Bug#43776: Compaq Contura 400c installation failure
Package: boot-floppies
Version: Debian GNU/Linux slink (2.1) 1/4 main binary-i386 section
1 SAM19990306
architecture: i386
model: Compaq Contura 400C (laptop)
memory: 20 Megabytes of RAM
scsi: no SCSI host adapter
cd-rom: no CD-ROM
network card: no network card
pcmcia: 1 14,400bps Megahertz pcmcia modem
disk model: TOSHIBA MK1926FCV 777MB w/128kB Cache, CHS=788/32/63
(as reported in the boot line /dev/hda: from SuSE 5.3 boot)
video: Super-VGA
Chipset: WD/Paradise 90C24
Memory: 512 Kbytes
RAMDAC: Generic 8-bit pseudo-color DAC
(with 6-bit wide lookup tables (or in 6-bit mode))
(as reported by SuperProbe)
In the bug report, describes what the problem is, including the last
visible kernel messages in the event of a kernel hang. Describe the
steps that you did which brought the system into the problem state.
Attempted to boot normal rescue disk. Choosing to boot without parameters
immediately comes up with "Loading root.bin....Boot failed" without
loading ANYTHING.
Same happens with no parmeters, with "ramdisk", with "linux hd=788,32,63"
and with "linux floppy=thinkpad" using the tecra bootdisk.
It does not appear to like the debian boot disks at all, this machine has
SuSE 5.3 and Slack 2.1 on it (I put them on it in a series of attempts to
get the system to where I want, believe it was excuriatingly difficult to
manage but I did it anyway) and now I want Debian on it, so I'm
attempting a floppy install, but can't get past the first screen. I
obviously know that it CAN boot linux because I have two different
versions of linux on it now (neither of which work to my satisfaction).
I'm just wondering what would be the best way to handle this. I assume I
need to make a kernel and dump it into the rescue disk in the right place,
but I'm lazy and was hoping that I could either 1) boot a SuSE boot disk
and switch to the debian install process after booting or 2) snarf the
already built kernel (that I know will boot) from the SuSE boot disk and
put it on the rescue disk. Any thoughts?
Sincerely,
Jeff Waddell
jeff@smluc.org
Reply to: