Can't install - errors !

Hi Ken: If RC3 works for you l would stay with it. Some have found the release buggy and in some instances not as good as the RCs. I installed it but sometimes it doesn't want to boot up until l reboot it a couple of times.

Wayne

Ken,

Before you try more sophisticated solutions, try burning another CD from the same ISO file. Better yet, see if you can verify the contents of the burned CD. (You have verified the ISO file md5sum against the published value.)

Check the verify option in K3B brfore starting the burn, or ask for help in running md5sum against the burned CD.

Pantheus, you checked the md5sum of the iso, but you might check the md5sum of the burned cd. You could have a bum cd. You can check the md5sum of the unmounted cd by entering the command "md5sum /dev/hdc" but you will have to do that from another Linux system. You do not need to perform this command as root. The md5sum should be identical to that for the iso image.

Jon

Thanks for all the thoughts (except the one to not stay current)

Yes, I have checked the md5sum all three places:

1) after download of .iso from members site
2) with k3b before burn
3) after .iso burn on cd (/dev/hdc)

all three compared the same to this:

ken@2[~]$ md5sum /dev/hdc
f53d134974db0d24aa97925e3707ab4c /dev/hdc
ken@2[~]$

To attempt the absurd I re-downloaded the .iso and re-burned it at 2x

It also agreed md5sum-wise to the first attempt.

Ken,
who is plain baffled.

--
In a world without walls and fences nobody needs Windows and Gates!
User #104362 with the Linux Counter, http://counter.li.org

Ken,

Could be a hard disk problem. Otherwise, I am also baffled and await enlightenment from the experts.

What do you think? May be a drive cleaning cd is in order, normally they have 2 or more anti-static cleaning brushes, the cd's with only one brush don't work. They can found at the local drug store or computer/electronics supply store.

regards,
Bad Dog
SimplyMEPIS 6.0 - kernel 2.6.15-26-686-SMP - KDE 3.5.3

It would appear from the error message there is a bad spot on the platter. Wondering if xp will come up to try and format those parts. with fat32 so you can check them with scandisk. The win98 scandisk was pretty good at that when thorough was checked. If that wont fix it there is a good chance its going bad. If it has a floppy you could allso knock out those parts. with fdisk and make new ones with dos to give a better chance of winning. Just a few thoughts to save ExPee.

jim

I hammered away at the install ... and third (twentieth or so, actually) time was a charm.

Actually it did force me to format /root (home) but I had it backed up anyway... wouldn't allow a preserve /home install...

But I don't know what the (real) problem was... but by trying and maintaining patience - I got the bugger!

Now to move the important stuff from backup.

Oh, and for the first time EVER my wifi came to the party. It has been over a year with no wifi but staying with MEPIS (Simply and Pro) it has finally "arrived"

Looks swifter, and a bit cleaner.. I'm pleased. !

Thanks for the help!

Ken
--
In a world without walls and fences nobody needs Windows and Gates!
User #104362 with the Linux Counter, http://counter.li.org

Ken, like others here, I'm suspecting that your hard drive might be getting ready to go bye-bye. But your current success is good. When in doubt, hit it more times with a bigger hammer

I have been following this because I have been considering buying a Linux Certified laptop. They "sound good", but I haven't heard much "actual proof" from the Mepis crowd as to how they work. So I was dismayed when you initially told us that yours was not working (sniff).

So good job on the initial install. But I would recommend perhaps using the Mepis disk or Knoppix or one of the other Live CDs that have disk diagnostic tools to check your hard drive. And you might consider planning on buying a new one

Let us know what you find.

Jon

It does sound like the drive may be having problems, but this could be something as simple as a loose/flakey interface connector (something I've seen quite a bit of, with laptops that get banged-around now and then).

Glad to see that Ken got things sorted-out.

For Jon, or others who might be looking for a worthy laptop/notebook candidate, do consider the Toshiba line of notebooks. I have yet to run across one that will not allow an easy install of MEPIS.

The 6.0-Final install, on Friday afternoon, took up about 10-13 minutes of my time; with an additional 3 or 4 minutes to get the Broadcom wireless talking.

Otherwise, "It just works."

Home of the Point-N-Click Help Files
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Thanks EnigmaOne. Is there a particular model or model-line of Toshibas that you recomend? I'd like one that has internal wifi, lan, and modem if possible. AND if they still put serial ports on them it would be nice (but not necessary).

My old Dell Inspiron 2600 is starting to whine and the electrical is getting flaky, so it's time to begin saying my goodbyes to it.

Jon

Just about anything in the Satellite line is good. I'm on a
18005-S203 right now (the one I did my Friday afternoon installation of 6.0-F on), and things are great.

I've done MEPIS installs on A10's, A15's and A65's with very little in the way of problems.

Toshi has some new units (with wide LCDs) that look good to me, as well as being reasonably priced. I did a live CD test with RC-3, 0n one that was purchased back in March, and the machine owner was impressed that things went so well (Wish I remembered the model number of that one; but, I think it was one of the A105's or the P100-ST7211 or P100-ST9012.), including the integrated Atheros wireless.

New machines are always a risk--even if you've done some serious research on the components. Laptops are even more of a risk, but I've found Toshibas to be a pretty sure bet with Linux.

Dells are a reasonable second runner-up.

Home of the Point-N-Click Help Files
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Thanks EnigmaOne for the info. I shall take a wander down to my local Geek Emporium and see if they have any Tooshies to examine

I contacted Linux Certified to get a little more info on one of their laptops. The model LC2464T. The CPU is an AMD64. I wanted to know if the box was originally made by one of the big manufacturers and the loaded with somekindalinux. I was informed that it is an OEM laptop. It is possible to get it pre-loaded with Ubuntu 5.10, so I asked if it would be possible to load it instead with Ubuntu 6.06 to bring it closer to current. Yes, it is. Mind you, I wouldn't stick with EwwBoonTwo, but it's a better bet that Mepis will run on it in that case.

When I asked if anyone there had tried any version of Mepis, and what were the results, I was told that no version of Mepis had (yet) been tried.

So the LC laptops are a bit pricey, but I shall also look at the Toshibas, per your recommendation.

Jon

Well, it didn't 'stay sorted' for more than a few days....

Now I get:

[17179574.252000]Kernel panic - not syncing: no init found. Try passing init= option to kernel

Attempting to use any of the three LiveCDs I made starts to go, when it gets to 'starting splashy' it craps like it did before ...

I'm now on that ExPee install (and remember back several years as to why I hate it so much)... but I'm not warm and fuzzy about mepis right now.

Any (more) suggestions ?

Ken
--
In a world without walls and fences nobody needs Windows and Gates!
User #104362 with the Linux Counter, http://counter.li.org

Sounds like you might be losing the drive....but you should try a couple things first.

Unplug the drive interface cable from the motherboard and drive--replace it with a known good (preferably new) cable if you can.

Run memtest/memtest86 to see if your memory starts throwing errors.

Home of the Point-N-Click Help Files
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

I had similar problems, starting last November. What they meant was that my 1999 Quantex PIII was slowly dying, starting with a relatively new hard drive and continuing on through my Internet connection and floppy/CD-RW access. The same problems arose in both Win 98SE (the dark side's best OS since DOS) and MEPIS, indicating deteriorating hardware. I bought a new machine this month.

I spent a day (and night) with Partition Commander deleting partitions, formatting, surface scans ... wash, rinse, repeat ...
Starting with totally clean 18 GB partition, which I re-set 3 partitions with QTParted.

Then re-downloaded another copy on wife's system (ExPee) and burned (Nero) .iso

Took that new .iso back to laptop, and it went on perfectly, just like hot butter on toast.. just like it had previously many dozens of times... a full new install

It has performed perfectly now for 36+ straight hours,

I'm inclined at this point to blame the WRITE ability of this slimline (CD-RW / DVD-R drive) I'll be looking for a new slimline. In the meantime I have an external CD-RW / DVD-RW (USB) for writing... just can't boot from it (yet)

I wouldn't blame LinuxCertified for failure of a nearly 3 year old slimline... considering the use.

Ken,
who is again a happy-camper with MEPIS 6.0 final;
toes and fingers and everything else that will cross, crossed.
--
In a world without walls and fences nobody needs Windows and Gates!
User #104362 with the Linux Counter, http://counter.li.org