Debian install problems

[Eric Richardson]

Thanks for the ideas, response inline.
Eric

foodog wrote:

> Eric Richardson wrote:
> 
>>Hi Again,
>>Nope, no joy.
>>
>>With memory that tests okay, the install goes fine and then when I
>>reboot I get the perpetual.
>>
>>L 40 40 40 40 ... forever until I hit the reset switch.
>>
> 
> Have you tried making/using a boot floppy?  Does it do the same?
> Doing some Google searches; seems to be consensus that "L 40 40"  means
> "media problem" - not necessarily bad media tho'.


I have both a install floppy, boot and rescue floppy from another 
install. If I use the boot floopy, it can't mount the drive. Or should I 
type linux init=/bin/sh at the boot prompt. Even then I wouldn't really 
know what to look at.


> 
> Another possibility is the problem was created by using a "diskmanager"
> program at some point. 
>  
> Here's one suggestion I found:
> http://www.uklug.net/archive/2000-December/007083.html
> 
> Here's some Swedish Debian users who seem to be discussing uninstalling
> a bootmanager (great for Swedish Chef impersonations, or pick out the
> relevent english buzzwords for clues)

> http://www.linuxarkivet.nu/mlists/debian-user-swedish/0010/msg00024.html


I looked at both of these and I think this is definitely worth looking 
at. I will try loading into the boot sector rather than the MBR. I'll 
post the results. Very good detective work on the buzzword clues.


> 
> 
>>I have a functioning machine so I can copy programs to floppy to run on
>>the other box. Are there any other diagnostic tools I can run for the
>>CPU, board, PCI etc?
>>
>>The cdrom front it is an ATAPI. The cable goes from the Number one slot
>>to the CD and then to the hard drive. Is this correct?
>>
> 
> I hate ambiguous cables..  You *can* get it backwards and it won't
> work.  Does the system see the cdrom during bootup?  If it doesn't it
> may be backwards.  I don't know of a surefire way to tell; I always
> start with "red stripe to the right" and it works better than 50% of the
> time...


Okay, the CDROM is seen and seems to work okay.


> 
> Do you have the hard disk set to be IDE master and the CD set to slave? 
> If you don't, that could cause probs.  If you've got another IDE channel
> and cable you could try segregating them and setting them both to
> master.  POST messages (power on self test) messages are the best easy
> indication if your devices are seen correctly.


I could try that but it was working okay until everything went south but 
we did for sure have bad memory so I'm assuming so far that it came from 
the memory.


> 
> 
>>It also seems the connector can go either way. What the rule on that?
>>Is there anyway I can test the CDROM?
>>
>>Thanks for the help.
>>Eric
>>
> 
> Good luck,
> Steve
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