I make a new test of the whole installation after a: cat /dev/null > /dev/hda cat /dev/null > /dev/hdc to be really parano.I use the script in attachment (as root) to construct the flash content. I used dayly boot.img.gz and sarge-i386-netinst.iso downloaded from:
http://cdimage.debian.org/pub/cdimage-testing/daily/i386/current/sarge-i386-netinst.iso http://people.debian.org/~joeyh/d-i/images/daily/hd-media/boot.img.gz About problem 1) ================The result is that same as before: the original boot.img hang the machine and SPB-Linux master bootsector with ldlinux.sys from syslinux in testing solve the problem. Obviousely the ldlinux.sys from boot.img is not from syslinux 2.10-1 from testing. It it more big in size and don't work with SPB-Linux master boot sector.
I found interresting this comment from SPB-Linux doc: --------------------------------------------------- If your usb storage device does not boot even if the syslinux bootloader is installed you can try to use the spblinux mbr bootloader: - usual mbr boot loaders use the CHS values in the partition table - the bios might use other CHS values than linux/windows - the spblinux mbr boot loader uses the LBA entry in the partition table: in some cases the bootsector of the active partition can now be loaded Installation of mbr bootloader code spb2_mbr.sec if(!) your usb storage device is /dev/sda dd if=spb2_mbr.sec of=/dev/sda Disclaimer: spb2_mbr.sec is tested but the author cannot give any warranty that spb2_mbr.sec works on your system. this mbr bootloader gives some diagnostic output:- an excellent reference about int13 can be found at http://www.ctyme.com/intr/int-13.htm - the partition table format is documented at http://www.ata-atapi.com/hiwtab.htm#T2
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I also found this on the syslinux site:
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{ Cards that cause trouble no matter what }
Some versions of the Promise ATA RAID cards are known to cause problems
no matter if you boot from them or not. I have received several reports
that conclusively show that the Promise ATA RAID BIOS overwrites random
location in low memory. This BIOS is considered utterly unsupportable.
This phenomenon has been observed even when the ATA RAID is not the boot
device (e.g. using PXELINUX.)
---------------------------------------------------And I effectively have a Promise SATA RAID controller PDC20376. But since no drive are attached, the BIOS say it disable the RAID BIOS. I can't test without this controller since it's integrated into the mainboard and the BIOS have no way to disable it and there is no jump to deactivate it.
Anyway, I found very interresting that the SPB-Linux master boot record work very wonderfully where syslinux claim it impossible to support! Maybe Debian have to provids an alternative USB boot with SPB-Linux master boot sector.
New problem ===========Just after the reboot there is a welcome screen. I got an error just after pressing enter, Something about language install with a lot of stuff about perl. It just show for a half second. The rest of the installer go well but in a more detailled level than the first test. I don't think it's a installer problem but an base-config problem. Where I should fill the bug ?
About problem 2) ================ No change. About problem 3) ================ I found a more simple solution: a) edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst and replace (hd0,0) with (hd0,1) b) grub b1) device (hd0) /dev/hda b2) root (hd0,1) b3) setup (hd0) b4) device (hd0) /dev/hdc b5) root (hd0,1) b6) setup (hd0) b7) quitSo I can boot with any disks. Maybe the root instruction is not required, as already into menu.lst. I will try next time. I am still very new to GRUB.
Have a good day, -- Jean-Christian de Rivaz mailto:jc@eclis.ch tel:+41-78-657-7442
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