s390 Etch install problem

[GaryR]

I have purchased the Etch s390 DVD's and am having a problem with the
installer. Below are the last few lines of what I am getting:


RAMDISK: Compressed image found at block 0
No filesystem could mount root, tried: ext3 ext2 cramfs
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-
block(1,0)
HCPGIR450W CP entered; disabled wait PSW 000A0000 802ECCE0



I downloaded a Sarge kernel and initrd, and I get all the way into the
first install prompt, so I know my setup at the VM level is fine.


Here are the specifics of my environment:
Z/890-120 processor
z/VM 5.1 0501

I've tried several items in Parmfile with same results.

I need to upgrade my old Marist distribution because going to a new
Active Directory broke the Samba that was running.


Thanks.

[Bastian Blank]

Post by GaryR
I have purchased the Etch s390 DVD's and am having a problem with the
installer.

Which DVD's? Installation from optical media should work but is mostly
untested.

Post by GaryR
RAMDISK: Compressed image found at block 0
No filesystem could mount root, tried: ext3 ext2 cramfs
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-
block(1,0)
HCPGIR450W CP entered; disabled wait PSW 000A0000 802ECCE0

The kernel missinterprets the initrd image. The s390 etch installer uses
an initramfs, which is handled different. Please show the complete log.

Usualy you can take the images from
http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/dists/etch/main/installer-s390/current/images/generic/.

Bastian

[GaryR]

Post by Bastian Blank

Post by GaryR
I have purchased the Etch s390 DVD's and am having a problem with the
installer.

Which DVD's? Installation from optical media should work but is mostly
untested.

Post by GaryR
RAMDISK: Compressed image found at block 0
No filesystem could mount root, tried: ext3 ext2 cramfs
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-
block(1,0)
HCPGIR450W CP entered; disabled wait PSW 000A0000 802ECCE0

The kernel missinterprets the initrd image. The s390 etch installer uses
an initramfs, which is handled different. Please show the complete log.
Usualy you can take the images fromhttp://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/dists/etch/main/installer-s390/curren....
Bastian
--
Vulcans never bluff.
-- Spock, "The Doomsday Machine", stardate 4202.1
--

Thanks for the response.

Debian provides the installer, which is an initrd image, kernel and
parmfile. Are you saying what Debian releases on DVD (that I
purchased) will not work?

Below is the log:

Linux version 2.6.18-5-s390 (Debian 2.6.18.dfsg.1-13)
(***@debian.org) (gcc ve
rsion 4.1.2 20061115 (prerelease) (Debian 4.1.1-21)) #1 SMP Fri Jun 1
00:28:42 U
TC
2007
We are running under VM (31 bit
mode)
This machine has an IEEE
fpu
Detected 1
CPU's
Boot cpu address


0
Built 1 zonelists. Total pages:
262144
Kernel command line: root=/dev/ram0 ip=off ro debian-installer/
locale=C
PID hash table entries: 4096 (order: 12, 16384
bytes)
Dentry cache hash table entries: 131072 (order: 7, 524288
bytes)
Inode-cache hash table entries: 65536 (order: 6, 262144
bytes)
Memory: 1032448k/1048576k available (2192k kernel code, 0k reserved,
788k data,
100k
init)
Write protected kernel read-only data: 0x226000 -
0x299fff
Security Framework v1.0.0
initialized
SELinux: Disabled at
boot.
Capability LSM
initialized
Mount-cache hash table entries:
512
cpu 0 phys_idx=0 vers=FF ident=0589DE machine=2086
unused=8000
Brought up 1
CPUs
migration_cost=1000
checking if image is initramfs...it isn't (bad gzip magic numbers);
looks like a
n
initrd
Freeing initrd memory: 2451k
freed
NET: Registered protocol family
16
debug: Initialization
complete
cio: Channel measurements not available,
continuing.
NET: Registered protocol family
2
IP route cache hash table entries: 32768 (order: 5, 131072
bytes)
TCP established hash table entries: 131072 (order: 8, 1572864
bytes)
TCP bind hash table entries: 65536 (order: 7, 524288
bytes)
TCP: Hash tables configured (established 131072 bind
65536)
TCP reno
registered
audit: initializing netlink socket
(disabled)
audit(1189196497.091:1):
initialized
VFS: Disk quotas
dquot_6.5.1
Dquot-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order 0, 4096
bytes)
Initializing Cryptographic
API
io scheduler noop
registered
io scheduler anticipatory
registered
io scheduler deadline
registered
io scheduler cfq registered
(default)
RAMDISK driver initialized: 16 RAM disks of 24576K size 1024 blocksize
Channel measurement facility using extended format
(autodetected)
qdio: loading QDIO base support version
2
TCP bic
registered
NET: Registered protocol family
1
NET: Registered protocol family
10
lo: Disabled Privacy
Extensions
IPv6 over IPv4 tunneling
driver
NET: Registered protocol family
17
RAMDISK: Compressed image found at block


0
No filesystem could mount root, tried: ext3 ext2
cramfs
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-
block(1,0)
HCPGIR450W CP entered; disabled wait PSW 000A0000 802ECCE0

[Bastian Blank]

Post by GaryR
Kernel command line: root=/dev/ram0 ip=off ro debian-installer/
locale=C

This is wrong. Neither root= nor ip= is listed in the supplied parmfile.
The content is:
| ro debian-installer/locale=C

Post by GaryR
checking if image is initramfs...it isn't (bad gzip magic numbers);

Your initrd file is broken.

Bastian

[GaryR]

Post by Bastian Blank

Post by GaryR
Kernel command line: root=/dev/ram0 ip=off ro debian-installer/
locale=C

This is wrong. Neither root= nor ip= is listed in the supplied parmfile.
| ro debian-installer/locale=C

Post by GaryR
checking if image is initramfs...it isn't (bad gzip magic numbers);

Your initrd file is broken.
Bastian
--
Those who hate and fight must stop themselves -- otherwise it is not stopped.
-- Spock, "Day of the Dove", stardate unknown
--

Initrd is supplied by Debian, but it is broken, but I can't use an
initrd, but must use an initramfs?! I've tried downloading initrd's
from several different ftp sites with same result. Also, I started
out with the default parmfile and no go. In fact, anything I put into
parmfile gives same result. Where can I get a proper initramfs? Or,
how can I get this booted?

[GaryR]

Post by GaryR

Post by Bastian Blank

Post by GaryR
Kernel command line: root=/dev/ram0 ip=off ro debian-installer/
locale=C

This is wrong. Neither root= nor ip= is listed in the supplied parmfile.
| ro debian-installer/locale=C

Post by GaryR
checking if image is initramfs...it isn't (bad gzip magic numbers);

Your initrd file is broken.
Bastian
--
Those who hate and fight must stop themselves -- otherwise it is not stopped.
-- Spock, "Day of the Dove", stardate unknown
--

Initrd is supplied by Debian, but it is broken, but I can't use an
initrd, but must use an initramfs?! I've tried downloading initrd's
from several different ftp sites with same result. Also, I started
out with the default parmfile and no go. In fact, anything I put into
parmfile gives same result. Where can I get a proper initramfs? Or,
how can I get this booted?
--
- Show quoted text -

Well, unless someone comes to my rescue, I think I am officially
giving up on getting Debian up and running on s390. I cam across a
poster mentioning there are "depressing little Debian s390"
developers. I understand this now. I also understand free software
comes alot from free time of individuals, but what I have a problem
with is those that are making profits from selling CD's with broken
installers. I downloaded the (also "free") CentOS and it booted right
away. Should have did this a week ago.

[Adam Thornton]

Post by GaryR
Well, unless someone comes to my rescue, I think I am officially
giving up on getting Debian up and running on s390. I cam across a
poster mentioning there are "depressing little Debian s390"
developers. I understand this now. I also understand free software
comes alot from free time of individuals, but what I have a problem
with is those that are making profits from selling CD's with broken
installers. I downloaded the (also "free") CentOS and it booted right
away. Should have did this a week ago.

I tried coming to your rescue in private; you apparently did not read
my message. I'll repeat it.

You mentioned you're running under z/VM.

Get your kernel image, your parmfile, and your initrd (download them
binary, recfm F, lrecl 80) and put them in your reader in that order,
with nothing else in your reader, and IPL from the reader. Do a
search for DEBIAN EXEC, which is a little bit of Rexx that automates
this process, if you like.

That's all there is to it. The procedure is the same as it's always
been for Linux on S/390.

Adam

[GaryR]

Post by Adam Thornton

Post by GaryR
Well, unless someone comes to my rescue, I think I am officially
giving up on getting Debian up and running on s390. I cam across a
poster mentioning there are "depressing little Debian s390"
developers. I understand this now. I also understand free software
comes alot from free time of individuals, but what I have a problem
with is those that are making profits from selling CD's with broken
installers. I downloaded the (also "free") CentOS and it booted right
away. Should have did this a week ago.

I tried coming to your rescue in private; you apparently did not read
my message. I'll repeat it.
You mentioned you're running under z/VM.
Get your kernel image, your parmfile, and your initrd (download them
binary, recfm F, lrecl 80) and put them in your reader in that order,
with nothing else in your reader, and IPL from the reader. Do a
search for DEBIAN EXEC, which is a little bit of Rexx that automates
this process, if you like.
That's all there is to it. The procedure is the same as it's always
been for Linux on S/390.
Adam
--

Thanks Adam. I think your response got lost amongst alot of spam. I
am (thankfully) a little further along than this. I am completely
familiar with the z/VM initrd boot process. I am currently running
the 1st Marist build from 2001 in Production. So, the problem is in
the kernel that is distributed on the DVD. I have also downloaded the
s390 .iso from a Debian mirror hoping that it was a newer build, but
no go. Is anyone else having this issue? They must be if they're
using the binary's.

[Adam Thornton]

Post by GaryR
Thanks Adam. I think your response got lost amongst alot of spam. I
am (thankfully) a little further along than this. I am completely
familiar with the z/VM initrd boot process. I am currently running
the 1st Marist build from 2001 in Production. So, the problem is in
the kernel that is distributed on the DVD. I have also downloaded the
s390 .iso from a Debian mirror hoping that it was a newer build, but
no go. Is anyone else having this issue? They must be if they're
using the binary's.

I have used the images from the DVD ISO successfully (the one you get
directly from Debian; I can't speak to any third party ISOs except
our own), many times. In fact, often enough that we've built our own
installation server product around them (probably pricey for what you
want to do; it's intended to be a preconfigured server for an
installation repository--very handy for large z/VM sites running tens
or hundreds of images, as it keeps you from having to go to the WAN
for installation, and if you configure the proxy server, you can
download fixes once only and only open up WAN access to your
installation server. Less useful if you're running one or two
images, though).

Are you sure you have the images all downloaded as binary F 80?

Adam

[GaryR]

Post by Adam Thornton

Post by GaryR
Thanks Adam. I think your response got lost amongst alot of spam. I
am (thankfully) a little further along than this. I am completely
familiar with the z/VM initrd boot process. I am currently running
the 1st Marist build from 2001 in Production. So, the problem is in
the kernel that is distributed on the DVD. I have also downloaded the
s390 .iso from a Debian mirror hoping that it was a newer build, but
no go. Is anyone else having this issue? They must be if they're
using the binary's.

I have used the images from the DVD ISO successfully (the one you get
directly from Debian; I can't speak to any third party ISOs except
our own), many times. In fact, often enough that we've built our own
installation server product around them (probably pricey for what you
want to do; it's intended to be a preconfigured server for an
installation repository--very handy for large z/VM sites running tens
or hundreds of images, as it keeps you from having to go to the WAN
for installation, and if you configure the proxy server, you can
download fixes once only and only open up WAN access to your
installation server. Less useful if you're running one or two
images, though).
Are you sure you have the images all downloaded as binary F 80?
Adam
--

Yup. Binary Fixed 80. Probably what worked for you in the past was a
version other than Etch. I downloaded Sarge and it boots just fine.
Sarge would work fine for what I am doing. From what I see, there are
no iso's for it but only Jigdo files. I tried loading Jigdo but it
was painfully slow.

[Adam Thornton]

Post by GaryR
Yup. Binary Fixed 80. Probably what worked for you in the past was a
version other than Etch. I downloaded Sarge and it boots just fine.
Sarge would work fine for what I am doing. From what I see, there are
no iso's for it but only Jigdo files. I tried loading Jigdo but it
was painfully slow.

Nope. We distribute Etch with the installer.

But I think you are right about the lack of ISO: I seem to remember
that I assembled my repository using debian-mirror rather than from
an ISO image this time around.

So, anyway: try grabbing the three IPL files (plus DEBIAN EXEC) from:

http://ftp.egr.msu.edu/debian/dists/etch/main/installer-s390/current/
images/generic/

and see how that works for you

If those fail, then something is very bizarrely wrong.

Adam

[GaryR]

Post by Adam Thornton

Post by GaryR
Yup. Binary Fixed 80. Probably what worked for you in the past was a
version other than Etch. I downloaded Sarge and it boots just fine.
Sarge would work fine for what I am doing. From what I see, there are
no iso's for it but only Jigdo files. I tried loading Jigdo but it
was painfully slow.

Nope. We distribute Etch with the installer.
But I think you are right about the lack of ISO: I seem to remember
that I assembled my repository using debian-mirror rather than from
an ISO image this time around.
http://ftp.egr.msu.edu/debian/dists/etch/main/installer-s390/current/
images/generic/
and see how that works for you
If those fail, then something is very bizarrely wrong.
Adam
--

Well, something IS bizarrely wrong. I get the same error. Is there
something wrong with the disk I have allocated for root? It is a
minidisk of 1000 cylinders on a real 3390 Mod 3. I CMS formatted it,
and did a "RESERVE LNX200 MDISK B" on it. Something else I need to
put into parmfile?

Even booting the CentOS, I get the "checking if image is
initramfs...it isn't (bad gzip magic numbers)" message, but it doesn't
seem to mind and marches forward and boots all the way in.

[Bastian Blank]

Post by GaryR
Well, something IS bizarrely wrong. I get the same error. Is there
something wrong with the disk I have allocated for root? It is a
minidisk of 1000 cylinders on a real 3390 Mod 3. I CMS formatted it,
and did a "RESERVE LNX200 MDISK B" on it. Something else I need to
put into parmfile?

Please show a complete log. I just checked the image from the friendly
Debian mirror and they worked fine.

Bastian

[GaryR]

Post by GaryR

Post by Adam Thornton

Post by GaryR
Yup. Binary Fixed 80. Probably what worked for you in the past was a
version other than Etch. I downloaded Sarge and it boots just fine.
Sarge would work fine for what I am doing. From what I see, there are
no iso's for it but only Jigdo files. I tried loading Jigdo but it
was painfully slow.

Nope. We distribute Etch with the installer.
But I think you are right about the lack of ISO: I seem to remember
that I assembled my repository using debian-mirror rather than from
an ISO image this time around.
http://ftp.egr.msu.edu/debian/dists/etch/main/installer-s390/current/
images/generic/
and see how that works for you
If those fail, then something is very bizarrely wrong.
Adam
--

Well, something IS bizarrely wrong. I get the same error. Is there
something wrong with the disk I have allocated for root? It is a
minidisk of 1000 cylinders on a real 3390 Mod 3. I CMS formatted it,
and did a "RESERVE LNX200 MDISK B" on it. Something else I need to
put into parmfile?
Even booting the CentOS, I get the "checking if image is
initramfs...it isn't (bad gzip magic numbers)" message, but it doesn't
seem to mind and marches forward and boots all the way in.
--
- Show quoted text -

I am calling off the dogs on this problem. Unfortunately, I was
unable to get Debian booted. But thankfully, I managed to get CentOS
4.5 running in a short amount of time. Very smooth install.

Thanks Adam for your help. Hopefully someone will get the s390 Debian
installer worked on :)

Cheers.