Can't run Live Session - What the solution could be?

[ziemowitt]

Hi Everybody,

I have problem with running Live Session of >>Mint 8<< so that I can't install Mint on my computer.
When I boot from CD the Mint logo appears for some time and what can I see is only some errors ("can't read something....") filling all screen.

I GParted before my HDD and besides XP I created ext3 twice (20GB and 200GB) and 2048MB SWAP.

Could you please try to help me?

[rich_roast]

I see is only some errors ("can't read something....") filling all screen.

This is a bit like those pa systems in airports and train systems where the speaker says "The following is super important" and then the rest echoes around as garbled much in the building such that the important message is lost.

Failing knowing what specifically can't be read, perhaps the best first step in diagnosis is to check the integrity of the install media, following instructions from the User Guide if necessary.

[gn2]

What CPU and what GPU do you have and how much RAM is installed ?

[ziemowitt]

Sorry for not being precise.
I have MSI U100 netbook, 1.6GHz Intel Atom, 2GB RAM

You could see on screen many, many lines of some blur informations like:

[ 131.033.279} SQUASHFS error: unable to read fragment cache entry

or

[ 131.033.279} end-request: I/O error, dev sr0, sector 896880 (or different numbers)

I created once more similar partitions like before and OS is installed already... i have no idea why it couldnt occur before... I defragmentated resized partition each time before using GParted.

Some conclusions, Falles?

Thanks.

[rich_roast]

Hi, sorry about the delay: this reads to me very much like bad media. Did you manage to run the integrity tests as mentioned before?

[RavanH]

Code: Select all

SQUASHFS error: unable to read ...

or

end-request: I/O error, dev sr0, sector ... 

Sadly, I am running into those same errors when trying to start the Mint 8 (32bit) Live CD on two different laptops. On a third one, there is no problem. I also checked CD integrity and MD5 checksum. No problems reported but still the CD will not start in normal mode nor in compatibility mode nor even in OEM install mode

What's going wrong here ??

--allard

[Leppie]

you could try cleaning the lenses of the cd units with compressed air.

[RavanH]

you could try cleaning the lenses of the cd units with compressed air.

Thanks for responding so fast!

I tried cleaning lenses of both laptops but no difference. Besides, the errors always start at the exact same point during the boot process... (goes to fast to see exactly what it says just before )

I also noticed an I/O error saying

Code: Select all

line 23: can't create /root/etc/hostname

which sounds to me like it cannot read/write to the hard disk too...

And errors like

Code: Select all

Add. Sense : illegal mode for this track

which make no 'Sense' to me at all

[Leppie]

Thanks for responding so fast!

you're welcome, i was just in the neighborhood

I tried cleaning lenses of both laptops but no difference. Besides, the errors always start at the exact same point during the boot process... (goes to fast to see exactly what it says just before )

I also noticed an I/O error saying

Code: Select all

line 23: can't create /root/etc/hostname

which sounds to me like it cannot read/write to the hard disk too...

did you do a memory check as well? linux kernels are very picky with memory and if bad memory is installed will generate many errors.
the livecds create a ramfs (kind of like a swap file in memory), so usually doesn't use the hard drive unless there already is a linux swap partition present on the drive.

And errors like

Code: Select all

Add. Sense : illegal mode for this track

which make no 'Sense' to me at all

to be honest, i've never seen this kind of error before...

[RavanH]

did you do a memory check as well? linux kernels are very picky with memory and if bad memory is installed will generate many errors.
the livecds create a ramfs (kind of like a swap file in memory), so usually doesn't use the hard drive unless there already is a linux swap partition present on the drive.

On one of the two laptops has 768Mb memory and I did a memory check and let it run for a loooong time. Came up with no errors what-so-ever. However, there IS a linux swap partition on the drive. Would that mean the swap partition is being used but the live CD boot process and somehow there is an I/O problem occurring there?

The other laptop has much less memory: 256Mb (even less because some of it is taken for video). I do not have it with me right now and did no memory test on it. There are no linux partitions on it (yet )... Maybe if I pre-partition the drive with a Gparted Live CD first?

[Leppie]

On one of the two laptops has 768Mb memory and I did a memory check and let it run for a loooong time. Came up with no errors what-so-ever. However, there IS a linux swap partition on the drive. Would that mean the swap partition is being used but the live CD boot process and somehow there is an I/O problem occurring there?

this might very well be the cause of the issue. try checking the swap partition for errors

The other laptop has much less memory: 256Mb (even less because some of it is taken for video). I do not have it with me right now and did no memory test on it. There are no linux partitions on it (yet )... Maybe if I pre-partition the drive with a Gparted Live CD first?

the livecd requirements are set to 512mb of ram if i'm not mistaken... in any case, i'm sure that less than 256mb is not enough. maybe the xfce version could run on this machine. http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=43

[RavanH]

this might very well be the cause of the issue. try checking the swap partition for errors

I did a check folowing these steps (I found via Google) in Xubuntu:

Code: Select all

sudo swapoff /dev/sda6
sudo mke2fs -c /dev/sda6

The test showed no bad blocks so I remounted the swap with these steps (to be complete for anyone who reads this and wants to do the same):

Code: Select all

sudo mkswap /dev/sda6
sudo swapon /dev/sda6

the livecd requirements are set to 512mb of ram if i'm not mistaken... in any case, i'm sure that less than 256mb is not enough. maybe the xfce version could run on this machine. http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=43

I know, there is definitely more mem needed there (will come) but as I understand from the Karmic requirements, I should be able to run at least the OEM installation process. Or is that not similar to the alternative installation method in Ubuntu?

[Leppie]

I know, there is definitely more mem needed there (will come) but as I understand from the Karmic requirements, I should be able to run at least the OEM installation process. Or is that not similar to the alternative installation method in Ubuntu?

AFAIK the ubuntu karmic alternate installation requires at least 256mb of ram...

[RavanH]

AFAIK the ubuntu karmic alternate installation requires at least 256mb of ram...

I realize, it would not even run nicely if it could be installed on such small memory. It will be extended soon. But I fear the errors will remain, just as they do on the second laptop with enough memory and no HD problems... I used the Live CD to install on a third laptop without problems so the disk seems perfectly in order.

Any ideas left about why these errors occur?

[Leppie]

I realize, it would not even run nicely if it could be installed on such small memory. It will be extended soon. But I fear the errors will remain, just as they do on the second laptop with enough memory and no HD problems...

difficult to say like this, maybe this laptop does have a defective optical drive...

I used the Live CD to install on a third laptop without problems so the disk seems perfectly in order.

only the md5sums and error checks would be an indication of non faulty disk

[RavanH]

difficult to say like this, maybe this laptop does have a defective optical drive...

Have had no problems with it before. Every other CD-ROM/R/R-W is read without any errors.

only the md5sums and error checks would be an indication of non faulty disk

Like I wrote before, I did both checks the first time I ran into the problem. The error check could only performed on another PC because even the integrity check routine could not be started on both of the laptops in question...

I'm lost

Think I'm going to give up on Mint flavour and stick with my regular cup of Ubuntu. Thanks for your help anyway

[Leppie]

Like I wrote before, I did both checks the first time I ran into the problem. The error check could only performed on another PC because even the integrity check routine could not be started on both of the laptops in question...

it could be either the disk or the drive. if you're sure it's not the drive, then you might want to try burning the image at a lower speed. especially older equipment doesn't like disks burned at speeds higher than 10x. here the drives calibration also plays a role.
and if you're 100% sure it's not the disk, then it's the drives that are faulty.

[RavanH]

it could be either the disk or the drive. if you're sure it's not the drive, then you might want to try burning the image at a lower speed. especially older equipment doesn't like disks burned at speeds higher than 10x. here the drives calibration also plays a role.
and if you're 100% sure it's not the disk, then it's the drives that are faulty.

Thanks Leppie, I 'll give it one more try with a fresh but slow baked disk and will report back...

[RavanH]

it could be either the disk or the drive. if you're sure it's not the drive, then you might want to try burning the image at a lower speed. especially older equipment doesn't like disks burned at speeds higher than 10x. here the drives calibration also plays a role.
and if you're 100% sure it's not the disk, then it's the drives that are faulty.

Thanks Leppie, you where right: Burning the ISO a second time at slow speed did not do the trick at first, but th errors where different so that made me give it another go and... After baking the ISO to disk the third time but now on other brand CD-R, it worked!

Real frustrating these error prone cheap CD's but now finally I get to explore Mint !