openbsd 3.9, openbsd 4.0 install errors, most likely hardware

openbsd gurus,

As my saga continues...
I have a newly built server on which I am attempting to
install
openbsd 4.0.  Problems occurred on install of sets, where
comp
set keeps throwing errors.  Suggestion was made that it was
probably
a bad CD.  Try a previous CD of an earlier version.  I had
3.9
available.  The logs of the attempts are posted at:

  http://www.surfuto
pia.net/openbsd/

The logs are separated by the boot log, an install log not
including the install of the sets, and two passes of the
install
of the sets, all dying in the comp set install.

I have two drives in the server.  I only installed on one
(wd0).
I have had the same types of errors when only installing on
the
second (wd1).  So, it is most likely not a problem with the
specific drive.  However, the probability could exist.

So, based on these logs, from different openbsd cd
versions,
my hypothesis is there is some weird sort of hardware
problem.
My question is, what tools do you all use to determine
where
the hardware problem could be?

I have already ran the memory through the memtests.  There
is
not a problem there.

I am willing to try (almost) anything to play around with
this.  I would like to get the server up and running so I
can move on to the next one.  No time pressure, though.

Thank you in advance for any pointers you can provide.

Thanks!

JohnM

-- 
john mendenhall
johnsurfutopia.net
surf utopia
internet services

Maxim,

> >set keeps throwing errors.  Suggestion was made
that it was probably
> >a bad CD.  Try a previous CD of an earlier version.
 I had 3.9
> >available.  The logs of the attempts are posted
at:
> 
> In my case when I had the same problem it was the
CD-rom reader that
> was bad. Replacing cdrom with DVD drive from my
workstation helped.

Could that explain the errors I am seeing?
It appears the error is on the write, not the read,
though I could be wrong.

JohnM

-- 
john mendenhall
johnsurfutopia.net
surf utopia
internet services

I've seen this before.  On old HP gear.  Is your HP?  Only
FreeBSD would 
run on the system.  NetBSD/OpenBSD dead in the water.  Some
obscure bug 
when the I/O went up (Symbios SCSI).

One of many reason why I want nothing to do with HP (H-PHUX)
ever again.

Anyway, how about underclocking your Duron some?  Reset the
BIOS timings 
and power levels to failsafe?  The old K7+VIA Chipset boards
were a rough 
crowd.


~BAS

On Tue, 12 Jun 2007, John Mendenhall wrote:

> openbsd gurus,
>
> As my saga continues...
> I have a newly built server on which I am attempting to
install
> openbsd 4.0.  Problems occurred on install of sets,
where comp
> set keeps throwing errors.  Suggestion was made that it
was probably
> a bad CD.  Try a previous CD of an earlier version.  I
had 3.9
> available.  The logs of the attempts are posted at:
>
>  http://www.surfuto
pia.net/openbsd/
>
> The logs are separated by the boot log, an install log
not
> including the install of the sets, and two passes of
the install
> of the sets, all dying in the comp set install.
>
> I have two drives in the server.  I only installed on
one (wd0).
> I have had the same types of errors when only
installing on the
> second (wd1).  So, it is most likely not a problem with
the
> specific drive.  However, the probability could exist.
>
> So, based on these logs, from different openbsd cd
versions,
> my hypothesis is there is some weird sort of hardware
problem.
> My question is, what tools do you all use to determine
where
> the hardware problem could be?
>
> I have already ran the memory through the memtests. 
There is
> not a problem there.
>
> I am willing to try (almost) anything to play around
with
> this.  I would like to get the server up and running so
I
> can move on to the next one.  No time pressure,
though.
>
> Thank you in advance for any pointers you can provide.
>
> Thanks!
>
> JohnM
>
> -- 
> john mendenhall
> johnsurfutopia.net
> surf utopia
> internet services
>
>

l8*
 	-lava (Brian A. Seklecki - Pittsburgh, PA, USA)
 	       http://www.spiritu
al-machines.org/

     "Guilty? Yeah. But he knows it. I mean, you're
guilty.
     You just don't know it. So who's really in jail?"
     ~James Maynard Keenan

John Mendenhall <johnsurfutopia.net> writes:

> So, based on these logs, from different openbsd cd
versions,
> my hypothesis is there is some weird sort of hardware
problem.
> My question is, what tools do you all use to determine
where
> the hardware problem could be?

google turns up a few references on various BSD mailing list
for the
search string "OpenBSD ffs_valloc: dup alloc".  No
clear cut
solutions, but the popular suspicion runs in the direction
of buggy
(S)ATA controllers or, of course, possibly subtle, hard to
trigger
bugs in the operating system's controller support code. 
Swapping out
motherboards could be unpleasant, but seeing that the error
occurs at
pretty much exactly the same spot on the CDs, have you tried
swapping
out the CD/DVD drive for a different unit?

-- 
Peter N. M. Hansteen, member of the first RFC 1149
implementation team
http://www.blug.lin
ux.no/rfc1149/ http://www.datadok.no/ http://www.nuug.no/
"First, we kill all the spammers" The Usenet Bard,
"Twice-forwarded tales"
delilah spamd[29949]: 85.152.224.147: disconnected after
42673 seconds.

Peter,

> google turns up a few references on various BSD mailing
list for the
> search string "OpenBSD ffs_valloc: dup
alloc".  No clear cut
> solutions, but the popular suspicion runs in the
direction of buggy
> (S)ATA controllers or, of course, possibly subtle, hard
to trigger
> bugs in the operating system's controller support code.
 Swapping out
> motherboards could be unpleasant, but seeing that the
error occurs at
> pretty much exactly the same spot on the CDs, have you
tried swapping
> out the CD/DVD drive for a different unit?

I tried loading the sets via ftp, same error, same
location.

JohnM

-- 
john mendenhall
johnsurfutopia.net
surf utopia
internet services

> Things to try (in any order you please):
> 1. check IDE cables
> 2. check whether Master/Slave/CS settings are correct
> 3. In case Brian is right, you might want to put CD on
the same cable
> as hd0, to slow-down IDE.
> 4. also check where you disks are connected - to IDE
bus or to ATA-133
> controller on the board. Sometimes it does make a
difference.
> 5. my BIOS was updated to the latest one, as there was
some bug about
> large hard disks not working correctly (your ones seem
to be 120G, so
> it is unlikely BIOS is a problem here).
> 6. the last step would be to try another harddisk.
> 
> Or (just got this idea) you could simply try ftp
install. If CD-rom
> reader is bad, boot from CD but install from ftp - this
would
> definitely rule out the 'bad cd-rom drive' hypothesis


I just tried the ftp install.  Same problem, same
location.

I have tried another hard disk, same approximate
size.  Same problem, same location.

I am going to look for any bios updates online,
if I can find any.  I will also be checking the
cables, master/slave/cs settings, and cd + hd0
on same cable.

As for IDE bus or ATA-133 controller on board,
the cables are connected to the std ide0 and ide1
connectors on the motherboard.  When you say IDE
bus, are you referring to another connector?

JohnM

-- 
john mendenhall
johnsurfutopia.net
surf utopia
internet services

Brian,

> I've seen this before.  On old HP gear.  Is your HP? 
Only FreeBSD would 
> run on the system.  NetBSD/OpenBSD dead in the water. 
Some obscure bug 
> when the I/O went up (Symbios SCSI).
> 
> One of many reason why I want nothing to do with HP
(H-PHUX) ever again.
> 
> Anyway, how about underclocking your Duron some?  Reset
the BIOS timings 
> and power levels to failsafe?  The old K7+VIA Chipset
boards were a rough 
> crowd.

This is a custom white box server, all put together.
It is not an HP.
I will try to reset the bios timings and power levels.

JohnM




> On Tue, 12 Jun 2007, John Mendenhall wrote:
> 
> >openbsd gurus,
> >
> >As my saga continues...
> >I have a newly built server on which I am
attempting to install
> >openbsd 4.0.  Problems occurred on install of sets,
where comp
> >set keeps throwing errors.  Suggestion was made
that it was probably
> >a bad CD.  Try a previous CD of an earlier version.
 I had 3.9
> >available.  The logs of the attempts are posted
at:
> >
> > http://www.surfuto
pia.net/openbsd/
> >
> >The logs are separated by the boot log, an install
log not
> >including the install of the sets, and two passes
of the install
> >of the sets, all dying in the comp set install.
> >
> >I have two drives in the server.  I only installed
on one (wd0).
> >I have had the same types of errors when only
installing on the
> >second (wd1).  So, it is most likely not a problem
with the
> >specific drive.  However, the probability could
exist.
> >
> >So, based on these logs, from different openbsd cd
versions,
> >my hypothesis is there is some weird sort of
hardware problem.
> >My question is, what tools do you all use to
determine where
> >the hardware problem could be?
> >
> >I have already ran the memory through the memtests.
 There is
> >not a problem there.
> >
> >I am willing to try (almost) anything to play
around with
> >this.  I would like to get the server up and
running so I
> >can move on to the next one.  No time pressure,
though.
> >
> >Thank you in advance for any pointers you can
provide.
> >
> >Thanks!
> >
> >JohnM

-- 
john mendenhall
johnsurfutopia.net
surf utopia
internet services

> > Anyway, how about underclocking your Duron some? 
Reset the BIOS timings 
> > and power levels to failsafe?  The old K7+VIA
Chipset boards were a rough 
> > crowd.
> 
> This is a custom white box server, all put together.
> It is not an HP.
> I will try to reset the bios timings and power levels.

I reset the bios timings.  However, the only choices were
optimal and high performance.

Same error.

I will look for a bios upgrade, if one exists...

JohnM

-- 
john mendenhall
johnsurfutopia.net
surf utopia
internet services