Re: initial setup for newbies

Hello there,

I'm facing the problems quite the same as you are. Maybe we could help 
each other.

MatrixS_Master escreveu:
> Then I tried to install old Sarge (r7) and OpenSSI v1. My sources.list
> file looks like
> deb http://archive.debian.org/debian-archive/debian sarge main contrib
> deb http://archive.debian.org/debian-archive/debian-volatile/
> sarge/volatile main contrib
> security updates commented out
> in installation process.

I did a different approach: I downloaded two of the three DVD's from 
Debian Sarge and executed a offline setup.

During the setup, Sarge will try to get updates from 
security.debian.org. I had to unplug the box from the Internet (probably 
there is a better approach to avoid that, which I don't know) before 
continuing the setup.

I added both DVD's as source for packages with apt-cdrom add, but did 
NOT select a single package besides the minimal setup.

> After installing a minimal system, I tried
> # echo "deb http://deb.openssi.org/openssi-v1/ ./"
>>> /etc/apt/sources.list
> modify apt preferences
> # apt-get update
> # apt-get dist-upgrade
> # apt-get install openssi

I did the same steps here, but I had to change the sources.list from:

deb http://deb.openssi.org/v2 ./
deb-src http://deb.openssi.org/v2 ./

to:

deb http://deb.openssi.org/openssi-v1.9.6 ./
deb-src http://deb.openssi.org/openssi-v1.9.6 ./

since my box could not locate the repository with the URL given by the 
documentation.

 From the version of sources.list you had used (deb 
http://deb.openssi.org/openssi-v1/ ./) I understand that you had tried 
to use version 1.2 of OpenSSI, which looks like is not being actively 
maintained. Look like the version 1.9.6 is the one to go. But were you 
able to download the packages from OpenSSI repository without changing 
the sources.list?

I did not get a feedback about the URL's available in the documentation, 
if they are correct or not. But for me, the URL's in the don't work at all.

The last try I gave I used kernel 2.6 with Sarge during install, since 
in the previous tests (with kernel 2.4) I got some error messages like 
"kernel does not support IPVS (2.6)", but I still got some warnings  anyway.

After that, I executed:

apt-get update
apt-get dist-upgrade

I got some packages downgrade, but this is expected. But I had to 
executed apt-get update twice, since in the first time I got an error 
message saying that Release file was not available. I got it after 
executing apt-get update a second time.

> I answered to all of questions and program said that's all good. But
> after reboot new kernel not loading. Grub unpacking the kernel image and
> freezes. Kernel dead.

Which error do you get? I always get this one:

kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 
unknow-block(1,0)

Before that, my keyboard got's the CAPS-LOCK and SCROLL-LOCK leds 
flashing, which indicates some problem with the kernel to boot.

Then I checked the mailing lists archives for some help. I found some 
tips to create a new initrd image with additional modules, specially 
ext3 module. I did that, editing the configuration of initrd in /etc, 
tried again: same issue. I even mount the initrd (with -o loop option) 
and double checked if the modules of ext3 and my network cards were 
available, and they were.

A new try, I download the kernel source from OpenSSI repository and did 
a kernel compile. I used the config available in /boot to get most of 
the options already set, and changed ONLY the features below:
1 - Added ext3 and cramfs in the kernel image instead of using them as 
modules (this should avoid the need to use initrd modules)
2 - Changed the processor type to fit the processor available in my 
testing machine (a Sempron);
3 - Remove the SMP feature from the kernel, since my box is not SMP.

Finally, I used make-kpkg program to generate a Debian package of the 
new kernel. It did not generate a initrd image.

After that, I still getting the same kernel panic message (related to 
not being able to mount root fs).

Then I tried to boot with the kernel in rescue mode and got this 
additional message:

Instruction(i) breakpint #0 at 0xc011e510 (adjusted)
0xc011e510 panic_hook: int3
Entering kdb(current=0xc19a6aa0, pid 2) due to Breakpoint @0xc011e510

I don't know what I could execute in the prompt "kdb" which as opened. 
Looks like a debugging for the kernel.

> I repeat all steps in fresh system, install kernel-patch-2.4-ipvs and
> run kernel with this parameters:
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.22-1.2199.ntpl-ssi-686-smp devfs=mount
> root=/dev/hda1 ro
> Nothing changed. Kernel looks like dead or infinitely waiting for
> somewhat.

I did the same, several times. Sometimes my box hanged because of ACPI 
(which I had disable with noapic option in Grub boot loader) but now I'm 
getting a kernel panic due not locating the root fs to boot. This is the 
  error message I got from the kernel before setting noapic option:

kernel-panic - not syncing: IO-APIC+times doesn't work! Boot with 
apic=debug and send a report. Then try booting with the 'noapic' option

Does OpenSSI needs ACPI working?

> I doubt about this situation. Where is my mistake? Can I install more
> new release and where in root deb.openssi.org I can found it?
> What OS would be preferable? Maybe I need to move to Fedora Core?
> I'm VERY interesting in SSI clustering. I have 5 machines in special 1G
> private network. They used independent and this is not comfortable.

I still trying to isolate the problem, if is a error from the procedure 
I'm executing, a bug in the OpenSSI kernel or a defect in my box 
hardware (which I found difficult to be, since I can get a vanilla 
kernel working without problems).

I would be happy to execute more tests or providing more information 
about the errors.

Regards,
Alceu



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