Minix 3.1.2 boot from LiveCD

[xwb]

I'm having problems booting Minix 3.1.2 from a LiveCD. It boots on some machines but not on others.

With this particular machine (Compaq 2330 with 16Mb ram), it boots half way and then stops. Is there a way of getting minix to print out more diagnostics so I can figure out what is going on?

 

[elsenorjose]

16MB of RAM?

I'd doubt even the most lightweight distro would load on a system with only 16MB of RAM. It's likely the machine simply cannot handle loading the OS.

What are the specs for the other machines? The ones you CAN boot on.

 

[xwb]

It is supposed to be able to boot on 8Mb!

223MHz Compaq desktop 16Mb CD reader
Fail - stops halfway through booting. Works with Win95/98/NT/FreeDOS CDs. Same problem regardless of whether the 16Mb system or 8Mb system is specified.

160MHz Fujitsu laptop 64Mb CD reader
OK

466MHz Gateway 256Mb DVD reader
Fail - can't even read the CD. Works with music CDs, Linux CDs, Windows CDs and play movies

1.6GHz Phillips laptop 512Mb DVD rewriter
OK

400MHz Dell laptop 256Mb CD reader
OK. I've got 2 of these and it is OK on both

1GHz Compaq desktop 512Mb Combo
OK. I've got 2 of these and it is OK on both

I've cleaned the CD heads on both the failing machines but it is still not going. I've got 2 more machines to try but both of them have broken CD drives. I'd really like to put it on the 223MHz machine. Failing that, I'll leave it on FreeDOS. I can stick on more RAM if RAM is the problem but I don't think it is. Got lots of old RAM chips. I'm just wondering if it is something to do with the chipset. At this point diagnostics would be great. Would be nice if I could print out more info.

The other experiment I'd like to try is putting it on a machine without a CD.

 

[geirendre]

Have you checked the MINIX 3 - Documentation?

http://www.minix3.org/doc/

and the Installing MINIX pdf?

http://www.minix3.org/doc/A-312.pdf

Theres also a mailing list:

http://news.gmane.org/gmane.os.minix.general

I'v installed Minix3 on an 16Mb system myself,
so that shouldn't be the problem.
Rather some hardware issue I think.

 

[xwb]

The boot documentation takes you all over the place but just assumes it works. It tells you what to do once the system is booted. Doesn't tell you what to do if the system does not boot. There is no trouble shooting guide as such.

The installation guide is the same. It doesn't tell you what to do if it doesn't work.

The FAQ is all about MINIX like when was it born and who is its next of kin. Lots from the MINIX appreciation society saying how brilliant it is. Nothing relevant to troubleshooting.

I had a look at the forum. Looks complicated compared to TT. I've posted a question anyway. Will let you know if I get any suitable answers.

 

[DonQuichote]

Did you try to:
- investigate the bios settings for memory options
- upgrade the bios?

I had a system that could not even boot from CD, until I flashed the bios.

 

[xwb]

I've checked the Compaq site - there aren't any BIOS upgrades for that model. It will boot off the CD. It just gets stuck after a while. It will boot fine from a whole bunch of CD: just not the minix one.

I'm just wondering if it will tell me what it is stuck on so I can either bin the machine or replace the failed component or change the driver for it.

 

[xwb]

Think I've figured out what's happening. Halfway through booting up, the colour has changed from white on black to black on black. It is booting up and I can log in as root. I just can't see what I'm typing.

Just wondering whether this is monitor related.

 

[LawnBoy]

Or video card... Way back in the day Compaq engineered "tricks" into their proprietary video cards.


"We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." - Sherlock Holmes