Anaconda: i/o error during read on /dev/hda
Peter Gloor
pgloor at gmx.net
Fri Mar 25 17:02:31 UTC 2005
Jon, thanks for responding. Yes it is old HW, but as I mentioned I'm sure
the problem can be solved. But I don't know how. May be someone out there
knows.
I already tried to upgrade from SuSE 8.0 to SuSE 9.2. That seems to work, so
I will rather stick with SuSE.
I wanted to switch to Fedora, because I recently worked with Fedora Core 3
in a course and found it to be much easier to configure than SuSE, at least
when it comes to non-standard configurations.
Peter
----- Original Message -----
From: "Crisler, Jon" <JCrisler at corvis.com>
To: "For users of Fedora Core releases" <fedora-list at redhat.com>
Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 5:12 PM
Subject: RE: Anaconda: i/o error during read on /dev/hda
> Peter, that machine is over 10 years old. I think you are running into
> a problem where the Compaq BIOS is only barely able to function with
> that hard drive. Perhaps you are using a disk manager software to fake
> out the drive on the machine? Or there might be some disk management
> software still lying around altering an old Windows MBR? I actually
> spent a good portion of time looking into your problem, until I saw the
> machine in question. I used to support many hundreds of that style of
> Compaq, and they did have a lot of problems dealing with larger hard
> drives, since 250mb to 1-2gb drives were the norm for that era, IIRC.
>
> There used to be a company that would provide updated BIOS chips for
> that line, but I am sure that product is long gone.
>
> My advice would be to take the PC out onto the field and beat it with a
> baseball bat, like in the movie "Office Space". Seriously, don't waste
> your time. Go out and look for something like a 733mhz to 1 ghz Compaq,
> Dell, HP whatever, perhaps without a hard drive. You should be able to
> pick one up almost for free, or maybe $50. Transfer the HD to the
> replacement machine, and your problems are solved.
>
> Regarding the hard drive, Samsung lists a few freebees that will
> diagnose the hard drive for problems, although I doubt you have any with
> the drive itself. There is no firmware update for that drive as well.
>
> http://erms.samsungusa.com/customer/sea/jsp/faqs/faqs_view.jsp?PG_ID=1&A
> T_ID=5539&PROD_SUB_ID=26&PROD_ID=-1
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fedora-list-bounces at redhat.com
> [mailto:fedora-list-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of Peter Gloor
> Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 9:33 AM
> To: For users of Fedora Core releases
> Subject: Re: Anaconda: i/o error during read on /dev/hda
>
> Below is some information about my current (SuSE) config. Take a look at
> the
> various values concerning the drive geometry (CHS, Sects, LBA etc).
>
> Based on the fact that I had similar issues with SuSE (I've got solved
> years
> ago) I'm quite sure the problem is that Fedora (Anaconda) uses wrong
> drive
> geometry values (probably due to misleading information from the BIOS)
> and
> therefore cannot read the partition data.
>
> Remember, my problem is, how can I get started and make Fedora (or
> Anaconda
> or whatever causes the problem) using the correct drive geometry values,
> so
> it will access my disk properly.
>
> -----------------------------------
> leda:/home/peter # hdparm -iv /dev/hda
>
> /dev/hda:
> multcount = 16 (on)
> I/O support = 1 (32-bit)
> unmaskirq = 1 (on)
> using_dma = 0 (off)
> keepsettings = 0 (off)
> nowerr = 0 (off)
> readonly = 0 (off)
> readahead = 8 (on)
> geometry = 82796/15/63, sectors = 78242976, start = 0
>
> Model=SAMSUNG SV4002H, FwRev=QP100-07, SerialNo=0413J1FT515266
> Config={ HardSect NotMFM HdSw>15uSec Fixed DTR>10Mbs }
> RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=38997, SectSize=619, ECCbytes=4
> BuffType=DualPortCache, BuffSize=1945kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=16
> CurCHS=17475/15/63, CurSects=-78446341, LBA=yes, LBAsects=78242976
> IORDY=yes, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
> PIO modes: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
> DMA modes: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 *udma2
> AdvancedPM=no
> Drive Supports : fastATA-1 ATA-2 ATA-3 ATA-4 ATA-5 ATA-6
> Kernel Drive Geometry LogicalCHS=82796/15/63 PhysicalCHS=82796/15/63
>
> -----------------------------------
> leda:/home/peter # scanpci
>
> pci bus 0x0000 cardnum 0x00 function 0x00: vendor 0x1106 device 0x1595
> VIA Device unknown
>
> pci bus 0x0000 cardnum 0x02 function 0x00: vendor 0x100b device 0x0020
> NS Device unknown
>
> pci bus 0x0000 cardnum 0x04 function 0x00: vendor 0x0e11 device 0xae34
> Compaq Netellignet 10
>
> pci bus 0x0000 cardnum 0x07 function 0x00: vendor 0x1106 device 0x0586
> VIA VT 82C586 MVP3 ISA Bridge
>
> pci bus 0x0000 cardnum 0x07 function 0x01: vendor 0x1106 device 0x0571
> VIA VT 82C586 MVP3 IDE Bridge
>
> pci bus 0x0000 cardnum 0x07 function 0x02: vendor 0x1106 device 0x3038
> VIA VT 82C586 MVP3 USB Controller
>
> pci bus 0x0000 cardnum 0x07 function 0x03: vendor 0x1106 device 0x3040
> VIA VT 82C586B MVP3 ACPI Bridge
>
> pci bus 0x0000 cardnum 0x0f function 0x00: vendor 0x5333 device 0x8901
> S3 Trio64V2/DX or /GX
> leda:/etc #
>
>
> -----------------------------------
> in /etc/sysconfig/bootloader:
> -----------------------------------
> # Does the BIOS support LBA access.
> #
> LILO_LBA="yes"
> -----------------------------------
>
> -----------------------------------
> in /etc/lilo.conf:
> -----------------------------------
> boot = /dev/hda
> change-rules
> reset
> read-only
> menu-scheme = Wg:kw:Wg:Wg
> lba32
> prompt
> timeout = 80
> message = /boot/message
>
> image = /boot/vmlinuz
> label = linux
> root = /dev/hda2
> vga = 791
> initrd = /boot/initrd
> append = "ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off"
>
> image = /boot/vmlinuz.suse
> label = failsafe
> root = /dev/hda2
> vga = 791
> initrd = /boot/initrd.suse
> append = "ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off"
> optional
>
> image = /boot/memtest.bin
> label = memtest86
> -----------------------------------
>
> -----------------------------------
> in /etc/fstab:
> -----------------------------------
> /dev/hda2 / reiserfs defaults 1 2
> /dev/hda3 /data3 reiserfs defaults 1 2
> /dev/hda5 /local reiserfs defaults 1 2
> /dev/hda6 /data6 reiserfs defaults 1 2
> /dev/hda7 /netusr reiserfs defaults 1 2
> devpts /dev/pts devpts defaults 0 0
> /dev/cdrom /media/cdrom auto ro,noauto,user,exec 0 0
> /dev/fd0 /media/floppy auto noauto,user,sync 0 0
> usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb usbdevfs noauto 0 0
> proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
> /dev/hda1 swap swap pri=42 0 0
>
> -----------------------------------
>
> Isn't this fun, just like searching easter eggs?
>
> Happy Easter!
>
> Peter
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peter Gloor" <pgloor at gmx.net>
> To: <fedora-list at redhat.com>
> Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2005 10:20 PM
> Subject: Anaconda: i/o error during read on /dev/hda
>
>
>> Hello NG,
>>
>> Hmm, how to explain my problem? To make it short, I have a SuSE Linux
> 8.0
>> Professional installed on a Compaq Deskpro 2000 5166 MMX with a 40GB
> HDD
>> (Samsung SV4002H) and need to update to a newer kernel. At the same
> time I
>> wanted to switch from SuSE to Fedora Core 3.
>>
>> My HDD is devided into several partitions. One for the linux system
>> inclusive the standard packages, one for non-standard applications I
> use
>> (e.g. Lotus Domino) and one for data. Now, while keeping the data
>> partition, I simply wanted to reformat my existing linux partition and
>
>> install Fedora from scratch into the empty space I get.
>>
>> This is where the problem is. After starting from the first Fedora
> Core 3
>> CD and having selected the installation language, Anaconda pops up a
>> dialog with the message "Input/Output error during read on /dev/hda".
>> Regardless of what I'm trying to do (booting with params, rescue cd,
> etc)
>> I'm unable to reformat or recreate the partitions without loosing my
> data.
>>
>> However, even my SuSE installation has beed running for years (I
> startet
>> with SuSE Linux 6.x), I remember that I had a lot of problems with my
> 40GB
>> HDD until I reinstalled anything. When I reinstalled SuSE Linux I had
> to
>> manually change some drive geometry settings to overcome the problem
> that
>> SuSE did not properly calculate drive geometry settings (LDA/CHS etc
> ?)
>> due to a problem that the BIOS reported wrong or misleading
> information.
>> After I fixed this every thing was o.k.
>>
>> Now, I'm quite sure that Fedora has the same problem, but I don't know
> how
>> to get it fixed. I even don't remember how I did this one time action
> in
>> SuSE.
>>
>> I hope anybody has an Idea and can give me a hint how to get the
> problem
>> solved.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Peter
>>
>>
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