Re: [gentoo-laptop] Install problems

[Sad Jack]

Ryan Viljoen wrote:
> If you can spare some space than I think the best way to do this would
> be to install Gentoo from your existing Fedora install as Josh
> suggested. Than use lshw, lspci and lsusb to manually configure your
> own kernel to your hardware requirements without having to worry about
> auto detection.
>
> An interesting point though, when install gentoo on my friends
> notebook we had a similar problem of the install CD hanging and not
> getting passed a point (during hardware detection) not matter how long
> we left it. Luckily I had the 2004.1, 2004.3 and 2005.0 install cd's.
> The 2004.1 install CD worked perfectly getting through all the
> hardware detection. Once installed an emerge sync and a change in
> profile and his install was sorted. So I dont know if you tried
> different versions of the gentoo install cd but if not maybe track
> down an older on? (2004.1 possibly).
>
> Other than that I wish you luck. I would also cry if I had to use "the
> distro that most wants to be like windows"  *sigh* ... hshsh sorry
> couldnt resist.
>
> Cheers
> Rav
>
> On 6/1/05, Sad Jack <sadjack45@××××××××××.uk> wrote:
>
>>Sad Jack wrote:
>>
>>>Josh Hunholz wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>If you have FC3 up and running, why not just install Gentoo from that?
>>>>Make a new partition and copy the Gentoo tarball into it. Then chroot into
>>>>in and install! It's quite easy to do it that way. :)
>>>>
>>>>--Josh Hunhol
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Sad Jack wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>Cliff Rowley wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Sad Jack wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Whenever I try and boot from the install CD (the same one used to
>>>>>>>>install on my desktop, the current universal 2005) installation hangs
>>>>>>>>after 'ok installing the kernel'. Nothing seems to happen, no disk
>>>>>>>>access (CD or Hard drive).
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I've tried other distros..Suse, Ubuntu, Puppy, the only one that gets
>>>>>>>>me
>>>>>>>>passed the above is Slackware 10.1 which goes through the complete
>>>>>>>>install but cannot write lilo to boot. Just says it can't write and
>>>>>>>>says
>>>>>>>>to do it manually.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Is there some kind of boot or virus protection switched on in your BIOS?
>>>>>>>Perhaps something that prevents the boot loader from being
>>>>>>>overwritten?  Although that doesn't explain the detection weirdness.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Only thing I can think of, aside from some funky unsupported hardware.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I get the feeling that its at the hardware detection stage that is the
>>>>>>>>problem as live CD's when booted in failsafe load and work OK. I can't
>>>>>>>>find a failsafe option to boot Gentoo, is there one?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Hmm interesting.  Maybe if you could boot Slackware 10.1 or boot the
>>>>>>>livecd's in failsafe and save your dmesg output it might provide some
>>>>>>>more insight (maybe).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Thanks for the replies.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>some interesting suggestions there especially about the bios. Can't
>>>>>>check it just now as I'm mid way through installing Fedora Core 3 which
>>>>>>at least is installing the packages same as Slacware 10.1. Not got to
>>>>>>the stage where grub is written yet, so heres fingers crossed  that at
>>>>>>least I will get some form of linux on this thing.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I'll check out the bios as soon as it reboots
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Cheers
>>>>>
>>>>>OK
>>>>>
>>>>>FC 3 is loaded and running. Grub was installed and works fine.
>>>>>
>>>>>FC3 has not detected the graphics or the screen correctly and at the
>>>>>moment I am stuck with 800x600 resolution or lower.
>>>>>
>>>>>I would suggest at this stage its a hardware detection problem with the
>>>>>other distro and that FC3 is a little more accomodating!
>>>>>
>>>>>Its not my preferred install and I'll keep looking for a way to get
>>>>>gentoo so if there are any more suggestions, please keep them coming!
>>>>>
>>>>>By the way there is no settings in the bios that cause a problem with
>>>>>writing the bootloader.
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks again
>>>>>--
>>>>>gentoo-laptop@g.o mailing list
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>Thanks Josh
>>>
>>>I've been away for a few days so things have not changed much! I'll give
>>>your suggestion a go.
>>
>>
>>A big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to try and help me
>>with this install. Still no luck however!
>>
>>Everytime the installation starts to look for hardware it hangs just
>>after Ok installing the kernel. Josh I tried your suggestion but managed
>>to get myself in knotts and crashed and burned. Never mind. I'm still
>>learning.
>>
>>I was wondering, is there a way to pass a command to the install process
>>to tell it not to detect hardware? I feel sure this is the issue. As I
>>have to dual boot with XP for work reasons and wish to use gentoo for
>>personal ones, I don't need all the tricked out kit to run under gentoo.
>>  Some simple apps under kde is all i need. I can always take my time
>>with the other stuff.
>>
>>Fedora is ok but.....
>>
>>
>>--
>>gentoo-laptop@g.o mailing list
>>
>>
>
>
>

Right, a little red faced I have found that entering 'gentoo noapic' at
the boot prompt takes me to a command line. I thought I'd tried all the
options on the CD but this one must have slipped me by.

I have now got to the stage of having everything installed and I'm just
trying to figure out how best to install grub, my first attempt resulted
in a hanging system. Gentoo sees the hard drive as /dev/sda for some
reason. Just to complicate things the drive is partitioned as

sda1 - restore partition used by the recovery disk.
sda2 - windows xp

I currently have sda4 as an extended partition with sda5 as /boot, sda6
as /swap and sda7 as /.

sda8 is a fat32 logical partition for shared data.

It seems I have some reading to do!

My apologies if I've put anyone out.
-- 
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