Ubuntu Dapper (6.06) Install fails on cdrom open, kernel panic -- please help

[James Elliott]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alain --" <ubuntu at asoundmove.net>
To: "Ubuntu Help and User Discussions" <ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 6:11 AM
Subject: Ubuntu Dapper (6.06) Install fails on cdrom open, kernel panic --  
please help


> Dear All,
>
>
> Environment:
>   - Gateway2000 Pentium Pro 200MHz
>   - 256 MB RAM (SIMMs)
>   - 2 IDE HDs
>   - this PC currently does not have an O/S installed.
>
> History:
>   - Original HD: 6GB, made secondary drive when
>     I got my 20GB HD. No O/S on this HD
>   - 20GB HD, crashed and unusable due power failure
>     (I know, I should have had a UPS, but)
>   - Ran Win98 till event above (original O/S was Win95)
>   - Bought replacement HD (no O/S)
>   - I struggled to get the BIOS to see both HD, but
>     eventually it did see them both (new 20GB and old 6GB)
>     Jumper settings one to Cable Select, the Other to Slave.
>     It seems no other jumper setting works, though I must
>     not have tried all combinations.
>
> Ubuntu:
>   - downloaded Dapper (6.06 LTS) for desktop (i386) iso
>     image
>   - burnt CD with Ahead Nero
>   - CD seems fine when I look at it (data) on the PC on
>     which it was burnt (my only option)
>
> Install sequence:
>   - Configured BIOS to boot from CD
>   - Boot shows ubuntu CD-ROM start screen (count down
>     to boot, boot options)
>   - Boot
>
> Problem:
>   It hangs very near the start of the boot sequence.
>
>   I have not found, in the forum or the on-line documentation,
>   any help to resolve my problem. The only thing I found, that
>   could help, mentioned to try with 128MB ram instead of their
>   full complement of 512MB. (I suppose I could go from 256 to
>   128, I have not tried that, at this point).
>
>
> ==================================================
> I ran several scenarios (detail):
>
> 1/ Plain, straight boot, no change (boot options are 'boot=casper 
> initrd=/casper/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=1048576 root=/dev/ram rw quiet 
> splash -- ').
>
> 2/ Changed boot options to read '.../ram rw noapic nolapic -- '
>
> 3/ Changed boot options to read '.../ram rw acpi=off -- '
>
> 4/ Changed boot options to read '.../ram rw acpi=off noapic nolapic -- '
>
> ---------------
> a/ Tried options above with ' quiet splash'
>
> b/ Tried options above without ' quiet splash'
>
> c/ Tried options above with ' splash' but without ' quiet'
>
> d/ Tried options above without ' splash' but with ' quiet'
>
> Options 1, 2, 3 and 4 behave exactly the same way.
> Reporting variation are observed between a, b, c and d, but the same 
> behaviour overall, regardless of which set of options I started with in 1 
> to 4.
>
> Full boot sequence:
>
> - In all cases it starts with 'loading Linux kernel' shown in a pop-up 
> window with a progress bar, goes to 100% quite quickly, waits a few 
> seconds and blanks the screen.
>
> - In a & d (quiet) I can then see a normal message: 'uncompressing 
> kernel... ok, booting the kernel'; and an error message: 'ACPI: unable to 
> locate RSDP'.
> - In b & c (no quiet) I do not have time to see those messages, but I 
> suppose that they are there too.
>
> - In a, I then see the splash screen that shows: 'Loading essential 
> drivers... ok' and 'mounting root file system...' (no ok, hangs there, 
> though shortly after this message the CD-ROM spins at high speed for a few 
> seconds and stops.
> - In b, I then see a whole pile of messages whizzing by, it comes to a 
> stop on 'cdrom: open failed' then the CD-ROM spins at high speed for a few 
> minutes and stops. exactly one minute after the 'cdrom: open failed' 
> message comes '<0>Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception in 
> interrupt'.
> - In c, I see something similar to 'a' with a bit more info: first message 
> on splash screen is 'Loading essential drivers... ok', then 'Running 
> /scripts/init-premount ok', then 'mounting root file system...' (no ok) 
> and finally 'Running /scripts/casper-premount ok', the CD-ROM spins at 
> high speed for a few seconds then stops.
> - In d, I see a bit less than 'b': it does not show 'cdrom: open failed', 
> but eventually shows the kernel panic message as above.
>
> In all cases nothing ever happens after the above.
> At this point CTRL-ALT-DEL does not work.
> No keyboard input seems to have any effect.
> The only way I found to try again or do anything is a power-off.
>
>
>
>
> That's where I need help: to try other boot sequences maybe.
>
>
>
>
> The computer hardware has not changed (except for on failed HD with Win98 
> replaced by a new and blank HD without any O/S) all hardware worked 
> before. There is a possibility that some hardware was damaged by the power 
> failure that damaged the previous 20GB HD, but it seems to me that this is 
> not the problem at this stage.
>
> I'd like to know what locks and why.
> Amongst other problems would be to find a way to record a trace of all 
> boot messages (maybe onto floppy disk). But I don't know how to do this. 
> Bearing in mind the install hangs with no option but a hard reset.
>
>
>
> That's the full story.
> Thanks for reading, hoping someone out there can help.
>
> Best regards,
> Alain.
>
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>
>
>
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