they boot and detect your cdrom/ide controller. If you try booting from usb device maybe you should try also to increase usbdelay parameter (could be changed using grub editor, it's a bootparameter in kernel line).

Next days we also provide Beta/RC images which will have an other mehode for detecting the boot device, so this is also an option. But again: please file a bugreport so your problem/input is not "lost in bbs threads" ;-)

Gasmann

Member

Registered: 2009-07-22

Posts: 6

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Linux 2009.02 FTP CD doesn't find my VIA IDE Controller!

Thank you, GerBra. I tested archlinux-2009.08-alpha2-ftp-i686.iso and it works just fine; the udev Hook detects my hardware and the system boots up :-)
So this is really only a problem of 2009.02 as it seems. Not a big deal, because it looks like 2009.08 will be out soon, no?
Is there a kernel switch to give a more detailed boot process? I want to know what exactly the udev Hook does... but I didn't find anything which would make it more talkative. I'd really want to know why it breaks up after having only detected the keyboard in 2009.02 on my PC.
Okay, I'll file a bug report now that I know quite some things about the problem. :-)

Cheers,
Thomas

EDIT: That's the bug: http://bugs.archlinux.org/task/15684 I hope I did it correct!:)

Last edited by Gasmann (2009-07-25 21:17:38)

Gasmann

Member

Registered: 2009-07-22

Posts: 6

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Linux 2009.02 FTP CD doesn't find my VIA IDE Controller!

As the bug is likely to be closed, I also finish this thread now by setting it [SOLVED].
Thank you!