AC 3 install failures - AlphaStation 400 4/233 (Avanti); PWS500au

AC3 came out just in time for me to be reinstalling a couple
of the  
test machines at work.

Unlike the Debian (3.1r2) install CD, which seems to stop at
starting  
the kernel (though I don't have a serial line connected),
the AC3  
install CD actually booted up on an old AlphaStation 400 and
put  
stuff on the screen.  However, it's not quite what I was
hoping to  
see... after booting up, loading drivers, and letting it
check CD 1  
and find it okay (or, in another attempt, skipping that
step), I got:

Running anaconda, the Alpha Core system installer - please
wait...
Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/usr/bin/anaconda", line 892, in ?
     forceVesa=forcevesa)
   File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rhpxl/xserver.py"
;, line 79,  
in probeHW
     forceVesa=forceVesa)
   File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rhpxl/videocard.py&qu
ot;, line  
288, in __init__
     xdrv_parts = string.split(card.xdriver, "#")
   File "/usr/lib/python2.4/string.py", line 292,
in split
     return s.split(sep, maxsplit)
AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'split'
install exited abnormally
sending termination signals...done
[etc]

Without digging out the code, I'm guessing this means:
  - The video card (labeled PBXGA, which I assume is
whatever DEC  
shipped with these things) isn't recognized for some
reason.
  - The script doesn't cope with not recognizing the video
card.

Booting up in text mode (aboot option 2 instead of 0)
doesn't make  
any difference.  I haven't tried using a serial console.

On another machine (PWS500au, only 128M RAM) it started up
okay, but  
when it got to "Installation Starting"
("Starting install process.   
This may take several minutes..."), it crunched for a
while,  
displayed "install exited abnormally", and went
through the same  
shutdown sequence.  No messages were displayed about why it
exited,  
and root/install.log is empty.

Any suggestions?

Ken

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On Sat, Mar 10, 2007 at 11:40:08PM -0500, Ken Raeburn
wrote:
> AC3 came out just in time for me to be reinstalling a
couple of the  
> test machines at work.
.....
> 
> Running anaconda, the Alpha Core system installer -
please wait...
> Traceback (most recent call last):
....
> AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute
'split'
> install exited abnormally

If you know how to fix this error in anaconda sources, even
if this is
hack applicable only in your particular case, then you are
likely
interested in an information on this page:
http:/
/fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Updates

What is missing there is that if you are doing "Updates
from the Tree"
then updates.img is a gzipped cpio archive, created with
"-H newc"
option, with replacement Python source files and anaconda
will load that
automatically if only present.  You do not need the whole
anaconda;
only those files you want to modify.

I guess that a floppy image, like described at the bottom of
the
referenced page, may work too.


   Michal

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On Sat, 2007-03-10 at 23:40 -0500, Ken Raeburn wrote:
> AC3 came out just in time for me to be reinstalling a
couple of the  
> test machines at work.
> 
> Unlike the Debian (3.1r2) install CD, which seems to
stop at starting  
> the kernel (though I don't have a serial line
connected), the AC3  
> install CD actually booted up on an old AlphaStation
400 and put  
> stuff on the screen.  However, it's not quite what I
was hoping to  
> see... after booting up, loading drivers, and letting
it check CD 1  
> and find it okay (or, in another attempt, skipping that
step), I got:
> 
> Running anaconda, the Alpha Core system installer -
please wait...
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>    File "/usr/bin/anaconda", line 892, in ?
>      forceVesa=forcevesa)
>    File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rhpxl/xserver.py"
;, line 79,  
> in probeHW
>      forceVesa=forceVesa)
>    File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rhpxl/videocard.py&qu
ot;, line  
> 288, in __init__
>      xdrv_parts = string.split(card.xdriver,
"#")
>    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/string.py", line
292, in split
>      return s.split(sep, maxsplit)
> AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute
'split'
> install exited abnormally
> sending termination signals...done
> [etc]
> 
> Without digging out the code, I'm guessing this means:
>   - The video card (labeled PBXGA, which I assume is
whatever DEC  
> shipped with these things) isn't recognized for some
reason.
>   - The script doesn't cope with not recognizing the
video card.
> 
> Booting up in text mode (aboot option 2 instead of 0)
doesn't make  
> any difference.  I haven't tried using a serial
console.
> 
> On another machine (PWS500au, only 128M RAM) it started
up okay, but  
> when it got to "Installation Starting"
("Starting install process.   
> This may take several minutes..."), it crunched
for a while,  
> displayed "install exited abnormally", and
went through the same  
> shutdown sequence.  No messages were displayed about
why it exited,  
> and root/install.log is empty.
> 
> Any suggestions?
Could you be more specific in configuration of your
machines?

As for PBXGA - I guess it is one of ZLX (TGA) cards.
Unfortunatelly, I
am affraid it might not work (there is no xorg driver for it
:( ). Could
you try to replace it by another (non-DEC) card?

On PWS - have yot tried to switch between different
consoles?
Alt-F1...F7? Any helpful info?

Regards,
Sergey.


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On Sat, Mar 10, 2007 at 11:40:08PM -0500, Ken Raeburn
wrote:
>
> AC3 came out just in time for me to be reinstalling a
couple of the  
> test machines at work.
> 
> Unlike the Debian (3.1r2) install CD, which seems to
stop at starting  
> the kernel (though I don't have a serial line
connected), the AC3  
> install CD actually booted up on an old AlphaStation
400 and put  
> stuff on the screen.  However, it's not quite what I
was hoping to  
> see... after booting up, loading drivers, and letting
it check CD 1  
> and find it okay (or, in another attempt, skipping that
step), I got:
> 
> Running anaconda, the Alpha Core system installer -
please wait...
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "/usr/bin/anaconda", line 892, in ?
>     forceVesa=forcevesa)
>   File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rhpxl/xserver.py"
;, line 79,  
> in probeHW
>     forceVesa=forceVesa)
>   File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rhpxl/videocard.py&qu
ot;, line  
> 288, in __init__
>     xdrv_parts = string.split(card.xdriver,
"#")
>   File "/usr/lib/python2.4/string.py", line
292, in split
>     return s.split(sep, maxsplit)
> AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute
'split'
> install exited abnormally
> sending termination signals...done
> [etc]
> 
> Without digging out the code, I'm guessing this means:
>  - The video card (labeled PBXGA, which I assume is
whatever DEC  
> shipped with these things) isn't recognized for some
reason.
>  - The script doesn't cope with not recognizing the
video card.

PBXGA is original TGA; it is supported in console text mode
under AC3
because the kernel TGA driver has been fixed. However,
there's no
current TGA driver for X11, which I think is the cause of
the failure.

> Booting up in text mode (aboot option 2 instead of 0)
doesn't make  
> any difference.  I haven't tried using a serial
console.

Yeah, stupid "snake" won't take "no
graphics" for an answer... :-(

If possible, replace the TGA card with something like
Matrox
Millennium or Permedia-2 based card (S3 Trio64 is not
recommended,
though it'd prolly work to get it past the anaconda problem
and stay
in text mode).

> On another machine (PWS500au, only 128M RAM) it started
up okay, but  
> when it got to "Installation Starting"
("Starting install process.   
> This may take several minutes..."), it crunched
for a while,  
> displayed "install exited abnormally", and
went through the same  
> shutdown sequence.  No messages were displayed about
why it exited,  
> and root/install.log is empty.

Dunno about this one - 128MB is pretty minimal these days,
so it could
be running out of space; try more memory if you've got
it...

Good luck.

 --Jay++

------------------------------------------------------------
---
Jay A Estabrook                            HPTC - XC I &
B
Hewlett-Packard Company - ZKO1-3/D-B.8     (603) 884-0301
110 Spit Brook Road, Nashua NH 03062       Jay.Estabrookhp.com
------------------------------------------------------------
---

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Hi Sergey

Nice work!

FWIW I've installed AC3 on an AlphaServer 1000A 5/400
(Noritake) without many
glitches. I initially  downloaded the ISO images and mounted
them on an ftp server as:

ftp://server/path/disc1
ftp://server/path/disc2
ftp://server/path/disc3
ftp://server/path/disc4

Then I used the boot options: text askmethoda and used the
value /path for
the ftp server path. Usually this works fine on other
platforms and Anaconda
detects the disc1 subdirectory. In this case however it
failed and I was
forced to copy the content on ISO images into one directory
for it to work.

After installation I wanted to update some packages from one
of the mirrors
and found that I missed the gpg key. Where can I find it?

Cheers

Anders

-- 
Anders Wäänänen              Phone: +45 353 25301
Niels Bohr Institute         Fax:   +45 353 25016
Blegdamsvej 17               Email: waananennbi.dk
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø 
Denmark

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On Mar 10, 2007, at 23:40, Ken Raeburn wrote:
> AC3 came out just in time for me to be reinstalling a
couple of the  
> test machines at work.

[... AlphaStation 400 stuff omitted ...]

> On another machine (PWS500au, only 128M RAM) it started
up okay,  
> but when it got to "Installation Starting"
("Starting install  
> process.  This may take several minutes..."), it
crunched for a  
> while, displayed "install exited abnormally",
and went through the  
> same shutdown sequence.  No messages were displayed
about why it  
> exited, and root/install.log is empty.
>
> Any suggestions?

I've finally gotten around to dealing with this machine
again.

Sergey Tikhonov suggested checking other virtual consoles. 
Jay  
Estabrook suggested I try to get my hands on more memory.

I did get my hands on some more memory from another machine.
 (I  
figure, worst case, I install with gobs of memory and then
put the  
other memory back, and see if I can run an already-installed
system  
with only the 128M.)

First thing I tried was the Debian installer, since I didn't
recall  
if I'd tried that on the PWS before; my email had only
mentioned  
trying it on the AlphaStation.  With the extra memory, at
least, that  
seemed to run fine, at least far enough to finish the first
pass of  
installation, eject the CD, and reboot.  So I went to retry
the AC3  
install, and remembered I should check for more info logged
anywhere  
with just the 128M, so I pulled out the extra memory and
booted the  
AC3 CD.

This time, it seems to be working somewhat better.

It has, a couple of times, seemed to freeze up partway
through the  
installation of packages.  The installer display stops
changing, and  
the disk seek noise has stopped, for 10 minutes or more. 
But if I  
switch VCs and run "top" or something at the shell
prompt, that seems  
to prod it into activity; the disk noises, at least, start
up again  
right away.  I can quit top and go back to the installer
virtual  
console, and it's moving on to other packages.

It got as far as starting on the second CD before giving me
"install  
exited abnormally".

So I checked the different VCs (couldn't run any commands
because the  
OS has shut down), and found some stuff logged by the
kernel:

<6>SELinux: initialized (dev hda, type iso9660) uses
genfs_contexts
<6>sd 0:0:1:0: SCSI error: return code = 0x8000002
<6>sda: Current: sense key: Medium Error
<6>   Additional sense: Unrecovered read error -
recommend rewrite  
the data
<6>Info fld=0x10bb9f0
<4>end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 17545712

So, it appears I've got some kind of disk problem on the
disk I'm  
installing to, and the install system hides it from me.

I think at this point it was still running from the file
system  
pulled from the CD, not running code from the hard drive. 
If that's  
true, it would've just been an error reading or writing data
in the  
install process that isn't handled properly, rather than an
error  
loading pages of the executable image, which might cause the
process  
to simply be killed...

Ken

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> Date: Sun, 06 May 2007 23:08:38 -0400
> From: Ken Raeburn <raeburnraeburn.org>
> So I checked the different VCs (couldn't run any
commands because the  
> OS has shut down), and found some stuff logged by the
kernel:
>
> <6>SELinux: initialized (dev hda, type iso9660)
uses genfs_contexts
> <6>sd 0:0:1:0: SCSI error: return code =
0x8000002
> <6>sda: Current: sense key: Medium Error
> <6>   Additional sense: Unrecovered read error -
recommend rewrite  
> the data
> <6>Info fld=0x10bb9f0
> <4>end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector
17545712
>
> So, it appears I've got some kind of disk problem on
the disk I'm  
> installing to, and the install system hides it from
me.
>
> I think at this point it was still running from the
file system  
> pulled from the CD, not running code from the hard
drive.  If that's  
> true, it would've just been an error reading or writing
data in the  
> install process that isn't handled properly, rather
than an error  
> loading pages of the executable image, which might
cause the process  
> to simply be killed...

If /dev/sda is the CDROM you're installing from, you might
see if there is a hard-disk installation method available.
If this method is available, you copy the ISOs and/or
unpack
the ISOs to a hard disk partition that is not going to be
formatted during installation, then you get all the RPMs
and
such from the hard disk rather than from the CDs.  It's a
lot more reliable and considerably faster.

-- 
Robert Riches
spamtrap42verizon.net
(Yes, that is one of my email addresses.)

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On May 6, 2007, at 23:17, Robert M. Riches Jr. wrote:
>> Date: Sun, 06 May 2007 23:08:38 -0400
>> From: Ken Raeburn <raeburnraeburn.org>
>>
>> <6>SELinux: initialized (dev hda, type
iso9660) uses genfs_contexts
>> <6>sd 0:0:1:0: SCSI error: return code =
0x8000002
>> <6>sda: Current: sense key: Medium Error
>> <6>   Additional sense: Unrecovered read
error - recommend rewrite
>> the data
>> <6>Info fld=0x10bb9f0
>> <4>end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector
17545712
>>
>> So, it appears I've got some kind of disk problem
on the disk I'm
>> installing to, and the install system hides it from
me.
>
> If /dev/sda is the CDROM you're installing from, you
might
> see if there is a hard-disk installation method
available.

No, it's the disk I'm installing to.  Further testing with
dd seems  
to confirm that there are bad blocks.  I'm testing whether
simply  
writing over the entire disk will revector enough bad blocks
that I  
can keep using it, but I suspect not.

Ken

P.S.  After I get finished with this machine I'll get back
to dealing  
with the AlphaStation install problem I reported at the same
time.

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