1st boot hangs:Uncompressing Linux... Ok, booting the kernel

Message

printf · Post by **printf** » Sat Feb 05, 2011 9:34 pm

currently i am facing a rather large problem
i have looked around the net and the suggestions either didnt work or i was unable to perform some settings (like turning stuff off from bios)

the config:
-dell optiplex 760 (workstation, pre built stuff)
-core2duo e7400
-2 gigabyte ram
-sata hdd

after installing gentoo (latest kernel: gentoo-sources 2.6.36-r5 32 bit) and precisely following the handbook, the first reboot shows this:
Uncompressing Linux... Ok, booting the kernel.
and it hangs there

according to this troubleshhoting: http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/grub-error-guide.xml its acpi related, but the acpi=off and noapic boot options didnt help

solving this porblem is really important to me because i need the machine ready by monday and i might not be able to configure and build a custom kernel (hoping that customized kernel at least will help and will not hang there) and install all the necessary programs by then

the posts i have read are dating back to the time when the first core2 processors appeared so it is very odd that it appears now

thank you

Post by **NeddySeagoon** » Sat Feb 05, 2011 10:17 pm

printf,

There are different compression algorithms the kernel can use.
There are correspondingly four different decompressors you can chose from.

The compression toolkit is provided by your install, not the kernel build but the decompress has to be done by the unaided kernel. Its important you choose the same algorythims for compress and decompress or you get that message and nothing happens.

Its traditional to use gzip. Thats what has always been used.

printf · Post by **printf** » Sun Feb 06, 2011 6:43 am

it is really weaid because this is what i did:
emerge genkernel
zcat /proc/config.gz > /usr/share/genkernel/arch/x86/kernel-config
genkernel all

then i edited the grub.conf

i previously compiled custom kernels and i just finished installing gentoo with all the stuff on my notebook at home, thats why i tried it doing on the workstation

but how can the compress and decompress be different when i used the unmodified genkernel config?

also, when i do a genkernel --menuconfig all it has gzip conpression listed there

thanks

Post by **NeddySeagoon** » Sun Feb 06, 2011 9:33 pm

printf,

Please post your grub.conf. I and the output of

Code: Select all

ls -l /boot

so I can see kernel and initrd filenames.

printf · Post by **printf** » Sun Feb 06, 2011 10:57 pm

i threw out the whole genkernel stuff
clearly something does not work with my configuration
only thing that was enabled that could affect this was ahci, and disabling it didnt help

went trough pappy's kernel seeds and added the needed modules according to lspci
now everything works fine
its super fast, KMS works flawlessly

onyl problem is that xterm dies with i/o error (not enough pty)

Post by **NeddySeagoon** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:12 pm

printf,

pttys is a kernel config option. The default number is 256 I think, so its likely to be disabled in your kernel.
If its a problem with the seed, please post in Pappys Seeds sticky in Unsupported Software

printf · Post by **printf** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:13 pm

that one is ok now too:
[*] Legacy (BSD) PTY support<- for some reason this was turned off (by me...)
(64) Maximum number of legacy PTY in use <- changed this to 256

now the only problem is that no sound with alsa (ich10 hd intel audio), in the xfce mixer everything shows up, volume, etc after figuring out i have to compile the analog devices codec fro this sound card
other problem is that reboot from su hangs at the end ("rebooting", right after "remounting remaining filesystems read-only) - shutdown -h now works ok

corey_s · Post by **corey_s** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:40 am

I just got done rebooting a server (sitting at a remote colo), and the tech on site is reporting the box is sitting there with a "Ok, booting the kernel" message; this is also a fresh install using genkernel w/ kernel gentoo-sources 2.6.36-r5 32bit, on a core2duo

I haven't yet gotten the tech on site to reboot again w/ the install media; and unfortunately this isn't a situation where I can have the guys over there dedicate a bunch of time to try out a variety of fixes.

I figure I have about two, _maybe_ three, reboot attempts before I'll need to give it up and install one of their standard linux distros... so if any experts could give me some recomendations as to the most likely culprits to try first, I'd really appreciate it.

What should I check to confirm whether it's an issue w/ the compression algo - as mentioned in this thread earlier?

Thanks!

cach0rr0 · Post by **cach0rr0** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:44 am

corey_s wrote:I just got done rebooting a server (sitting at a remote colo), and the tech on site is reporting the box is sitting there with a "Ok, booting the kernel" message; this is also a fresh install using genkernel w/ kernel gentoo-sources 2.6.36-r5 32bit, on a core2duo

I haven't yet gotten the tech on site to reboot again w/ the install media; and unfortunately this isn't a situation where I can have the guys over there dedicate a bunch of time to try out a variety of fixes.

I figure I have about two, _maybe_ three, reboot attempts before I'll need to give it up and install one of their standard linux distros... so if any experts could give me some recomendations as to the most likely culprits to try first, I'd really appreciate it.

What should I check to confirm whether it's an issue w/ the compression algo - as mentioned in this thread earlier?

Thanks!

honestly, i dont know how much time you have to come up with a solution, but what i might suggest doing is seeing if you can get a custom initramfs built that will run a remote rescue shell within busybox, or via busybox, not sure how you term it:

http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Initramf ... scue_Shell

I've never attempted it, but supposedly it can be done.

by the by, if you want someone to have a go at doing a manual kernel config with/for you, there are plenty of folks around who should be willing (myself included, time permitting)
i don't, however, know if having another go at kernel configuration is an option for you.

corey_s · Post by **corey_s** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:53 am

cach0rr0 wrote: honestly, i dont know how much time you have to come up with a solution, but what i might suggest doing is seeing if you can get a custom initramfs built that will run a remote rescue shell within busybox, or via busybox, not sure how you term it:

http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Initramf ... scue_Shell

I've never attempted it, but supposedly it can be done.

by the by, if you want someone to have a go at doing a manual kernel config with/for you, there are plenty of folks around who should be willing (myself included, time permitting)
i don't, however, know if having another go at kernel configuration is an option for you.

Hello again cach0rr0! (c8=

Thanks for the tip, interesting. It's worth a try. If I can at least work-on/reboot the server on my own without having to bother (and wait for) the techs onsite, then there's no real time constraint; I'll keep hacking it 'till it's up.

Once I'm booted back into the install media, I'll try that remote rescue shell. I'll also try recompiling the kernel w/o genkernel - which appeared to work for the OP.

corey_s · Post by **corey_s** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:15 am

I just received a screenshot of the console:

Code: Select all

Decompressing Linux... Parsing Elf... done.
Booting the kernel

cach0rr0 · Post by **cach0rr0** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:17 am

if you opt to go the initramfs route and get stuck, holler
I've recently fought through it tooth and nail, and kinda sorta have it figured out now.

bshueey · Post by **bshueey** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 9:47 pm

I am getting this same problem. Strangly, I am able to boot an old installation CD that contains kernel version 2.6.29-gentoo-r5, but this kernel is too old to recognize my ethernet card so I am currently SOL. Additionally, the CD that will not boot in this machine, boots just fine in a similar computer at the office. I tried both the 3-15 minimal install cd and the 3-08 minimal install cd with no luck. Since there are no error messages I don't even really know where to begin.

cach0rr0 · Post by **cach0rr0** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 10:27 pm

bshueey wrote:I am getting this same problem. Strangly, I am able to boot an old installation CD that contains kernel version 2.6.29-gentoo-r5, but this kernel is too old to recognize my ethernet card so I am currently SOL. Additionally, the CD that will not boot in this machine, boots just fine in a similar computer at the office. I tried both the 3-15 minimal install cd and the 3-08 minimal install cd with no luck. Since there are no error messages I don't even really know where to begin.

highly recommend trying SysRescueCD - http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page

Always has up to date kernels, does a top notch job of hardware detection, tends to have relatively expansive list of drivers - and best of all, It's built from Gentoo, so if you're looking to do an install, there is zero deviation from the Handbook installation steps (well, ok, one deviation - /mnt/gentoo already exists on sysrescuecd, so you dont have to type "mkdir /mnt/gentoo", but other than that, no deviation)

corey_s · Post by **corey_s** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:09 pm

Oh dang - forgot to detail the resolution to this!

Turns out, it was a bad dimm slot on the mainboard... they replaced that, and there were no further issues.

Cheers!

1st boot hangs:Uncompressing Linux... Ok, booting the kernel

1st boot hangs:Uncompressing Linux... Ok, booting the kernel

[solved]