No boot after os-install:Vicidial-Redux v3.1.4 -LSI MegaRAID

[shashky]

On DELL system using PERC 4/D Raid Controller, I get error "Waiting for /dev/sda2 ..." after running os-install. I have reviewed the Forum topics to learn others are also having this problem. Is there a way to load the megaraid drivers at the rescue shell? megaraid.ko is present under /lib/modules in the rescue shell, but the device is not visible.

Would appreciate any help with this problem.

[williamconley]

search the opensuse forums (larger audience, more likely to bump into the same scenario with solution).

[shashky]

I appreciate the response. I was not able to find a solution. Switched over to goAutoDial which installed and configured successfully.

Thanks again.

[williamconley]

Thank you for posting your RAID card id and your solution!

I don't suppose you'd like to share your motherboard as well?

[thirdhatch]

I'm having exactly the same problem on IBM HS21 Blades with LSI Raid card. It runs successfully until just after the reboot for os-install. I am using version 3.1.6. I would like to get the latest and greatest version working if possible.

[williamconley]

the trick is to either get a pair of raid partitions that can be recognized by opensuse for install. one swap, one root, that it can install into. if the drive already has partitions on it ... it may not work. you may need to either clean the raid drive for a fresh start or pre-partition so it can use the existing ones with a partition tool that makes partitions opensuse can recognize.

and DO remember to try goautodial in case the mechanism there works better (and even take a shot at vicibox 1.0.0RC2, which is ubuntu, but old )

[thirdhatch]

They are recognized for install, it loads everything just fine, just doesn't ever come back after the reboot. Also, I did remove all partitions and created new ones. These are SAS disks on enterprise hardware. Should not be happening...

For posterity, this is an onboard LSI 1064e SAS Controller.

[williamconley]

the fact that it recognizes them does not mean everything is hunky dorie (um ... whatever that is). that means it'll try to copy files there. success is a different story.

you could test with an alternate boot media to see if it has successfully copied the files. then it may turn out to be a boot issue (is grub installing properly?). if it is just a grub issue, a manual grub install/configure may resolve the issue.

[thirdhatch]

William, thanks for the additional assistance.

GRUB does install. I am attempting to flash the SAS to current firmware version to see if this helps. I did not have a problem running the 3.0 or 2.0 series of Vicibox Redux. This is the first hiccup.

[williamconley]

oddly enough, i'd bet those older ones don't run successfully any more. but it would be worth a shot. you CAN upgrade from the older version to the present one.

[thirdhatch]

Firmware has been updated and it did not make a difference. I will keep pursuing and let everyone know.

[williamconley]

remember that you are not in the world of "Microsoft", where the manufacturers create new releases to "be compatible with windows" (ie: firmware). This is Linux, where someone must write a driver to work with the equipment (which takes time). Likely OLDER firmware would be more compatible (since the new firmware was written for a new driver set for Windows to work with!).

Alternately, of course, a newer partitioner (linux based) that could properly clean the drive and make it appear unused again ... that may do the trick.

[Kumba]

Can you describe what happens after the reboot? Does it say anything on screen? Is the screen just blank? Details are needed to help me help you.

[thirdhatch]

Kumba, it starts loading from Grub, quickly flashes the Suse load screen then goes blank after about 1/2 second. Then, it is no longer responsive.

[Kumba]

Yeah, that's not the raid card drivers, that's the video card driver. You probably have some sort of ATI chipset. This happens on my hosted database servers which have an ATI ES1000 chipset. It's some kind of kernel driver issue/bug when it attempts to change video modes. The other thing that the ATI kernel drivers like to do is seriously lag the console, which causes linux to boot slower. It's a somewhat known issue with ATI cards but who knows when (if) the fix will ever come. The bandaid fix is to disable the kernel framebuffer.

Do the phase-1 install, when it goes to reboot, boot back off the CD instead. Log into the LiveCD as root. Once you do, mount the partition you just created, then follow the instructions in this post: http://www.vicidial.org/VICIDIALforum/v ... hp?t=15687

Please keep in mind, if you mount your partition at /mnt/hd, the grub menu.lst would be located at /mnt/hd/boot/grub/menu.lst. Make sure you don't screw up the line count in the grub entries. Pico and Nano like to auto-wrap text when you start typing.

[thirdhatch]

Okay, got it. This worked but there was a much easier way of doing it. Grub allows your to edit the boot parameters from boot.

Cheers!

[Kumba]

You can edit the options at boot, but it's usually not saved to the menu file. You need to verify that the settings are right in menu.lst.

[thirdhatch]

Yeah, thanks. Found that out the hard way. It does not stick, but it is actually quicker than waiting for the LiveCD to boot.

Thanks Kumba and William!

[williamconley]

true, if you edit the grub in the menu, then use that success to edit the menu.lst ... generally quicker than hitting from a CD. (but ... only if you are successful in your grub edit ...)