Re: Installing Etch With TFTP: Linux starts, I/O Stops
On Thursday 09 October 2008, Hal Vaughan wrote:
> I don't think the hardware is going to be the issue here. I'm pretty
> sure it's a config issue.
>
> I have a Soekris Net5501 box I'm installing Etch on. I'm hooked up
> to the box with a null modem cable for the console and it's also
> hooked up to my LAN. I've setup a PXE boot on my DNS server using
> tftpd-hpa. The 5501 starts up and I get data on the console (I'm
> using either Minicom or the screen command to read/write to the
> serial port). I do get the boot menu from the netboot, such as it is
> (since pxelinux seems limited to 15 columns of display) and when I
> get the prompt, I type "install" and Linux starts to load, including
> the long row of dots, then the screen clears and the cursor sits on
> the left side of the screen and nothing happens from then on.
I used a capture file and can add to this point: After typing "install"
which should start the Linux kernel and initrd.gz, I get this:
Loading linux.......................
Loading
initrd.gz.....................................................................
Ready.
After the "Ready." there is one character: 0x0A and nothing else.
That's when I always lose communication. Nothing else appears, not
even gibberish, and there's no response if I try to type anything new.
> My guess is that once Linux loads communication is stopping with the
> serial port. I don't think it's going at a different baud rate
> because there's no garbage, but if it had a simple prompt, it could
> come up so fast I miss it before the screen clears.
>
> Here is the file structure in /var/lib/tftpboot:
>
> .
>
> |-- boot-screens
> |
> | |-- boot.txt
> | |-- f1.txt
> | |-- f10.txt
> | |-- f2.txt
> | |-- f3.txt
> | |-- f4.txt
> | |-- f5.txt
> | |-- f6.txt
> | |-- f7.txt
> | |-- f8.txt
> | |-- f9.txt
> |
> | `-- splash.rle
> |-- initrd.gz
> |-- linux
> |-- orig-bu
> |
> | |-- debian
> | | `-- etch
> | | `-- i386
> | |
> | | |-- initrd.gz
> | |
> | | `-- linux
> | |-- pxelinux.0
> |
> | `-- pxelinux.cfg
> |
> | |-- boot.txt
> |
> | `-- default
> |-- pxelinux.0
> |-- pxelinux.cfg
> | `-- default
>
> `-- pxelinux.cfg.serial-9600
> `-- default
>
> I thought it might be a baud rate issue. The 5501 starts with 19200
> baud, so I altered pxelinux.cfg/default to use the same speed and to
> specify the right console (before I added "CONSOLE 0" on one line,
> I'd get double characters). Here's the pxelinux.cfg file:
>
> SERIAL 0 19200
> CONSOLE 0
> DISPLAY boot-screens/boot.txt
>
> F1 boot-screens/f1.txt
> F2 boot-screens/f2.txt
> F3 boot-screens/f3.txt
> F4 boot-screens/f4.txt
> F5 boot-screens/f5.txt
> F6 boot-screens/f6.txt
> F7 boot-screens/f7.txt
> F8 boot-screens/f8.txt
> F9 boot-screens/f9.txt
> F0 boot-screens/f10.txt
>
> DEFAULT install
>
> LABEL install
> kernel linux
> append vga=normal initrd=initrd.gz --
> LABEL linux
> kernel linux
> append vga=normal initrd=initrd.gz --
>
> LABEL expert
> kernel linux
> append priority=low vga=normal initrd=initrd.gz --
>
> LABEL rescue
> kernel linux
> append vga=normal initrd=initrd.gz rescue/enable=true --
>
> LABEL auto
> kernel linux
> append auto=true priority=critical vga=normal initrd=initrd.gz --
>
> PROMPT 1
> TIMEOUT 0
>
> I would think this would specify the right baud rate. Linux is
> loading and so is initrd. It's just that I get no prompt or any
> screen activity or response after both Linux and initrd load. I
> tried stopping my term program (in this case screen) and starting it
> again at 9600, which I saw somewhere should be the default baud rate,
> but it didn't help and was still unresponsive.
>
> I've been using this page
> (http://wiki.soekris.info/Installing_Debian_Linux_(4.0r1_Etch)) as a
> guide and had the same problems when I did everything as that page
> suggested. Then I changed and used the setup files from Debian,
> which is how it's set up now.
>
> What am I doing wrong or what do I need to change so after Linux and
> initrd.gz load I get a prompt or the Etch installer when it's done?
> Do I need to include install files as well? I didn't see that
> mentioned in any of the pages that discussed this. If so, would I
> just snag a net install CD and copy all the files into a special
> directory somewhere in /var/lib/tftpboot?
>
> Thanks for any help or pointers!
>
>
> Hal
Reply to: