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[solved] Could not find CD to boot
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triquetra
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Joined: 09 Apr 2012
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:43 am    Post subject: [solved] Could not find CD to boot Reply with quote

I'm attempting to install Gentoo on an old Toshiba Satellite 315CDS (Pentium MMX 200, 160M ram, 40G drive), but I'm getting a strange error that I cannot seem to debug.

Using x86 minimal install Gentoo CDs (200110802 and 20120710) I can boot the system, but after selecting the keymap and the scan and driver load process, I get the following error:

Quote:
Activating mdev
Making tempfs for /newroot
Looking for the cdrom
Media not found
No bootable medium found. Waiting for new devices . . .
Media not found
Could not find CD to boot, something else needed!
Determining root device . . .
Could not find the root block device in .
Please specify another value or: press Enter for the same, type "shell" for a shell, or "q" to skip . . .
root block device() : :


I've tried various command line parameters, including : acpi=off ide=nodma noapic scandelay=15 nodmraid nofirewire nosata dopcmcia all-generic-ide, but I continue to get the same error. My searching on this forum and on google has produced no similar errors.

I tried booting the same laptop with SystemrescueCD, and it similarly failed with
Quote:
cannot find device with /sysrcd.dat
after having booted and selected the keymap.

I don't understand how gentoo could fail to find the cd it just booted from.

Incidentally, I was able to boot this machine with a Debian 5 i386 install CD without issue, so I know it's not a problem with the CD drive itself.

Any thoughts on how to keep gentoo from losing the cd drive during installation?


Last edited by triquetra on Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:32 pm; edited 1 time in total
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The Doctor
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Use Debian. Its fine, it should have all the tools you need, with the possible exception of chroot, although I think it might.

It will not change the instillation at all.

If your laptop is anything like mine it will not boot from a usb. You might try a floppy if they still exist in your universe and anyone still knows how to use one to install Gentoo.
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Jaglover
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You should understand BIOS boots the system - not OS, and once the kernel is loaded it may not have correct driver to access your CD drive, hence the error.
Besides this, you need to use i486 stage for this machine.
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mvaterlaus
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 11:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i did also have this error in the past and solved it with a bios change. try to change the mode of your ide/sata controller from ahci to ide or vice versa. after that, your cd should be recognized
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triquetra
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Joined: 09 Apr 2012
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@The Doctor: Unfortunately, the Debian CD I'm using is a minimal install CD, not a live CD, so I'd have to install Debian to use it. I'm trying to avoid that. I've looked at using a Debian Live CD, but the Debian Live CD won't fit on a single CD rom, and this computer can't boot from USB or DVD. I'll keep looking for a Live CD that might work. I've tried the following that do not work: Ubuntu, WattOS, Puppy, Knoppix.

@Jaglover: Yeah, I think you're right about the bios to kernel transition. Apparently neither SystemRescueCD nor the Gentoo install CD have the driver my computer needs, but Debian does. Any ideas about how I can determine the correct driver? and then get it onto the Gentoo boot cd? I figured I'd need to use the i486 stage, but I'm not able to get that far in the install yet.

@mvaterlaus: I updated the bios to the most recent available version (from 2001), but there is no bios option concerning ahci. There is an option to use "standard" or "enhanced" ide, but both of those options produce the same results -- could not find CD to boot.
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BillWho
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

triquetra.

peppermintos should provide all you need and it's only 533mb

http://peppermintos.com/download/
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triquetra
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@BillyWho: Thanks for the tip, but PeppermintOS requires at least 192M of ram, and this computer only has 160M. I tried it anyway, but it did not work.

Also in the "not working" category is TinyMe Linux.
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BillWho
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

triquetra,

160M is tight 8O

The only one that I can think of that might work is:

http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=damnsmall
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NeddySeagoon
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

triquetra,

Code:
Could not find the root block device in .
This line shows the problem.
Betwen the word in and the full stop should be a list of block devices the kernel can see. In this case there are none.
This tells that the kernel cannot see your hard drive chip set. Your CDROM will be connected to it too.

Your CPU is an i586 class device, so you must use a i585 or i486 compatible boot CD. That limits your choice a lot.

Will your laptop boot from USB - check your BIOS?
It may be possible to boot from USB until you build your own kernel to suit your hardware.
Many liveCDs can be moved to USB and still boot. This needs different kernel drivers.
I suppose your USB is USB1 ... only 12Mbit/sec. That won't be pleasent.

Digging back in the recesses of my mind, you might even be able to network boot if you can set up a tftp server.
Today, that would be PXE booting but a project called etherboot provided the same functionality from floppy disk.
If there is an image that supports your network card, that may be a way to get intalled.

Building will be very slow. I would hate to run modern gcc in less then 512Mb RAM.

What about moving the laptop HDD to a more capable machine for the install.
The hard bit is still finding out what your hard drive controller is. For that, you need to boot the system and run lspci.
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triquetra
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've got the laptop to boot correctly using a grml live CD, and the gentoo install is underway. Marking solved. Thank you all for your help.
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andro_sn
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 2:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mvaterlaus wrote:
i did also have this error in the past and solved it with a bios change. try to change the mode of your ide/sata controller from ahci to ide or vice versa. after that, your cd should be recognized


That worked for me
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