Re: Boot problem after installation (and a cfdisk query)
On Wed, 27 May 1998, Hamish Moffatt wrote:
> On Tue, May 26, 1998 at 02:56:13PM -0400, Norbert Veber wrote:
> > On Tue, May 26, 1998 at 08:27:09PM +0200, Tomas Petersson wrote:
> > > Hello, I have just installed Debian Linux, everything
> > > went fine except I can't boot from the harddrive.
> > > If I boot from the 'Custom Boot Floppy' it works,
> > > but when I boot the harddrive I get the following
> > > prompt: '2FA:', and nothing happens.
> >=20
> > I had the same problem, the error is in /etc/lilo.conf, the problem is th=
> at
> > the installation program puts (for my system):
> > boot=3D/dev/hda5
> > root=3D/dev/hda5
> >=20
> > change this to:
> > boot=3D/dev/hda
> > root=3D/dev/hda5
>
> That is the wrong solution to the problem. Something is probably wrong
> with lilo.conf, or the wrong partition is marked active, but changing
> lilo.conf isn't the best solution.
While I am sure you're right, I also have one system in this state.
I have two essentially identical systems: same noname mobo, bought at the
same time, both upgraded with 1GB Samsung disks. I've run the dos ATA disk
diagnostic program "ataprobe v1.0 (c)1995,96 by PAP den Haan" (from
Simtel archives) and the diffs are:
@@ -102,7 +101,7 @@
protocol version: ATA-2
capabilities : LBA IORDY
model : SAMSUNG TBR-31081A (1080MB) CF103
-serial number : 671523331026
+serial number : 671523531021
firmware : CF103
pio modes : 0 1 2 3 4
pio timing : 120 ns (16.67MB/s) with iordy, 120 ns (16.67MB/s) without
@@ -111,7 +110,7 @@
drive geometry : 2093/16/63 default (1080 MB), currently 2093/16/63
LBA capacity : 2109744 sectors (1080 MB)
buffer size : 251KB
-block mode : 16 sectors/interrupt max
+block mode : 16 sectors/interrupt max, currently 16
identify sector :
[...]
57: 3130 0020
current capacity = 2109744 sectors
- 59: 0000 current r/w multiple = (undefined)
+ 59: 0110 current r/w multiple = 16 sectors/block
60: 3130 0020
total capacity = 2109744 sectors
I installed the Debian systems using the same sets of boot disks, and
whereas the first (- in the diffs above) worked, the other didn't: I think
I got the 2FA: prompt.
They both have 4 primary partitions: swap, /, /usr and /{wasp,wolf} which
holds /tmp, /var and /home. Here's wasp's /etc/lilo.conf:
boot=/dev/hda2
root=/dev/hda2
compact
install=/boot/boot.b
map=/boot/map
vga=normal
delay=20
image=/vmlinuz
label=Linux
read-only
wolf has "linear" before the compact line, and has no "2" on the boot line.
Another difference on booting is that whereas wasp says:
Partition check:
hda: hda1 hda2 hda3 hda4
wolf says:
Partition check:
hda: [PTBL] [523/64/63] hda1 hda2 hda3 hda4
AFAIK wasp has its original dos MBR, and partition 2 is active.
wolf also has partition 2 active, and I have booted it off a dos floppy
and typed "FDISK /MBR" but this makes it unbootable:
Missing operating system
The same symptom occurs if I run lilo with boot=/dev/hda2 without linear, or
with linear, but normality is restored when I delete the "2". I assume
this last step undoes "fdisk /mbr".
Now the only remaining clue: the hard disk in wolf has previously seen
temporary dos service in a more modern computer that had things like LBA
which I think it used (not that the full GB of disk became available in
dos). But the disk has been completely departitioned and repartitioned
since then, inside the wolf hardware. Do you know where a change like this
(lba) could have been preserved on the disk?
Here's my cfdisk query that /could/ be related:
I have a system containing two identical Fujitsu disks (M1952E-512).
C: is W95 as pre-installed; sdb contains linux, but was delivered as
a single empty W95 partition. Here's what happened when I scrubbed it:
/dev/sdb 73heads 63sectors 1020cylinders
cyl sectors MB
/dev/sdb1 Primary Win95 FAT32 (0B) 1020 4690980 2290.52
/dev/sdb 74heads 62sectors 1022cylinders
cyl sectors MB
1022 4688936 2289.52
Why did it do that?
Cheers,
--
Email: d.wright@open.ac.uk Tel: +44 1908 653 739 Fax: +44 1908 655 151
Snail: David Wright, Earth Science Dept., Milton Keynes, England, MK7 6AA
Disclaimer: These addresses are only for reaching me, and do not signify
official stationery. Views expressed here are either my own or plagiarised.
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