[CS-FSLUG] mini-ITX boot problem

[Ron Thompson]

On Thursday 02 April 2009 00:26, Marco Tedaldi wrote:
> Ron Thompson schrieb:
> > I spoke too soon.  It doesn't boot properly after swapping the cards, it
> > gets started and them comes back with Checking root file system
> > fsck.ext3: No such file or directory while trying to open /dev/hdb2
> > FAILED
> >
> > I'm out of my league.
> >
> > Not much point in having a mni-ITX if you have to duct tape an old CD-RW
> > onto the case just to get it to boot :-)
>
> It seems there is the Problem.
>
> The order of the drives ind Linux is:
> 1. hda
> 2. hdb
> 3. hdc
> 4. hdd
>
> And from the Bios:
> Primary Master
> Primary Slave
> Secondary Master
> Secondary Slave
>
> The Problem arises, when the Order of the drives is changed or a drive
> whis is "between others" is removed.
>
> My guess is, that your CD-Drive was recognized as "Primary Master" and
> got hda. Than your CF-Card was hdb. Linux installed on hdb and wrote
> into the boot manager that it would find the root filesystem in /dev/hdb
>
> By removing the CD-ROM drive the CF-Card became hda and hdb could not be
> found anymore.
>
> First make sure, your CF-Card which will get the OS is Primary Master.
> This will save you some trouble. The CD-Rom drive must be the last one.
>
> I never use Cable Select but put my drives in a defined state (either
> master or slave)
> I'd suggest that you connect the first cf-card as master to the first
> IDE-Channel (Primary Master). The second Card shall become Master on the
> Second Channel (Secondary Master) and the CD-ROM get's configured as
> slave and is connected to the second channel (Secondary Slave). this
> setup should give you the best performance fo the future (when the
> CD-Drive is not connected anymore) and keep you out of trouble.
>
> Than install the OS and look if it works.
>
> If it does not work please tell the error message or the last line you
> see on the screen.
>
> kruemi

Thanks Kruemi,

    I'm sure that you are correct, but I don['t know if there is a simple 
solution as the D945GCLF motherboard does not have a secondary channel.  The 
board does have two SATA ports but I do not have a SATA CD that I can use to 
install the OS.   Startech have a slimline CD 50 pin IDE to SATA adapter that 
would work but it is not yet available.  Either I can buy a new slimline SATA 
CD (so it will fit the case), or another possibility would be to see if I can 
install the OS from an external source such as a USB drive.  One of these 
should work?

     Ron

-- 
Ron Thompson, |^|
Yellowknife, NT, Canada
"Who are are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their window?" Is 60:8