Re: Can't boot live DVD Debian 6, KDE, 1GB

[Ben Armstrong <synrg@sanctuary.nslug.ns.ca>]

On 03/21/2011 10:18 AM, dave boland wrote:
> When I use a Debian based live cd (Debian, Ubuntu, Mepis, etc.) the cd
> starts and displays the options for the cd.  Thus, I would conclude that
> initrd worked as designed.  Am I correct on this?

No. The boot loader works. The scripts contained within the initrd (that
would probe devices for the live filesystem) have not yet run at this point.

> Beyond that point is one about good programming.  I do work for data
> acquisition systems, and we have a rule: Send a command to the remote
> device; set the timeout clock; if there is no response in time, try
> again; if there is still no response, flag an error and move on.  NEVER
> EVER hang the system because one sub-system is not responding.  Seems
> like good advice for Debian (or the kernel).

I understand that the kernel makes a best effort to do this, but if
things go *really* wrong, recovery may be impossible. For a kernel
design more radically committed to this ideal, see GNU Hurd.

> That said, I will check the drive jumpers as soon as I have an hour
> (allow for things that just happen).  However, this should not be needed
> because Debian 5 and everything based on it still boots just fine. 
> Thus, I doubt that the jumper is the proximate cause of the boot
> problem.

We'll see, I guess. Good luck!

Ben