Installation fails on AMD CPU until you disable the cache
From: "Christopher R. Hertel" <crh@nts.umn.edu>
> I disabled the internal cache and--*poof*--the problem went away.
> I will send a report to linux-kernel@vger.rutgers.edu.
I have one other report matching this, and two anecdotes, all
reproduced below. I suspect that BIOS floppy I/O is breaking when the
cache is enabled, and you are thus feeding bad data to the disk
uncompression code in the kernel. This could perhaps be a bug in
syslinux, (the boot loader we are using) or a bug in the decompression
code (which is in the kernel, but is sort of a 16-bit prelude to the
actual kernel). You might try other ways of starting the kernel (LILO
on a floppy rather than a hard disk, LOADLIN from DOS, etc.) to see if
any of them fail with the cache enabled. That might tell you if it's
the uncompression code or the loader that is at fault. About the only
way to fix this is will be someone with the susceptible hardware to
drive the process.
Please forgive me for ignoring the ways in which you were being
constructive.
Thanks
Bruce
Steve Gaarder:
> I am installing Debian 1.1.1 on a generic clone with an AMD 486 on an
> Opti-based motherboard. If I have the internal cache enabled in setup,
> I get the error "invalid compressed format" after the "uncompressing
> Linux" message. If I disable the cache, it boots fine. It boots ok
> from the hard drive either way. Anyone know what is going on?
> From: Dan Bergman <dan.bergman@mailbox.swipnet.se>
> I had problems like this a couple years back when I was installing OS/2
> on a Dell Machine (486,66mhz).. The installation would fail if I didn't
> disabel both L1 and L2 caches.. But I ripped out the TsengLab GFX card
> (VLB)
> and all troubles went away.. Ripping out gfx card is often not a option
> but the Dell MB had a Cyrrus Logic Chip on it...
mike cotherman:
> I had this problem when I used EDO RAM on a motherboard that did not
> support EDO...just a thought
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