Hi Simon, I have completed an install on vm and copied it over to the cf but it stops at "loading initial ramdisk". Here is the guide I followed keeping in mind that it was for freebsd:
http://warrenguy.me/docs/freebsd-soekris-net5501.html I'm not sure as to what I need to tweak to get the system to actually load the initial ramdisk. Any ideas. Blake On 11-03-11 06:17 AM, [email protected] wrote: > Hi Blake, > > I have installed various distros on a soekris hardware and it can be a > challenge at times. Apart from redirecting the console in the boot loader > and on the kernel image listed in the PXE config file it should work ok. > Getting an install working over netboot can be a challenge. The method I use > normally is to build a VM image (vmware/virtualbox etc), install/tune the > image and then DD the disk/partition across to the flash card or HD in the > soekris. If you create the disk within the VM the same size as the flash > card and partition it the same way then the transfer is very easy. This also > makes installing multiple OS versions simpler as you don't compromise a > working system. > > > The following was developed from testing with various soekris models, CF > types and linux distros. This only seems to affect some CF devices, others > work without any changes. I tested devices from Sandisk, Transcend and > others, even amongst the same vendor different size devices used behaved > differently. > > > One area that does cause problems in booting is related to flash cards. The > CF is mapped as secondary IDE device, if you have no HD installed then the > BIOS remaps the device as a primary. Some flash card controllers seem to > initialise late, the BIOS comes up before the device does. The practical > consequence I've observed is behaviour such as the following: > > --- > Observation: The first time you boot it doesn't load the kernel, you reboot > (soft) the soekris then it loads > > Cause: Certain flash card controllers do not like to be addressed as a > secondary IDE device when no primary is connected (scenario only CF is used, > no HD). The internal controller on the CF eventually figures no primary > exists and activiates but this timeout is internal to the CF and only when > it finishes initialising is it visible to the system. This timeout takes > longer than most BIOS or kernel drivers will wait, a soft boot works as the > device is ready when the BIOS goes through its detection routine. > > Verification: connect a HD to the system; it will boot more or less > immediately. Alternatively change the soekris BIOS flash setting to > secondary and change the boot loader reference hdb/sdb (grub use hd1 instead > of hd0 or change device.map). You can also look at the BIOS boot message; > what is the CF mapped as, primary or secondary, if secondary and the flash > setting in the BIOS is primary then this maybe your problem. > > --- > Observation: The kernel appears to freeze during loading and/or it takes a > long time before it moves on from the initrd image and before you see output > on the console (longest was 10 minutes in my testing) > > Verification: turn on debugging when you load the initrd, you see it pause > when loading modules. Alternarve try the safe boot option for the distro. > > Cause: Either a hardware module is freezing the kernel or, the IDE driver is > waiting for thr primary IDE to timeout before continuing. > > --- > > > The solution that worked consistenly for me was as follows: > > - in the BIOS change the flash preference to secondary (default) > - change the BIOS boot order to 81 80 F0 F0 > - in the PXE config set the root device to be hdb or sdb instead of hda/sda > - On the lilo/grub config on the device set the root device to be hdb > instead of hda > - in /etc/fstab in the main filesystem make sure all references are to hdb > or sdb > > Note: if this resolves the issuer and you develop using a VM you will need > to define two disk images; the first can be very small and is not used, it's > only purpose is to make the main disk hdb/sdb. You install your system on > the the second disk. If you don't want to do this then after you copy the > VM disk to the CF you will have to change hd1->hd0 and hdb/sdb to hda/sda. > > Hope this helps. > > Simon > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Blake Hodder > Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 20:17 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Soekris] net4521 install squeeze > > Hi, > > Does anyone have any experience installing debian on a soekris net4521. > We have a net4511 in the office that we already succeed on installing Lenny > on but I cannot get squeeze or lenny to install on the net4521. I am > attempting to install it via netboot and serial console. The install will > get to loading the kernel but once the kernel is loaded it freezes at a > blank screen. Can anyone make any sugestions? > > -- _______________________________________________ Soekris-tech mailing list [email protected] http://lists.soekris.com/mailman/listinfo/soekris-tech
