[Solved] Gentoo Keeps Re-Booting .. need Help!!

NiceGuy · Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 451 Location: Canada

When I try to boot my Gentoo Box, it reaches a certain point then reboots. This process continues over and over again.

The grub menu comes up ... but after that... what shows up on screen just happens too quickly, then the system reboot and the process (rebooting) happens over and over again.

Anybody have any advice or ideas??
Need Help, Thanks

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 2:14 pm Post subject:

NiceGuy,

At a guess, your kernel has been configured for a higher CPU than you have. This causes an illegal instruction exception and the kernl restarts.

The kernel defualt CPU is Pentium 3. What CPU do you have?
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

NiceGuy · Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 451 Location: Canada

I use gentoo in an embedded box thats running a VIA-C3 (1GHz).

Thanks

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 8:16 pm Post subject:

NiceGuy,

The Via C3 is one instruction short of being a i686, so the P3 default CPU setting willl cause the symtopms you report.
You need to choose CyrixIII/VIA-C3 or VIA C3-2 (Nehemiah), depending on your CPU, under Processor type and features in the kernel configuration.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

NiceGuy · Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 451 Location: Canada

If my system keeps rebooting the way it is, that is on boot-up, after the grub menu, when the kernel is "extracting" or such .... what do I do??

I mean, must I reconfigure/compile/install my kernel?? If so, how?? I try to use the LiveCD to access my /usr/src/linux/.config file , so I can do a make menuconfig, but in order to do that, I mount all my drive first and try to do a chroot into my root (/mnt/gentoo), but I constantly get a "illegal instruction" and am unable to chroot.

I'm lost now, and am unable to think of a path to a possible solution .. need help, someone, please.

Thanks

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:50 pm Post subject:

NiceGuy,

Exactly when do you get the illegal instruction error in the course of entering the chroot environment ?
What CFLAGS did you set when you made the install ?
Look in your /etc/make.conf, thats /mnt/gentoo/etc/make.conf when you are outside the chroot with your root filesystem mounted.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

NiceGuy · Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 451 Location: Canada

Hey NeddySeagoon,

When do I get the "illegal Instruction":

1. I mount all my partitions; I have 10 different partitions in total (I know I know, but yeah, I mount them all -- except the swap)
2. mount -t proc none /mnt/gentoo/proc
3. mount -o bind /dev /mnt/gentoo/dev
4. HERE is where I attempt to chroot: chroot /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash
output-> 5. "illegal Instruction"

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
What CFLAGS do I use:

Ans-> CFLAGS="-O2 -march=c3-2 -msse -mmmx"

****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I don't want you to think I didn't look up the "illegal Instrcution" problem within the previous forums. I kept reading that maybe the problem could be the installation CD I am using, but quickly dismissed that cause, the system has been built before (in fact this very system use to work before ... I don't know why it stopped), also the guy who works next to me has his working fine, on the exact same hardware.

Neitheir him nor I, know where the problem could stem from (were both n00bs of course).
Thanks if you can help
Take Care

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 10:34 am Post subject:

NiceGuy,

From the timing of the error, your CPU does not support all the instructions that

NiceGuy · Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 451 Location: Canada

Hey NeddySeagoon,

Thanks for helping out ...

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
/etc/make.conf:

CFLAGS="-O2 -march=c3-2 -msse -mmmx"
CHOST="i686-pc-linux-gnu"
CXXFLAGS="${CFLAGS}"
CONFIG_PROTECT="-*"

USE="test -java -gcj snmp ssl maildir pcre php mppe-mppc -f77 -fortran -ipv6 -opengl -X -x11 -gtk -truetype -kde -gnome -qt -xvi -arts -alsa
-svga -gpm -nls"

****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
less /proc/cpuinfo:

processor : 0
vendor_id : CentaurHauls
cpu family : 6
model : 7
model name : VIA Samuel 2
steppgin : 3
cpu MHz : 799.285
cache size : 64k
fdiv _ bug : no
hit_bug : no
f00f_bug : no
coma_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 1
wp : yes
flags : fpu de tsc msr cx8 mtrr pge mmx 3dnow
bogomips : 1568.76

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************
stage 3 tarball:

stage3-pentium4-2005.1.tar.bz2

****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I think thats all you've asked for ... I'll continue to look at it today, considering it'll make my week just figuring out a way to save this drive. If it does turn out that a new install is required, then I suppose re-installing will have to be done differrently then before, but who knows??

By the way ... again .... thanks for helping out
Take Care

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:22 pm Post subject:

NiceGuy,

A few things.
Your CPU is an i586 class to gcc since its missing the cmov instruction. If you had that you would have a cmov in your flags.
A c3-2 is a VIA Nehemiah. From the kernel help

NiceGuy · Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 451 Location: Canada

Hey Neddy Seagoon,

So as not to re-incounter the same problem .... and as I am not 100% confident on which CD to use anymore (cause I'd rather jsut have the full cd anyhow).

Which CD should I download, if i do have need a stage-3-i586.tar.bz2, that is, I'm not really finding the keytag "i586" that a n00b like me would look for to feel confident in any of the mirrors.

For example if I go to this mirror,

http://adelie.polymtl.ca/releases/x86/2005.1-r1/stages/

where do I go from here (again I'm looking for a cd with the correct tarball on it, if at all possible)??

Thanks, I realize its a trivial question for you, but again, if I made the msitake once, and have to do the install over again, midas-well do it right this time.
Again thanks

mikegpitt · Advocate Joined: 22 May 2004 Posts: 3224

I don't believe gentoo offers a i586 cd, so you should use the x86 disk.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 4:46 pm Post subject:

NiceGuy,

You need the following files from your mirror

NiceGuy · Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 451 Location: Canada

Okay maybe I'm gettting a little paronoid here ... but I just noticed in my CHOST (posted above in my /etc/make.conf) was configured like:

CHOST="i686-pc-linux-gnu"

Is this wrong too, you can see how the i686 is throwing me off ....

I usually preform a .....

emerge -v gcc
gcc-config i686-pc-linux-gnu-3.4.5
source /etc/profile

During my installlations ... I do this to replace the GCC 3.3 compilier with the GCC 3.4 compilier, but again you see here the "i686" is throwing me off here as well

Thanks a million

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 8:14 pm Post subject:

NiceGuy,

Yes - your CHOST is wrong too - it should be i586 ...
The i585 stage 3 tarball will fix that, which is why I didn't mention it.
Changing the CHOST is not easy - the offcial line is that you need to do a stage 1 install.

My K6-2 system has CHOST="i586-pc-linux-gnu" and

mikegpitt · Advocate Joined: 22 May 2004 Posts: 3224

That should be set to:
CHOST="i586-pc-linux-gnu"

or if you want to be more conservative i386.

After you make this change it will probably be a good idea to rebuild your machine again. I personally would do an "emerge -e system" twice, followed by an "emerge -e world".

I say emerge -e system twice, because you will probably want your toolchain built with the correct CHOST, and then rebuild everything with the correct toolchain.

EDIT: you may also want to consider just starting from scratch with the x86 gentoo disks... this is probably the best option.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 8:29 pm Post subject:

mikegpitt,

Its a i686 install on a i586 class CPU - it won't rebuild anything until its beein reinstalled.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

NiceGuy · Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 451 Location: Canada

Hey NeddySeagoon,

Have a clarrification question I need to ask of you, during configuration of my kernel could you clarify which processor family I should choose:
In make menuconfig:

Is it
CyrixIII/VIA-C3
or
VIA C3-2 (Nehemiah)

Sorry, just trying to cover all my bases.

Thanks again

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 11:34 pm Post subject:

NiceGuy,

Its a CyrixIII/VIA-C3.

The VIA C3-2 (Nehemiah) was the first VIA/Cyrix CPU to have all the instructions to be a i686.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

NiceGuy · Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 451 Location: Canada

Hey NeddySeagoon,

Just wondering if you could help me out another time (you've been very helpful the first time around, on my last machine --- by the way, its working fine !!)

K ... I have another machine I would like to use gentoo with .... this machine is almost identical ... but I thought I'd be safe and I tried doing a "less /proc/cpuinfo" on this machine (just like I learnt from you last time).

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
This machine information, turn out to be different than the previous one (the machine from above):
The output of less /proc/cpuinfo:

Code:

processor : 0
vendor_id : CentaurHauls
cpu family : 6
model : 9
model name : VIA Nehemiah
stepping : 8
cpu MHz : 998.929
cache size : 64k
fdiv _ bug : no
hit_bug : no
f00f_bug : no
coma_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 1
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de psc tsc msr cx8 sep mtrr pge cmov pat mmx fxsr sse rng rng_en ace ace_en
bogomips : 1961.98

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
I guess you can say I have the same questions:

1. Which installation should I preform, actually could you jsu point me in the proper direction of where to download the stage3, and portage like
you did before (if its not too much trouble)??
2. Though it is probably obvious to you, could you just confirm that THIS machine will have to be configured as:

VIA C3-2 (Nehemiah) and not as CyrixIII/VIA-C3 (as I had to before)

********************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Thats all I have for questions ... I learnt a lot from you last time ... and if I an install wasn't so time consuming .. I'd probably not be as paranoid on which installation to preform.

Thanks again for all your help
Take Care

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 4:57 pm Post subject:

NiceGuy,

This machine is a real i686 class PC. The VIA Nehemiah was the first VIA PC to qualify.
You use the tarball with i686 in its name now, Thats

NiceGuy · Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 451 Location: Canada

Thanks NeddSeagoon,

You've been a great help .... I'll get back to this post in a few days (when I'm done the install ) and then I should (that is, hopefully) be able to finally fill in the topic-bar with a "SOLVED" in it .

Take Care

NiceGuy · Guru Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 451 Location: Canada

Okay,

I finnished this yesterday and am writing a conclusion for this posting since it was I who had originally started it.

Conclusion:
As it turns out, the rebooting that had been flagging my system WAS in fact caused by an improper Installation CD choice for my particular system.

I guess if your reading this (maybe you searched), to uncover what is the cause to any of these TWO problems:

1. Your system keeps rebooting (kernel fails to uncompress right after grub screen)
2. When using the LiveCD, in an attempt to chroot into your enviorment to preform some fix (any fix), you get an '"Illegal
Instruction" and are thus, unable to chroot.

Again, if you too are experiencing any of these two complications, then the chances are that you have probably used the improper LiveCD to preform your installation.

Now I corrected my problem (as can be traced by reading the above posts)by re-installing Gentoo using the correct installation CD.
Can't say anything more than that ... both of my systems are working fine (Thanks Neddy).
Good Luck to all

nixnut · Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 11:33 am Post subject:

Moved from Other Things Gentoo to Duplicate Threads.
See https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-12448.html#12448
_________________
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