On 10/18/06, Vaughn Treude wrote: > > Hello everyone. I have another bizarre Linux problem. > > I've been using CentOS on my Sony notebook for some time without > problems. Recently it started hanging on boot, and I can't get past > it. I tried using interactive boot mode, and ran it that way one time, > and verified that the system was hanging where it thought it was. After > this I rebooted with the intention of skipping the offending step, and > though I hit the "i" key several times and it wouldn't go interactive > ever again, even though I tried it at least three times. Of course it > would eventually come to that same place and hang, locking up so hard I > had to cycle power. > > It's apparently hanging in one of two places - I'm not sure which, since > it jumps from one screen to the other. It appears to be attempting to > start smartd, then it jumps to another screen (perhaps it's returning > from whcnce it came) where it's trying to enable the swap space. > Anyway, that's the point where it hangs up. > > My theory: I've encountered a similar problem before, and somehow I > accidentally fixed it. It seemed to have to do with the peripherals, > even though the messages would be totally wrong if that's the case (but > that wouldn't be the first time a program's output has been misleading. > :-) ) To clarify the problem further: Most of the time I use it at a > port replicator which has a PS/2 mouse and keyboard attached. When > attached to this, the notebook still boots fine. But it does _not_ boot > when I take it off the port replicator, which I assume is because the > PS/2 keyboard is gone. Normally after I've moved it to or from the > replicator, kudzu will inform me that the PS/2 keyboard has either been > detected or has disappeared. At this point, I will tell it to remove > the keyboard if it's off the replicator - but for some bizarre reason, > if I tell kudzu to add the keyboard (rather than ignoring it) when I've > put it back on the replicator, it hangs. (Oddly enough, if I ignored > it, the keyboard would work anyway.) So I'm thinking I may have > accidentally told the kudzu to do the wrong thing, and now it's totally > hosed. (There seems to be a long standing problem with kudzu in > relation to peripherals, which I have encountered on more than one > distro. If you're unfortunate enough to make the wrong choice when > kudzu senses a hardware change, it may not see the hardware change next > time, as if you've unknowingly given it instructions it to ignore that > particular hardware for all eternity.) You might test your theory by plugging in a keyboard without the replicator. If you have to use a USB keyboard to do that you might want to check BIOS on the laptop to see if there is a n option to let BIOS (and therefore bootup) to see the USB keyboard before drivers for it get loaded. SO - if the problem is actually keyboard-related, how do I clear kudzu's > configuration information so it'll correctly see the change next time? > (I also have Mandriva on this notebook; I could boot into that, then > mount the Centos partition, and hopefully find the offending > configuration file and edit or delete or move it.) If not, (and I admit the situation isn't _exactly_ the same) has anybody > ever encountered a repeatable hang at this point (either when starting > smartd and/or initializing swap)? I should probably note that I've been > having a little flakiness with the drive - occasionally on a cold start > the drive will appear to be missing - but it's always back after cycling > power. I should also note that Mandriva uses the same swap partition as > Centos and it has _never_ hung when initializing the swap. (For reasons > I won't go into here, I prefer to use the Centos installation, and was > actually thinking of deleting the Mandriva install to make more space.) > > Also, has anyone had trouble getting Linux to go into interactive boot > mode? Would anybody have any other suggestions for me to try? > > Thanks! > > Vaughn > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > -- Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss