[Bug 930447] Re: Unable to start Ubuntu 12.04 live CD with syslinux loader on Pentium M x86 Laptop due to bug in PAE kernel, initramfs or syslinux

Fri May 3 22:26:56 UTC 2013

Hi,

My machines (IBM ThinkPad T41, Type 2373-9EU) all claim to
be Pentium-M and do NOT support PAE according to the Ubuntu
boot message. I do have 2GB (the max without PAE) of DRAM
installed.

How much simpler is life with PAE-only support?

(Since that is the path that was taken, I am hoping that the
answer is very trivial to quantify since the work was done
and the code base reflects that change).

I understand moving ahead, but, to me, this fairly capable 32-bit
machine should still be supportable by Ubuntu.  I have not tried
using CentOS as my desktop yet, but maybe that is an option if
I can't get the next LTS (14.04) Ubuntu to boot straight up.

Cheers,
  --ldl

ldl at boGus:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS
Release: 12.04
Codename: precise

On Fri, May 3, 2013 at 3:35 PM, Christiansen <930447 at bugs.launchpad.net>wrote:

> oliver, I agree with you entirely on your previous comments. The ThinkPad
> series were rather expensive hardware, and maybe on that account rather
> long lasting hardware. To this date I'm servicing 5 of these older
> ThinkPads running 12.04 *buntu, installed using the USB GRUB method
> described above in this bug.
> In later *buntus the kernel packages have been deliberately crippled by
> developers, so it isn't quiet as easy to work around, while you now have to
> fiddle with the kernel package for installation, and every time a
> subsequent kernel upgrade happens.
>
> I completely agree with the Ubuntu decision to let NON-PAE hardware go,
> but can't understand why hardware that works absolutely perfect with
> even the latest (kernel-fixed) versions of *buntu is left out this way.
> The change in the pre 12.04 kernel packages placing an OBSTRUCTION, is
> absolutely misplaced. The syslinux bug on the other hand demands bug-
> fixing work to be done, and we must accept if neither Canonical or the
> syslinux developer will spend time on that.
>
> But what I absolutely don't understand is, that the time used to make the
> *buntu kernel packages OBSTRUCTION, wasn't spent on fixing syslinux bug
> instead.
> A lot of people (ThinkPad among others) would probably have benefitted
> from this, and even those who don't find this bug rapport, and probably
> don't know what hit them when trying to install *buntu on their great
> hardware. Instead they may try another newer bad operating system from
> around 2007, and find that it just installs and works on their hardware -
> thus linux or *buntu is just a pain to use, which is hard for us who value
> open source and linux to argue against. So everybody, except you know who,
> looses out.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to a
> duplicate bug report (1029041).
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/930447
>
> Title:
>   Unable to start Ubuntu 12.04 live CD with syslinux loader on Pentium M
>   x86 Laptop due to bug in PAE kernel, initramfs or syslinux
>
> Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
>   Won't Fix
> Status in “syslinux” package in Ubuntu:
>   Confirmed
> Status in Baltix GNU/Linux:
>   Triaged
>
> Bug description:
>   Ubuntu 12.04 doesn't start from Desktop CD or USB with syslinux boot
>   loader on Pentium M 1.6Ghz or faster Pentium M CPU - displays error
>   message about missing PAE feature in CPU, but *the same* *Ubuntu
>   12.04* Desktop CD/LiveUSB starts fine on *the same CPU* (and same PAE
>   kernel) if GRUB boot loader is used, for example when WUBI or LiveUSB
>   with GRUB boot loader, like Multisystem
>   (http://liveusb.info/dotclear/index.php?pages/install ) is used!
>
>   The error message is:
>   "This kernel requires the following features not present on the CPU: pae.
>   Unable to boot - please use a kernel appropriate for you CPU."
>
>   THIS IS AN IMPORTANT REGRESSION! People are able to install and
> successfully use Ubuntu 12.04 on such pretty new hardware, like IBM
> Thinkpad T42 laptop with Pentium M 1700Mhz processor, but the bug in
> syslinux (or something related) forbids Ubuntu 12.04 installation.
>   This bug is reproducible on lots of computers, there are several log
> files and /proc/cpuinfo file attached to this bugreport, AFAIK it's enough
> to reopen this bug.
>
>   ---
>   ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
>   Architecture: i386
>   CurrentDmesg: Error: command ['sh', '-c', 'dmesg | comm -13
> --nocheck-order /var/log/dmesg -'] failed with exit code 1: comm:
> /var/log/dmesg: Permission denied
>   MachineType: IBM 2373PPU
>   dmi.bios.date: 06/18/2007
>   dmi.bios.vendor: IBM
>   dmi.bios.version: 1RETDRWW (3.23 )
>   dmi.board.name: 2373PPU
>   dmi.board.vendor: IBM
>   dmi.board.version: Not Available
>   dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
>   dmi.chassis.type: 10
>   dmi.chassis.vendor: IBM
>   dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
>   dmi.modalias:
> dmi:bvnIBM:bvr1RETDRWW(3.23):bd06/18/2007:svnIBM:pn2373PPU:pvrThinkPadT42:rvnIBM:rn2373PPU:rvrNotAvailable:cvnIBM:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
>   dmi.product.name: 2373PPU
>   dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T42
>   dmi.sys.vendor: IBM
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/930447/+subscriptions
>

-- 
---
NOTE: If it is important CALL ME - I may miss email,
which I do NOT normally check on weekends nor on
a regular basis during any other day.
---
LD Landis - N0YRQ - de la tierra del encanto
3960 Schooner Loop, Las Cruces, NM 88012
651-340-4007 **FWBCS N32 21'48.28" W106 46'5.80"

** Attachment added: "ThinkPad.T41.Type-2373-9EU"
   https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/930447/+attachment/3664293/+files/ThinkPad.T41.Type-2373-9EU

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to syslinux in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/930447

Title:
  Unable to start Ubuntu 12.04 live CD with syslinux loader on Pentium M
  x86 Laptop due to bug in PAE kernel, initramfs or syslinux

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  Won't Fix
Status in “syslinux” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in Baltix GNU/Linux:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  Ubuntu 12.04 doesn't start from Desktop CD or USB with syslinux boot
  loader on Pentium M 1.6Ghz or faster Pentium M CPU - displays error
  message about missing PAE feature in CPU, but *the same* *Ubuntu
  12.04* Desktop CD/LiveUSB starts fine on *the same CPU* (and same PAE
  kernel) if GRUB boot loader is used, for example when WUBI or LiveUSB
  with GRUB boot loader, like Multisystem
  (http://liveusb.info/dotclear/index.php?pages/install ) is used!

  The error message is:
  "This kernel requires the following features not present on the CPU: pae.
  Unable to boot - please use a kernel appropriate for you CPU."

  THIS IS AN IMPORTANT REGRESSION! People are able to install and successfully use Ubuntu 12.04 on such pretty new hardware, like IBM Thinkpad T42 laptop with Pentium M 1700Mhz processor, but the bug in syslinux (or something related) forbids Ubuntu 12.04 installation.
  This bug is reproducible on lots of computers, there are several log files and /proc/cpuinfo file attached to this bugreport, AFAIK it's enough to reopen this bug.

  ---
  ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
  Architecture: i386
  CurrentDmesg: Error: command ['sh', '-c', 'dmesg | comm -13 --nocheck-order /var/log/dmesg -'] failed with exit code 1: comm: /var/log/dmesg: Permission denied
  MachineType: IBM 2373PPU
  dmi.bios.date: 06/18/2007
  dmi.bios.vendor: IBM
  dmi.bios.version: 1RETDRWW (3.23 )
  dmi.board.name: 2373PPU
  dmi.board.vendor: IBM
  dmi.board.version: Not Available
  dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
  dmi.chassis.type: 10
  dmi.chassis.vendor: IBM
  dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
  dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnIBM:bvr1RETDRWW(3.23):bd06/18/2007:svnIBM:pn2373PPU:pvrThinkPadT42:rvnIBM:rn2373PPU:rvrNotAvailable:cvnIBM:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
  dmi.product.name: 2373PPU
  dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T42
  dmi.sys.vendor: IBM

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/930447/+subscriptions