StarV3-X86-PC Upgrade problem

[flavius]

Hi Tony and Lonnie,

After upgrade one StarV2-PC to V3, following this steps:

1) install intermediate 4788 (co) version;
2) install new upgrade license;
3) upload new firmware (V3) with starutil;
4) run upgrade inside old V2 (co) version
5) Booting... and I receive this...


LILO 22.5.9 Loading StarV3/X86-PC
BIOS data check sucessful
Uncompressing linux... Ok, booting the kernel.


And ... hang.

Im using harddisk in LBA mode, my machine stopped in boot.

Thanks for some trick or help.

Regards,

Flavio
Brazil

[tony]

Make sure you are booting from the /first/ ATA interface (primary master). SCSI is not supported, nor is booting from slave interfaces.

What hardware are you using?

[flavius]

Tony,

My hard disk is the only IDE (first - hda) device in this router, disabled in BIOS others to avoid IRQ conflicts.

Im using one ASUS A7V600-X (via chipset) with Athlon XP 1.8 GHz
- 128 Mb RAM
- 1 Intel Pro 100
- 3 Realtek 8139C
- 1 Sis900 (onboard)

Thank you.

Flavio
Brazil

[tony]

What type of hardware are you using? (motherboard, processor, ram, etc.)

The minimum requirements are a 586-class system with 32MB RAM, and at least one supported ethernet device (excluding wireless).

[tony]

Can you pop out all PCI interfaces, and see if it comes live?

Also, can you ensure the CF/DOM is located on the primary IDE interface? Many motherboards have two IDE controlers, one being RAID, and the other being standard. We only support the standard IDE interfaces in v3.

Thanks!

[flavius]

Tony,

No, I can't pop PCI interfaces, because they don't boot.

I test, downgrading my router using strr-2.10.0-4693.iso version.

Upload license and config. Router is up and alive again.

BIOS detect:

- PRIMARY MASTER IDE [HARDDISK]
- SECONDARY MASTER IDE [CD-ROM]

I'm mounting another router, same hardware (my backup),
and we can retry many times now, without stop any user ;-)

Thanks!

[flavius]

Tony,

I retry boot V3-X86 using now another mobo with one CF/32MB and, this new machine, a SuperMicro DP, with two P2-266, (it's old I know... but works), Intel based chipset BX440, with 512 MB RAM, and 1 RT8139C, 1 CM9.

Well, CF is the only IDE configured in BIOS, PRIMARY FIRST IDE, booting with V2 is OK.
After BIOS POST, display this:

LILO 22.5.9 Loading StarV3/X86-PC
BIOS data check sucessful
Uncompressing linux... Ok, booting the kernel.

Forgive me, but this new Kernel, 2.6, looks for ACPI or APM after boot?

I listening, for few seconds, fans processors accelerates, like kernel looking for CPUs, but nothing more.

I disabled all resources (floppy, parallel, serial, USB...) and don't boot.

You've another trick?

Thanks!

[tony]

What is the model number of the motherboard in question?

[flavius]

Tony,

It's a Supermicro P6DLS rev 3.3

[sir_lunatic]

Having the same prob as above with a VIA EPIA CL-10000 and a ABIT BE6-II BX440 based boards.


LILO 22.5.9 Loading StarV3/X86-PC
BIOS data check sucessful
Uncompressing linux... Ok, booting the kernel.

then reboots.........actually i think there is some of the kernel output before the reboot but the refresh is too slow/fast, so I cant see it.

Even tried the 1.1.3 build and same deal........

I have dozens of the Epia's deployed, just waitin to be upgraded.

Just to rule out operator error, I booted the cf and adapter just fine in a Desktop Dell I have sitting here.

:(

[tony]

Please try the next release when it is available.

Unfortunately, without seeing what the last line was before it reboots, it's going to be difficult to troubleshoot those boards.

[sir_lunatic]

Will do thanx.....I will see if I can send the vga through a svideo adapter and capture the vid that way, see if I cant get you the last lines.

Unfortunately I am headed on vaca to Montana for the next week, so it will be a priority when I get back.

[tony]

Sounds good, thanks.

[sir_lunatic]

OK, spent the last two days deciphering all of this. Here's what I got.

Turns out that the reboot issue after seeing :

LILO 22.5.9 Loading StarV3/X86-PC
BIOS data check sucessful
Uncompressing linux... Ok, booting the kernel.

Has to do with the usb-cf adapter i was using. It was using different CHS settings under windows than when using the IDE-CF adapter.

So I took the IDE-CF adapter put it in my XP machine and wrote the flash.

I used the latest v1.1.4 and double checked the CHS settings. All looked good.

Mover the IDE-CF adapter to the router machine.

Woo Hoo....booted

Boo Hoo ...but hung at Freeing unused kernel Memory as seen in other threads

Tried it in other pc's with the same results.

[tony]

Ensure your BIOS is up to date, and supports LBA disk access. Also, make sure you are using an IDE-CF adapter, Disk-On-Module (DOM), or an actual IDE hard disk for the X86-PC release. (CF or DOM is recommended however).

The BIOS should be set to auto for the CF parameters.
My suspicion is that the CF image is not being written 100% to the CF card to one reason or another. After writing it under windows, make sure you use windows to eject the CF card before you remove it from the USB adapter. Not doing so may result in a corrupt CF image.

[lonnie]

Have you gone through all the required steps for a PC configuration? Disable all audio, modem, usb, second serial, floppy, game port devices and make sure VGA does not take an IRQ.

Try it without the serial port since it could potentially be causing the serial console to await a signal from the terminal. Give it several minutes and see if it pings on Ethernet.

There could be an issue with the VIA chipset but I would have expected the Intel one to be OK. The fact the Dell works is a good sign that you have the flash copied properly, so make sure you try that on each recopy.

[sir_lunatic]

Actually i am getting the same results with the dell now as well. Hangs at Freeing unused kernel Memory.

Everything is diabled except the serial port, so i will try that suggestion next.

I am using the IDE-CF adapter both to create the cf and boot the cf. I am doing this all on the same machine (Intel) at this point to rule out CHS problems.

I have even tried different brand CF's to no avail. Been using a 128 Kingston and a 512 Kingston, gonna try a 64 Sandisk next.

Out of curiosity, what is the next line I should be seeing after the Freeing unused kernel Memory line?

[sir_lunatic]

BTW, I can boot ver 2.10 on all of these without issue, created the same way as above. But I dont have a ver 2 License. I wanted to try upgrading using the crossover. But it appears that ver 2 disables upgradeing without a license.

[tony]

This is the last line you should see before the white welcome banner appears.

The time it takes to get the banner once you hit the 'freeing kernel memory' message should only be a few seconds. If the banner does not show up, that means the CF image is corrupt, or inaccessible for some reason. Make sure you have all other IDE devices unplugged (specifically CD-Rom, and slave drives).

Can you list the hardware you are trying to boot v3 on? Specifically the model of the motherboard, chipset, memory and processor types.

Thanks!

[sir_lunatic]

Using the following hardware:

VIA EPIA-CL 10000 Motherboard Epia 1Ghz proc and 1Gig of ram.

Abit BE6-II Motherboard PIII-650 proc and 512meg of ram.

Dell Dimension 2400 P4 2.4Ghz proc and 1Gig of ram.

All motherboards running latest BIOS
All motherboards have ALL IO's disable except first IDE channel, Keyboard, Video and Ethernet
All Motherboards have all peripherals disconnected except CF, keyboard, monitor and ethernet
Using PC Engines IDE-CF adapter in all.

Have used IDE-CF adapter to write the CF as well as a USB-CF adapter.


Have used V3 1.1.2 1.1.3 and 1.1.4 with same results, hangs at
Freeing unused kernel Memory

But works fine on all when using V2 2.10.0


Is it possible to make the pc image available outside of a zip file with an md5 file available?

[sir_lunatic]

ok i just tried physdiskwrite and it appears there is a write problem with the last ~4k of the write. Occured when writing to CF via IDE and USB also using different CF's as well, so it appears the image may be corrupt. But I tried re downloading (After clearing cache of course) with same results.

Maybe its the Zip corrupting it?!?


Gonna try writing this cf on my linux laptop using dd and see what happens........

[tog]

Stupid question, but are you using the ".cf" file or the ".pkg" file when you write it to your flash card?

I accidentally downloaded and tried to write the wrong type of file to my flash card one day, that's exactly how physdiskwrite acted, it barfed on the last 4k. Then I looked and noticed I wasn't working with the raw flash image, I was working with the file you're supposed to upload via starutil to upgrade a system over the network.

[sir_lunatic]

definately using the .cf file.........

[sir_lunatic]

Ok I got this working

Using my laptop booted under linux, using dd I was able to make a working image. Works on all 3 of the above platforms. Also tried a few different 4 port ethernet cards.

But when I boot my laptop under windows and try to make the cf, it fails to boot at the Freeing unused kernel Memory. So I am going to investigate the unzipping methods to see if it is corrupting the image


Thanx for everyones suggestions......

[sir_lunatic]

I just did an md5sum on both my xp partition and linux partition, and the images match. There has to some other issue at work here. I cant imagine diskimg and phydiskwrite are both broke. This has to be a case of windows getting the drive params wrong.

There are to many people having this issue.

[Stratolinks]

But when I boot my laptop under windows and try to make the cf, it fails to boot at the Freeing unused kernel Memory.

sir_lunatic
Check your private messages for a link to a dd file that I have been able to use from Windows to make a 1.1.4 V3 X86 flash card that works every time.

[kiza]

Can you make the file availible for download somehow...I mean it would be generous from you. Maybe you can give it to loonie and tony so they could share it with us.

thanks in advance

[tony]

There appears to be a problem with the windows tools. For some reason, the diskimg and physwrite utility will not write the last ~512 bytes of data to the CF if it's not in 512-byte blocks. (the entire image size must be divisible by 512 bytes).

Using the 'dd' option as stratolinks mentioned, will resolve this problem.

When doing an md5 checksum of your CF, make sure you zero it before each image copy or you may get the same md5 checksum, especially if you test with Linux before Windows.

I will ensure the future .cf releases are 512-byte padded, and will also re-release the v1.1.4 version of the .cf images that will work. (may take a few minutes)

[tony]

I have updated the X86-PC and X86-WRAP releases with a padded .cf file that should resolve the issue with the diskimg and physwrite utility.

You can get it from the starv3 downloads page.

[kiza]

OOOOOOJEAAAHHHH it works, now just tel me there is a way to pay license in other way than paypal, Albicom closed...no representative...Serbia(PayPal hates us).



thanks

[lonnie]

http://www.moneybookers.com/app/

user name lonnie@valemount.com

It is not as convenient since I must check the transfer and then make the account entry manually. It works and I am happy to do it. One bit of advice since I do not monitor it all the time, if you wish to buy 4 licenses (just for example) then you should make a single payment for 4 licenses and not 4 payments for 1 license.

[kiza]

We have an account on moneybookers, great, is such a releaf. Some hardware maintance and you will be hearing us.


thanks again

[sir_lunatic]

Just tried the updated image......works great. Thanx again.........