Install hangs at first option

[mindriot]

Hi folks.

Im trying to install 1.4.1 onto a nvidia Ion chipset board with an Intel atom 330 cpu.

Running 2 x 2GB ddr-800 sticks and a sata 64gb ssd.

No matter how I configure bios options I keep getting the same problem. The install Cd boots and presents the install menu. After I choose the install option it goes to a blank screen with a flashing cursor, the cd spins for a while, then spins down and there is nothing you can do with the system after that.

Ive tried all the variations possible for the sata controller, memory etc. Nothing makes a difference.

Any suggestions?

[mindriot]

Can anyone help?

[Sam Graf]

Regrettably, probably not. If your installation disc passes verification, then you may have run into one of those Ubuntu-related problems I and others have encountered with some chipsets and/or devices.

I ran into problems with mainstream but older SCSI hardware, for example. There was one individual here with SATA problems under the Marvel chipset, if I recall correctly. It seems like the Ubuntu project has made some decisions that impact compatibility in certain circumstances (I could install Debian where I couldn't install Ubuntu, so it seems to be down to Ubuntu in some cases at least).

There may be workarounds for specific hardware problems, but I haven't seen solutions offered here within the eBox community. Hopefully someone will prove me wrong and offer some better help.

[mindriot]

Thanks for responding.

 I need to do some deeper digging, its a Zotac IONITX-G-E board, mated to a 2.5 64GB SSD and a pair of striped SATA 2.5 640 drives, but I dont imagine the drives themselves are part of the issue. The chipset (and presumeably the storage controller) is the Nvidia MCP7A-ION and it would be maddening to think Ubuntu would ignore such a fantastic chipset.

Im normally ok with hardware related problems but not much experience with ebox, Ive tried latest release, 1.26 release and latest Ubuntu release and all do exactly the same thing.

Is there any other way to get ebox, I read parts can be added to an ubuntu server install to get functionality but I dont know how much that acieves same result. Is there any side projects of ebox using a different distro as a foundation perhaps.

Trying to build a headless transportable tiny footprint low energy domain and file server and route web access through it etc. All inside a Morex 350 case, I really didnt expect to hit such a stopper as this

[Sam Graf]

In my case I found I was able to install Ubuntu Server 6.06 LTS, so I took the LTS-to-LTS upgrade route and then installed eBox from the repositories (after fixing the sources list). The eBox ISO is the preferred installation method and the LTS upgrade doesn't leave Ubuntu in the tidiest condition, but I put a server built the hard way into production and have had no operational issues that I'm aware of.

The other option is selecting an alternative Ubuntu install route, odd as that may sound. I can load up the Ubuntu Minimal ISO and install but not the full ISO, for example (doesn't help with a server install but it was an interesting experience). So at least some compatibility problems may be Ubuntu installer only (though some apparently are also experienced at boot, according to the chatter). I recall (IIRC) someone in the community here doing the network install because of the SCSI issues.

I'm not aware of any other options. No other distro support at this time, to my knowledge.

[mindriot]

Thanks for the continued info, trying to dig up some more  info about my storage controller.

One last thing to try is different ram but not holding out much hope for that.

Im not at alll new to PC's and hardware but I am new to Ubuntu/ebox, might ask for some  further info if its ok. Will try the server route next couple of days first chance I can.

So if I'm reading you right you used server 6.06, then updated server to current and then added in ebox? (after adding/updating repositories) Is LTS a specific variation. could I begin with a current up to date server release perhaps?

For the Ubuntu server OS did you have to do much preconfig or was it fairly out of the box and ebox was able to take over system config. Ive got a bit of Windows server setup experience in a sort of parallel purpose and have had a Centos web server for years but doing this is not much like either really.

Ive spent a bit of cash on this so far as a very specialized little machine, Id hate to have to abandon the idea and regress to SBS 2003 or similar (I know SBS it but I really dont like it much, SBS 2008 or foundation server are much nicer but no way Im paying that kind of money for home use if I have to give up on ebox, and DD-WRT doesnt really evn slightly fit the bill).

[jysse]

Same kind of a symptoms here, although hardware differs from yours. Reason was something related to graphics and I was able to solved it like this:

1. boot from CD
2. after selecting language press F6 and after that Esc.
3. now you can add parameters to startup. Remove "--" from line end
4. add "-vga=771" to line end and press Enter

Jysse

[Sam Graf]

@jysse
There are a few boot parameters that people have used to fix various compatibility problems, and that's worth trying. The eBox/Ubuntu installer offers some helpful information, as does the Ubuntu documentation. You're the first eBox user that I know of to see positive results.

@mindriot
The Ubuntu LTS releases are Long Term Support releases, and they are the ones eBox uses as its base. Ubuntu also has the between-LTS-releases, but those aren't necessarily going to play nice with eBox. So yes, I installed Server 6.06 LTS, used the Ubuntu LTS release upgrade procedure (which took me to the right LTS release for eBox), and then installed eBox on top of that stock server installation.

The real difference in installing eBox from the repositories is that eBox requires more interactive configuration during installation. Ubuntu itself doesn't require any special treatment that I recall once the sources are corrected. So it's fairly straightforward even if you install eBox a module at a time (which is what I did), though not nearly as nice as using the eBox ISO.

[mindriot]

Thanks for the tips.

I understand now what you mean by LTS, a project like ebox needs to develop its own priorities as well as underlying os support, its probably hugely imparactical to keep pace with every latest Ubuntu release.

I like the thought that a simple switch might help, I'll do some reading on that and if nothing solves Ill have a crack with your method Sam.

Graphics might be a good candidate for issues being a relatively new chipset, worth a try first.

Probably be tomorrow realistically but I'll come back and report progress accordingly

[Sam Graf]

... a project like ebox needs to develop its own priorities as well as underlying os support, its probably hugely imparactical to keep pace with every latest Ubuntu release.

Not to mention that system administrators admire stability . LTS releases offer security and stablility over a reasonable amount of time. They trade cutting edge for peace of mind, at least until a new release, where it's all the same (we hope). It makes sense for eBox to build on the sort of release system administrators would already be using or selecting.

[mindriot]

Hi folks, not forgotten this

Just had to take time out for a move to Singapore, back on this soon.

Been researching using the wifi adapters, one mini-pci and one usb, as access points using WPA2. Is this possible with ebox already?

Also been looking at ways round the install issue if I cant get success with the server route, does anyone know if VMware esxi4 can provide wifi adapter support to vm clients in a mode that works as an access point of some sort supporting wpa2?

Basically the box has a dlink usb 100mbit lan adapter for the wan side (checked and its supported by ubuntu) a usb 802.11g wifi, bluetooth 2 usb and internal 802.11n mini-pci atheros wifi, all intended for access points and a gigabit ethernet on board for lan.

The usb wifi and usb bluetooth i could live with losing for the plan, the rest I need.

[mindriot]

ok, esxi4 cant see disks, esxi4 update 1 crashed, ubuntu server 8.04 lts partition manager cannot seem to cope with writing partition to the ssd at all

Tried 1.4.1 again out of desperation and it boots! (seen this before, simply the type of monitor can affect vga output, using a pc input on tv now).

Infuriatingly downloaded todays 1.4.1 and it fails install citing missing kernels on install CD or kernel mismatch between CD and repository but afaik it hasnt managed net contact at that stage.

Any suggestions?

[mindriot]

Ok the missing kernel was a dodgy disk even though it verified ok.

Now just got the issue of the SSD, still no luck getting the partitioning to commit to it, it just wont write at all.

Doing a lot of digging and seeing some people having issues with various linux distros including Ubuntu and SSD's but not found anything useful yet.

[mindriot]

Ok the SSD is hosed, it worked before I tried installing ebox, now nothing can revive it or write to it, tried many utilities, back to Kingston it will have to go. Not overly bothered, better now than later but Im a bit bemused how a linux install process can cause such a serious failure. Perhaps its just co-incidental, better failing now than later anyway.

To do the following I have to boot in expert mode, if I try to boot in delete all disks mode I get a red screen warning no filesystem for root and it wont allow me to sort it out just repeating the warning.

Im now trying to create a softraid on the 2 disks, main partitions (set use for raid and bootable on both disks) allocated to raid1 md0 raid1 ext3  relatime and minor partitions allocated to md1 and swap space.

After this the install warns linux wont know whats going on with md0 and after writing partition info a reboot is advised. If I do a reboot I end up having to go through the whole partition set up exercise again, if I dont do a reboot the install goes ok to the end but after a reboot I hit a grub warning error and the system wont boot.

The grub error warning is "Error 2".

Getting a bit cheesed off now but determined to do this.

[mindriot]

So far so good, got round the problem, went and bought another drive and configured it for bootable root fs mount point / and set up softraid on raid 1 pair with mount point as /home.

Got it up and running now.

I would like to ask if anyone knows if its possible to set up 1 internal wifi atheros 802.11n card as wifi access point and same for a usb 802.11g bluenext wifi adapter. The bluetooth adapter didnt get detected but thats not a big issue for now.