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78 Resolving Other Installation Problems The most likely cause of a signal 11 error during installation is a hardware error related to memory or the cache associated with the CPU (microprocessor). Signal 11, also known as SIGSEGV (short for Segment Violation Signal), can occur in other Linux applications. A segment violation occurs when a process tries to access a memory location that it s not supposed to access. The operating system catches the problem before it happens and stops the offending process by sending it a signal 11. When that happens during installation, it means the installer made an error while accessing memory, and the most likely reason is some hardware problem. A commonly suggested cure for the signal 11 problem is to turn off the CPU cache in the BIOS. To do so, you have to enter SETUP while the PC boots (by pressing a function key such as F2) and then turn off the CPU cache from the BIOS setup menu. If the problem is due to a hardware error in memory (in other words, the result of bad memory chips), you could try swapping the memory modules around in their slots. You may also consider replacing an existing memory module with another memory module, if you have one handy. You can read more about the signal 11 problem at www.bitwizard.nl/sig11. Using Linux kernel boot options When you boot the PC for Linux installation, either from the DVD or the first CD-ROM, you get a text screen with the boot: prompt. Typically, you press Enter at that prompt or do nothing and the installation begins shortly. You can, however, specify quite a variety of options at the boot: prompt. The options control various aspects of the Linux kernel startup, such as disabling support for troublesome hardware or starting the X server using a specific X driver module. Some of these boot options can be helpful in bypassing problems that you may encounter during installation. To use these boot options, typically you type linux followed by the boot options. For example, to perform text mode installation and tell the kernel that your PC has 256MB of memory, you type the following at the boot: prompt: linux text mem=256M Consult Table 3-3 for a brief summary of some of the Linux boot options. You can use these commands to turn certain features on or off. Although I mention these Linux kernel boot commands in the context of troubleshooting installation problems, you can use many of these commands anytime you boot a PC with any Linux distribution and you want to turn specific features on or off.
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Book I Chapter 3 Troubleshooting and Configuring Linux Resolving Other Installation Problems 77 Boot Command What It Does knoppix nowheel Forces PS/2 protocol for a PS/2 mouse or touchpad (as opposed mouse to being detected automatically). knoppix noXXX Causes Knoppix to skip specific parts of the hardware detection (where XXX identifies the hardware or server that should not be probed: apic = Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller, agp = Accelerated Graphics Port, apm = Advanced Power Management, audio = sound card, ddc = Display Data Channel, dhcp = Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, fstab = file system table, firewire = IEEE 1394 high-speed serial bus, pcmcia = PC Card, scsi = Small Computer System Interface, swap = hard drive space used for virtual memory, usb = Universal Serial Bus). knoppix pci=bios Uses BIOS directly for bad PCI controllers. knoppix pnpbios= Skips the plug-and-play (PnP) BIOS initialization. off knoppix screen= Sets screen resolution to 1280 x 1024 pixels (enter whatever 1280×1024 resolution you want, such as 1024×768, 800×600, 640×480, and so on). knoppix testcd Checks the data integrity of the Live CD by using the MD5 sum. knoppix tohd= Copies the Live CD to the specified hard drive partition and runs /dev/hda1 from there. knoppix toram Copies the Live CD to RAM (memory) and runs from there. knoppix vga=ext Uses 50-line text mode display. knoppix vsync=60 Uses a vertical refresh rate of 60 Hz for X (enter the vertical refresh rate you want X to use). knoppix wheelmouse Enables the IMPS/2 protocol for wheel mice. knoppix xmodule= Causes the X server to load the module specified by modname modname so that X works on your video card (modname can be one of ati, fbdev, 810, mga, nv, radeon, savage, or s3). knoppix xserver= Starts the X server specified by progname (can be one of progname XFree86 or XF86_SVGA). When you have multiple Knoppix boot commands, simply combine them into a single line. For example, to specify that you want to skip the SCSI auto detection, use the U.S. keyboard, a wheelmouse, and require the X server to load the nv module, you would enter the following at the boot: prompt: knoppix noscsi lang=us wheelmouse xmodule=nv The fatal signal 11 error Some people get a fatal signal 11 error message during installation and it stops the process cold. This error usually happens past the initial boot screen as the anaconda installer is starting its GUI or text interface.
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76 Resolving Other Installation Problems Table 3-2 Some Common Knoppix Boot Commands Boot Command What It Does expert Starts in expert mode, which enables the user to interactively set up and configure Knoppix. failsafe Boots without attempting to detect hardware (except for the bare minimum needed to start Linux). fb1280×1024 Uses fixed framebuffer graphics at the specified resolution (specify the resolution you want such as 1024×768, 800×600, and so on). knoppix 1 Starts Knoppix in run level 1 (single-user mode), which can be used to perform rescue operations. knoppix 2 Starts at run level 2, which provides a text mode shell prompt only. knoppix acpi=off Disables ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) completely. knoppix atapicd Uses the ATAPI CD-ROM interface instead of emulating a SCSI interface for IDE CD-ROM drives. knoppix desktop= Uses the specified Window Manager instead of the default KDE wmname (wmname can be one of: fluxbox, icewm, kde, larswm, twm, wmaker, or xfce). knoppix dma Enables direct memory access (DMA) for all IDE drives. knoppix floppy Runs the shell script named knoppix.sh from a floppy (the config shell script contains Linux commands that you want to run). knoppix fromhd= Boots from a previously copied image of Live CD that s in the /dev/hda1 specified hard drive partition. knoppix hsync=80 Uses a 80 kHz horizontal refresh rate for X (enter the horizontal refresh rate you want X to use). knoppix lang=XX Sets the keyboard language as specified by the two-letter code XX (use one of the following for XX: cn = Simplified Chinese, de = German, da = Danish, es = Spanish, fr = French, it = Italian, nl = Dutch, pl = Polish, ru = Russian, sk = Slovak, tr = Turkish, tw = Traditional Chinese, or us = U.S. English). knoppix mem=256M Specifies that the PC has the stated amount of memory (in megabytes). knoppix myconf= Runs shell script knoppix.sh from the /dev/hda1 partition /dev/hda1 (enter the partition name where you have the knoppix.sh file). knoppix myconf= Causes Knoppix to search for the file named knoppix.sh and scan execute the commands in that file, if any. knoppix noeject Does not eject the Live CD after you halt Knoppix. knoppix noprompt Does not prompt to remove the Live CD after you halt Knoppix.
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Book I Chapter 3 Troubleshooting and Configuring Linux Resolving Other Installation Problems 75 4. Press Ctrl+Alt+Backspace to kill the X server. 5. Copy the new configuration file to the /etc/X11 directory with the following command (on Fedora Core systems, change the filename to xorg.conf.new): cp //XF86Config.new /etc/X11/XF86Config You now have a working X configuration file. 6. Reboot the PC by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del or typing reboot. If all goes well, you go through the normal Fedora Core initial setup screens and (finally) get the graphical login screen. The X configuration file created by using the -configure option of the X server does not display at the best resolution possible. To fine-tune the configuration file, you have to run a utility to adjust the display settings after you reboot the system. The exact utility depends on your Linux distribution, but most distributions include a utility that enables you to configure the video card, monitor, and display settings through a graphical user interface. Resolving Other Installation Problems I m sure I haven t exhausted all the installation problems that are lurking out there. Nobody can. There are so many different combinations of components in Intel x86 PCs that Murphy s Law practically requires some combination of hardware to exist that the installation program can t handle. This section lists a few known problems. For others, I advise you to go to Google Groups (groups.google.com) and type in some of the symptoms of the trouble. Assuming that others are running into similar problems, you can get some indication of how to troubleshoot your way out of your particular predicament. Using Knoppix boot commands The Knoppix Live CD can be a great troubleshooting tool because Knoppix is good at detecting hardware and you can run it directly from the CD. Of course, sometimes you may have trouble getting Knoppix itself started. If that happens, you can try entering Knoppix boot commands at the boot: prompt that appears after you boot your PC from the Knoppix Live CD. For example, if Knoppix seems to hang when trying to detect a SCSI card, you can disable SCSI probing by typing knoppix noscsi at the boot: prompt. Or, if you want the X server to load the nv module (for graphics cards based on the NVIDIA chipset), you can type knoppix xmodule=nv at the boot: prompt. Table 3-2 lists some common Knoppix boot commands.
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74 Troubleshooting X seem to hang with a gray screen. If this problem happens to you, here s how you can troubleshoot the problem: 1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to reboot the PC. The PC starts to boot and you get to a screen where the GRUB boot loader prompts you for the operating system to boot. (If you are using LILO, you get a text prompt.) 2. For GRUB, press the A key to add an option for use by the Linux kernel. For LILO, skip this step. The GRUB boot loader then displays a command line for the Linux kernel and prompts you to add what you want. 3. For GRUB, type a space followed by the word single and then press Enter. For LILO, type linux single and press Enter. The Linux kernel boots in a single-user mode and displays a prompt that looks like the following: sh-2.05b# Now you re ready to configure X. X uses a configuration file depending on your distribution the file is called XF86Config, XF86Config-4, or xorg.conf to figure out the type of display card, monitor, and the kind of screen resolution you want. The Linux installer prepares the configuration file, but sometimes the configuration isn t correct. To quickly create a working configuration file, follow these steps: 1. Type the following command: X -configure This causes the X server to run and create a configuration file. The screen goes blank and then the X server exits after displaying some messages. The last line of the message says the following in Fedora Core: To test the server, run X -xf86config //xorg.conf.new 2. On Fedora Core, use a text editor such as vi to edit the //xorg.conf. new file and change /dev/mouse to /dev/input/mice. 3. On Debian, SUSE, and Xandros, try the new configuration file by typing X -xf86config //XF86Config.new. On Fedora Core, try the new configuration file by typing X -xf86config //xorg.conf.new. If you see a blank screen with an X-shaped cursor, the configuration file is working fine.
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Book I Chapter 3 Troubleshooting and Configuring Linux Troubleshooting X 73 Another sign of undetected hardware is when the installation program skips a step. For example, if the Linux kernel does not detect the network card, the installation program skips the network configuration step. To manually install devices, follow these steps: 1. Type linux noprobe at the boot: prompt in the initial text screen. The installer then displays a dialog box that shows you the devices that are detected and gives you the opportunity to add other devices. 2. Press Tab to highlight the Add Device button, and then press Enter. The installer displays a dialog box that prompts you for the type of device SCSI or Network. 3. If you have any SCSI device, such as a SCSI hard drive, select SCSI and press Enter. The installer displays a list of SCSI controllers. When you select the one on your system and press Enter, the installer then loads the appropriate driver module. The SCSI driver automatically probes and determines the SCSI controller s settings. After you add any SCSI controllers, you re back at the initial dialog box and from there you can add network cards. 4. If you select Network from the list and press Enter, the installation program displays a list of network cards from which you can select your network card. When you press Enter, the installation program loads the driver module for the selected network card. That driver then probes and determines the network card settings. 5. [Optional] If you need a Linux device driver that does not come with Fedora Core, try checking the vendor s Web site or using a search engine (such as Google www.google.com) to find a Linux driver. Many hardware vendors provide Linux device drivers for download, just as they do Windows drivers. After you finish adding the SCSI controllers and network cards, the installer switches to graphics mode and guides you through the rest of the installation. Troubleshooting X I had this problem on an older PC every time I installed Linux: During installation, the GUI installation worked fine but when I rebooted the PC for the first time after installation, the graphical login screen would not appear. Instead, I would end up with a text login screen or the boot process might
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72 Disabling Hardware Probing in Fedora does not start. If for this reason or any other reason the installer fails to start X, you can always fall back on a text mode installation. Then you can specify the video card manually or configure X later on by using a separate configuration program. You can also configure X by editing its text configuration file. Table 3-1 lists how you can get to the text mode installation from the initial installer screen for the Linux distributions included in this book s DVD. Typically, the text mode installation sequence is similar to that of the graphical installation that I outline in Chapter 2 of this minibook. You respond to the prompts and perform the installation. Table 3-1 Text Mode Installation in Some Linux Distributions Distribution How to Get to Text Mode Installer Debian The Debian installer works in text mode. Fedora Core Type text at the boot: prompt after you start the PC from the Fedora Core CD or DVD. Knoppix Start Knoppix in text mode by typing knoppix 2 at the boot: prompt (because Knoppix is a Live CD distribution, you do not have to install it). SUSE In the first installation screen, press F2, and then use the arrow keys to select the text mode option and press Enter. Xandros Hold down the Shift key while booting the CD and select Rescue Console. When the bash-2.05a# prompt appears, type quick_install and follow the instructions. Disabling Hardware Probing in Fedora Linux installers try to detect hardware in your PC by a method known as hardware probing, which involves accessing the hardware. Sometimes the probing causes the installation to hang or the probing fails to detect the hardware. If problems occur with hardware probing, you can disable probing. If the Fedora Core installer does not detect the SCSI controller or network card, you can specify these devices manually by typing linux noprobe at the boot: prompt. To see whether the installer detected the hardware, look for any indication of SCSI or network devices in the messages the Linux kernel displays as it boots. To view these messages during installation, press Ctrl+Alt+F4. The display switches to a virtual console in text mode on which the messages appear. (A virtual console is a screen of text or graphical information stored in memory that you can view on the physical screen by pressing a specific key sequence.)
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Chapter 3: Troubleshooting and Configuring Linux In This Chapter Troubleshooting the installation Configuring the X Window System Setting up printers Managing DVDs and CD-ROMs Installing additional software packages During the installation of Linux, the installer attempts to detect key hardware components, such as the SCSI controller and network card. According to what it detects, the installer takes you through a sequence of installation steps. For example, if the installer cannot detect the network card, it skips the network configuration step. This is perfectly okay if you don t in fact have a network card, but if you do have one and the installer mistakenly insists that you don t, you have an installation problem on your hands. Another installation problem that might crop up occurs when you restart the PC and, instead of a graphical login screen, you get a text terminal which means something is wrong with the X Window System (or X) configuration. Also, typically the Linux installation doesn t include configuration procedures for every piece of hardware in your PC system. For example, most installations do not set up printers during installation. In this chapter, I show you some ways to troubleshoot installation problems. I show you how to configure X to get started with a GUI screen and how to configure a printer. You may also have to install additional software packages from the companion DVD-ROM. I show you how to install packages in different formats such as the Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) and Debian package the two formats in which most Linux software is distributed. Using Text Mode Installation Most Linux installers attempt to use the X Window System (X) to display the graphical installation screens. If the installer fails to detect a video card, X
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70 Installing Xandros Desktop Review the information carefully and click Back to correct any errors. When you are sure that the selections are acceptable, click Finish. The installer finishes installing Xandros and prompts you to create rescue disk. Insert a blank formatted floppy and follow the instructions to complete this final step. You need the rescue disk to start Xandros in case you have any problem booting Xandros from the hard drive. Congratulations! You can now reboot your PC and start using Xandros Desktop. Figure 2-22: Installation summary for custom install.
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Book I Chapter 2 Installing Linux Installing Xandros Desktop 69 as shown in Figure 2-21. A check box shows that the installer will load the boot manager on the master boot record of the first IDE hard drive. Note that the Xandros installer uses the ReiserFS file system for the disk partition. Other file system choices are Ext2 or Ext3. You can go with the default choice of ReiserFS. After reviewing the disk configuration, click Next to continue. The installer displays the network configuration. The default is to dynamically configure the Ethernet card, which means that DHCP is used to obtain the IP addresses of the network interface and the name servers. If this works for your network, click Next. Otherwise, you have to click Edit and enter a static IP address for the network. You can also choose not to configure the network. Click Next after completing the network configuration step. The installer prompts for the root user password. You can also enter a computer name. After you click Next to continue, the installer displays the User Account Configuration screen, where you can define multiple user accounts. For each user account, click Add and then enter the required information. After you are done adding user accounts, click Next. The installer displays the installation summary screen (see Figure 2-22). Figure 2-21: Xandros installer displays the disk configuration.
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