Sat, 28 Oct 2006

i386 d-i image for Sarge... Now supports RAID 0/1/5 installation

I was trying to port RAID handlings to Sarge Debian-Installer for these days. Although this is not enough solid level, here (sarge-custom-1028) is a result.

  • Adopt kernel 2.6.19rc1.
  • Adopt madduck's backported mdadm and debconf.
  • Added rescue mode. By using "rescue" at the boot prompt, you can mount the preconfigured disk and do your work at chroot environment.
  • Many people have wanted this... Now this version supports RAID 0/1/5 and LVM.
  • preseed will work. (not tested well)

I know there is a problem on the machines have Intel parallel ATA controller and connect a disk or CD to it. Maybe other PATA controllers also.

Since 2.6.19, PATA controllers are partially migrated into the SCSI framework. Because Debian-Installer treats Intel controller as SCSI by loading libata and ata_piix firster than piix, connected disks will be detected as /dev/sd*. On the other hand, initrd (udev?) after GRUB will load piix at the first... Disks will be detected as /dev/hd*.

Temporary solution is to make initrd to force loading libata and ata_piix at the beginning.

  1. Progress installation until GRUB installation step.
  2. Push Alt+F2 to go to the shell.
  3. Add modules to load and rebuild initrd as following: 
    chroot /target
echo "libata" >> /etc/initramfs-tools/modules
echo "ata_piix" >> /etc/initramfs-tools/modules
update-initramfs -u -k 2.6.19-rc1-1-486
exit
  4. Push Alt+F1 and finish the installation.

Another solution is to replace /etc/fstab to use /dev/hd* style.

At this moment I'm trying to build amd64 version with kernel 2.6.18 also... But I haven't succeeded yet by strange udev problem.

Link | Debian | Comment (25)
Comments

Thank's

I have to configure two server's tomorrow, I test your new installer.

Regard's, Sergio.

Posted by Sergio at 2006/10/29 (Sun) 19:43:00

Help: ECS P965T-A

My motherboard is ECS P965T-A, I have 3 SATA disks connect to the ICH8 northbridge, and a DVD-ROM connect to the Jmicron controller. I tried the 1028 Debian-Installer, only the DVD-ROM was found after a long while waiting, but neither of the SATA disks was found by the installer. I wonder what's the matter with my disks, what can I do then.
Thank you

Posted by Yuanlii at 2006/10/30 (Mon) 23:32:55

Help: ECS P965T-A

My motherboard is ECS P965T-A, I have 3 SATA disks connect to the ICH8 northbridge, and a DVD-ROM connect to the Jmicron controller. I tried the 1028 Debian-Installer, only the DVD-ROM was found after a long while waiting, but neither of the SATA disks was found by the installer. I wonder what's the matter with my disks, what can I do then.
Thank you

Posted by Yuanlii at 2006/10/30 (Mon) 23:51:47

Some info

I start the installer with the expert mode, and run
# modprobe ata_piix
before choosing the language, there are some debug information in the Alt+F4 console:

scsi0 : ata_piix
ata1.00: qc timeout (cmd 0xec)
ata1.00: failed to IDENTIFY (I/O error, err_mask=0x4)
ata1.00: qc timeout (cmd 0xec)
ata1.00: failed to IDENTIFY (I/O error, err_mask=0x4)
ata1.00: qc timeout (cmd 0xec)
ata1.00: failed to IDENTIFY (I/O error, err_mask=0x4)
scsi1 : ata_piix
...

Posted by Yuanlii at 2006/10/30 (Mon) 23:59:11

no AMD-64 iso's.. ?

Posted by Edward TLS at 2006/10/31 (Tue) 16:46:28

Edward, see my last sentence of article. I haven't succeeded yet. Help is welcome :)

Posted by kmuto at 2006/10/31 (Tue) 16:49:28

A seperate boot.img.gz would be nice for USB key installations too. I'm having problems getting the install to find the usb key that it's booting from.

CD installs are becoming obsolete now imo :)

/me waves to Edward TLS

Posted by prsr at 2006/10/31 (Tue) 21:34:38

Yuanlii, can you try 1030 image?
rc3 seems fix ICH8 mapping db, plus 1030 supports jmicron.

Posted by kmuto at 2006/11/01 (Wed) 13:53:52

apt error cascade

Well, great! Debian starts in my desktop!
But when i'll try to install packages from apt, i get error because of this is an "unstable". For example, it run now in text mode, cause it fails in x-window-system packet.
What is the trick?
Regards,
Gabriele

Posted by gabry at 2006/11/02 (Thu) 01:25:32

apt error cascade

Well, great! Debian starts in my desktop!
But when i'll try to install packages from apt, i get error because of this is an "unstable". For example, it run now in text mode, cause it fails in x-window-system packet.
What is the trick?
Regards,
Gabriele

Posted by gabry at 2006/11/02 (Thu) 01:26:39

Dear Kenshi-San

Thank you for making this custom image but unfortunately when i tried to install it on IBM 306M, it was not able to go beyond partman as it was unable to find the drive.

the following is the dmesg output

aic94xx: Adaptec aic94xx SAS/SATA driver version 1.0.2 loaded
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:03:04.0[A] -> GSI 19 (level, low) -> IRQ 18
aic94xx: found Adaptec AIC-9405W SAS/SATA Host Adapter, device 0000:03:04.0
scsi0 : aic94xx

aic94xx: Failed to load sequencer firmware file aic94xx-seq.fw, error -2
aic94xx: couldn't init seqs for 0000:03:04.0
aic94xx: couldn't init the chip
ACPI: PCI interrupt for device 0000:03:04.0 disabled
aic94xx: probe of 0000:03:04.0 failed with error -2

Any idea?

TIA

Posted by Edy at 2006/11/03 (Fri) 14:51:42

Dear Kenshi-San

Thank you for making this custom image but unfortunately when i tried to install it on IBM 306M, it was not able to go beyond partman as it was unable to find the drive.

the following is the dmesg output

aic94xx: Adaptec aic94xx SAS/SATA driver version 1.0.2 loaded
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:03:04.0[A] -> GSI 19 (level, low) -> IRQ 18
aic94xx: found Adaptec AIC-9405W SAS/SATA Host Adapter, device 0000:03:04.0
scsi0 : aic94xx

aic94xx: Failed to load sequencer firmware file aic94xx-seq.fw, error -2
aic94xx: couldn't init seqs for 0000:03:04.0
aic94xx: couldn't init the chip
ACPI: PCI interrupt for device 0000:03:04.0 disabled
aic94xx: probe of 0000:03:04.0 failed with error -2

Any idea?

TIA

Posted by Edy at 2006/11/03 (Fri) 14:55:00

enabling SMP

I was able to install a sarge distro on a HP DL450 with Xeon dual core. I have currently only one processor enable. I would like to switch to SMP for getting my second core to run but how to enable this? Is there somewhere the source for you Kernel?

I tried with older and newer kernel but i can't boot, everytime i get a kernel panic : it seems that there is a problem with sd... not recognized (i have a software raid based on two sata disks). Any idea?

i tried with 2.6.18.1 and 2.6.19-rc4.

be

Posted by cld at 2006/11/03 (Fri) 20:31:53

RX200 S3

Got a new FCS RX200-S3 today morning. By noon already installed with this image. Thanks!!!!

Posted by Janne Ojala at 2006/11/07 (Tue) 19:26:30

Failed again

I've tried the 1030 image with the kernel 2.6.19-rc3, but with no luck. After booting with the expert mode, I run modprobe ata_piix, and it blocked there for more than 5 minutes. There is no error reported in the Alt+F4 console, and I can see "IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801H(ICH8 Family) 4 port SATA IDE controller" in the lspci output, but no hard disk was found in the "Detect hardware" step, I have no idea about this. I wonder if I should install debian with a SATA DVD-ROM, as I still install it from a PATA DVD-ROM now, the PATA DVD-ROM was connected to the Jmicron ATA controller. I don't know if this affects the installation.

Posted by Yuanlii at 2006/11/08 (Wed) 14:47:02

Installer add modules

Hello dear. I had many difficulties to install Debian on a machine that has a adaptec 2130s scsi controller inside. The Debian do not recognize the controller. A lot of time later somebody indicated me this site and i downloaded the http://mirror.home-dn.net/d-i/2.6.19/sarge-custom-1030.iso

And it got works!

Can u teach me how can I add a module on a installation cd? Or gimme some advices?

E.g. how could I add the adaptec 2130s module on Debian sarge r3 installation cd. Or provide the module during the instalation.


Any help will be appreciated.

Thanx
denismpa@gmail.com

Posted by Denis at 2006/11/10 (Fri) 02:49:04

Reboot...

Hi I installed this backport on my VMWare and all works fine.
But in a Intel motherboard the system doesn`t reboot or poweroff.
Just stay in Rebooting...
the motherboard is an Intel D945Gtp and modules libata and ata_piix are loaded because of my PATA hard disks.
The problem may be caused by a chipset incompatibility? (northbridge and/or southbridge)

Thanks a lot and excuse my english! ;)

Posted by Juan Pablo at 2006/11/10 (Fri) 03:28:08

Hm, many posts are there :)

I'll reply only what I can answer...

cld,
> I have currently only one processor enable. I would like to switch to SMP for getting my second core to run but how to enable this?

Strange, my kernel enables SMP mode. But I assume you should change CPU parameter of kernel...Installer kernel is made for i486. You have to rebuild
kernel by yourself. Take linux source from kernel.org and build it. Be careful Processor family.

Yuanlii,
> I run modprobe ata_piix, and it blocked there for more than 5 minutes.

Well, what's happen if you run "update-dev"?d-i needs udev rescanning when device is added.

Denis, I just replied to your DM :)

Juan,
> The problem may be caused by a chipset incompatibility?

Or something kernel parameter or ACPI.
Try "noapic" and "nolapic" for boot parameter or rebuild kernel.

> Thanks a lot and excuse my english! ;)

NP, you seem better than me. :)

Thanks all.

Posted by kmuto at 2006/11/16 (Thu) 23:10:51

DELL PowerEdge 840 SAS_SATA

Hello !
Your installer works very well on a DELL PE 840 with a LSI Logic 1028 controller card (a card for managing SAS_SATA hard disks). I am trying to install a Debian server with thios kind of machine.
Thanks !

Posted by Adeimantos at 2006/12/19 (Tue) 02:11:45

big memory with i386 sarge-custom-1115.iso

Hello,

i386 sarge-custom-1115.iso installed on p5b deluxe...

hard to do...
grub is not seeing my PATA HD...
finally installed and booted trough the win boot.ini (a dd comand created the .bin file to boot onto for the winloader.)

Anyway, can you create a i386 sarge-custom-1115.iso with bigmem support or can you give us your .config file ?

thx a lot

Posted by sioc@sioc.org at 2007/01/02 (Tue) 03:43:30

sioc,
You can see the kernel .config configuration from /boot/config-*.

Posted by kmuto at 2007/01/02 (Tue) 15:27:37

I found the answer : no 4 GB with a kernel 32bits used with a core 2 duo... the 4 GB are seen by the kernel once in kernel-amd64 (then other troublecf my other post on your 64 poorts)

Posted by sioc at 2007/01/15 (Mon) 21:39:10

Thanks!

Hey Kenshi,

Great job man. I had big trouble getting some servers working. With your latest iso it all went without problems.

The ISO works on:
HP ProLiant ML310
Dell PowerEdge 840 without and with the SAS 5iR RAID controller

Greets,
Sebastiaan (NL)

Posted by Sebastiaan Woudenberg at 2007/01/29 (Mon) 17:34:19

Don't reboot with Intel chipset

I install this ISO at mobo with Intel PATA controller. When I try reboot or shutdown the system it hangs at message "Synchronizing SCSI cache for disk sda1". I apply the first workaround. It's the same Juan Pablo problem related before.

Posted by Fausto at 2007/02/08 (Thu) 01:56:01

Hello Kenshi,

First thing, thanks for the great installer!

This is a message I've sent to the debian-boot list. I realize you cannot
provide support to individuals, but do you know of any reason that
the base-config/early_command and base-config/late_command statements
in my preseed file aren't working when using your sarge-custom-1115
installer? (netboot, using the iso files as a custom debian distro on
install server)

Hello. Is anyone here familiar with the backported d-i images at
http://kmuto.jp/debian/d-i/? I've got the installation working, mostly,
but the base-config/early_command and base-config/late_command that
I use with the standard sarge installer aren't being run. Does anyone
know if the kmuto.jp installer is a sarge or etch (modified to install
sarge) installer?

Thanks in advance,
Len

Posted by Len at 2007/02/17 (Sat) 21:51:53
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