Installing Puppy linux on HP compaq

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bigpup · #31 Post by **bigpup** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 07:03

Slacko 5.7 is designed to support very new hardware, but it does still work on some very old stuff.

I would suggest trying with Lucid Puppy 5.2.8.005, but you say you have tried it and it will not boot.

Have to ask.

Are you sure the memory you are trying to use is compatible with the motherboard?
Properly setup in the motherboard bios settings?

If you boot into the computer bios setup.
Does the memory show up and appear to have the proper settings?
Using the wrong, memory bios settings, can cause all kinds of problems.

Reset computer bios to default settings.

Fossil · #32 Post by **Fossil** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 08:54

drams1. To recap. The original storyline:

I have been trouble shooting this computer for a few days. I have installed a new hard drive which I thought was good and was able to install a fresh windows xp with difficulty because I get random blue screen errors that stops install.

The very fact that errors occur with both Windows and Puppy signifies it isn't the operating system, more likely either memory or motherboard related. At the current age, it's likely to be capacitors, a crack in the motherboard or even a faulty CPU. Have you tried grounding yourself via a metal water pipe, etc, then gently pressing down on any socket mounted components. The same holds true for the CPU.
While clutching at straws (!), by any chance is the computer's clock keeping good time, or is showing a month/year off? If so, this might be battery timer-related.
Finally, what of the video display and sound - are they bog-standard original components? Have you installed any other cards - for any other purpose, printers etc, other than those which came mounted on the original motherboard?
Edit. By any chance have you attempted to update and flash the BIOS? Could a previous owner have done so? There are accounts of problems with flash updated BIOS with this motherboard

wimpy · #33 Post by **wimpy** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 10:24

There really was no point in swapping to Slacko. Lucid is a good goto distro for your CPU. When you suspect multiple failures, RAM and HDD and CDROM, your first port of call should be the PSU. If the rail voltage is down (PSUs contain capacitors too) you may find the kind of errors you are getting.
I think you need a plan of action. Take your Lucid disk and run it in a different PC with a decent amount of RAM - 1GB would be ample. Fire it up and see if it gets to the puppy desktop.
If it does, you know that the CDROM and CD are OK. Elect not to save when you exit from the desktop. A word of warning - sometimes puppies get confused with large monitors. If you get an "Out of Range" warning and a black screen, hit Ctrl-Alt-Backspace which should get you to the #prompt. You can then run xorgwizard and eventually xwin into the puppy desktop.
Once you determine that you have a good CD and a good CDROM drive, try them in the target PC - you can disconnect the HDD if you like. If puppy hangs you now know that you have a fault on your PC.
From what you said you are used to swapping parts , so I would begin with the PSU and work on from there. Good luck.

Sylvander · #34 Post by **Sylvander** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 11:31

drams1 wrote:...install a fresh windows xp with difficulty because I get random blue screen errors that stops install.

1. I believe those BSOD's can be caused by the Windows [XP in this case, issued Oct 2001?] not having drivers for the hardware [in this case manufactured in 2004].
Get it!? How can a 2001 OS include drivers for 2004 hardware?
There are a number of ways of dealing with that problem.
The best method [but not the easiest] is:
a. Slipstreaming Windows XP To Create a Bootable Windows XP CD or DVD [Never done it myself if my memory isn't failing]

OR...
b. The easy way:
Is to make a driver floppy for your hardware [if your PC has a FDD]...
And hit F6 at the correct moment during installation using the XP install CD.

OR...
c. The Windows way:
Provided the hardware for which there are no drivers is not VITAL to the functionality...
You power-off at the BSOD...
Power back on, and continue the installation.
Windows automatically by-passes the problem item of hardware and continues the install.
This is repeated for each item of hardware for which there is no driver, until the install finally completes.
Once into Windows you then install the missing drivers.

2. To check that the hardware is functional:
find some OS that succeeds in booting.
a. I've forgotten the Linux distro that has most drivers included [Knoppix?].
If it works OK there's nothing wrong with your hardware.
This is why I suggested Boxpup-431.

drams1 · #35 Post by **drams1** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 15:51

"I think you need a plan of action. Take your Lucid disk and run it in a different PC with a decent amount of RAM - 1GB would be ample. Fire it up and see if it gets to the puppy desktop. "

I took Wimpy's advice and burned a copy of Lucid Puppy and tried in on this working computer and could not get it to boot. Got this message:Performing switch root to layered file system. kernel Panic - not syncing attempted to kill Init!

I must be doing something wrong because I can't get puppy to boot on good computer.

I also tried booting a laptop and got the same message and stall.

wimpy · #36 Post by **wimpy** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 16:55

That's tough, but there are still things you can do. When you get to the first puppy prompt boot: type

Code: Select all

puppy pfix=ram

You will need to get in fast because there is normally only a few seconds delay before it skips past that prompt.
This should circumvent the admittedly unlikely possibility of puppy picking up any remnant puppy files on the PCs and laptops you are using for testing purposes.
If this works - no kernel panic - you should end up at the puppy desktop.

starhawk · #37 Post by **starhawk** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 17:06

I still think you've got a CD drive problem.

Try one more thing, this is a little odd but it works for me sometimes. Burn another Lucid, this time wiping the CD with a soft cloth (I usually use my t-shirt

) before and after burning. Handle the CD by the edges so you don't get fingerprint smudges all over it, when you're putting it in the other computer.

drams1 · #38 Post by **drams1** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 21:16

I tried it again typing in puppy pfix=ram after the boot and still got the same message mentioned above. Boot stalled.

Something has to be amiss but i don't know what it is. I have tried booting three different computers and was not successful with any of them. I am getting the same error each time so I doubt the problem is the drive given I have used three different drives.

I am sure everyone that has tried to help are as frustrated as I am that none of the solutions have not worked. I would love to get this to work, but I am at a loss.

The computer that went south is a family members and they are also frustrated and ready to give up and go buy some components to build another computer.

Again, thanks for all the help and support. I am very persistent but this one has me stumped.

greengeek · #39 Post by **greengeek** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 21:31

What type/brand of CD are you burning to?

drams1 · #40 Post by **drams1** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 22:23

It is Imation CD-RW 4x-10x

greengeek · #41 Post by **greengeek** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 22:33

Are you able to get hold of a CDR of reasonable quality? I've never had any luck at all with booting CDRWs (although most people report they work well...)

In my experience burning a good quality CDR at 4x gives exponentially more reliable results.

drams1 · #42 Post by **drams1** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 22:57

Yes, I can burn onto a CD-R. I will give it a try.

drams1 · #43 Post by **drams1** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 23:15

Wow, can you believe it, using the cd-r I was able to boot up my laptop. I guess the next step is to try to boot the questionable computer.

If it doesn't boot then I can try to determine what is causing the problem.

Thanks for your persistence and hanging with me Greengeek.

Galbi · #44 Post by **Galbi** » Fri 05 Sep 2014, 23:15

To find, in the same day, three machines in which Puppy does not run, it's statistically improbable... or you're in a day to go running to buy a lotto ticket...

I bet the CD it's not well burned.

Pity you and your relatives get this bad impression about Puppy (and Linux).

drams1 · #45 Post by **drams1** » Sat 06 Sep 2014, 01:24

I tried to boot on problem system and it was not successful at first. I moved my memory sticks to different slot and it did boot but mouse would not work. I did finally get a good boot and then next time it stalled. When it stalled I got a long list of errors like panic=0x38/oxda, opps end, do page_fault and many more most of which I don't recognize. Most of it is not recognizable to me.

I would try to narrow down if mem sticks were bad but never could. Sometimes it would boot sometimes not even with other sticks that I was confident were good. I at one time thought I had determined a slot was bad but then it would work with another stick. I did notice that when it did boot and I got puppy screen some of the icons would not run programs. I could set time zone but one time the mouse stopped working.

After trying many boots some successful and some not eventually I was not able to boot up again.

I am convinced it is a mother board problem but not sure what has gone wrong. I am going to look into getting another board and see where that takes me.

Again , thanks for all the help.

I am glad I found out about Puppy Linux through this process. I will work with it further and maybe use in on my other units if it gives me improved performance.

starhawk · #46 Post by **starhawk** » Sat 06 Sep 2014, 02:04

Try one other thing. This is more-or-less a shot in the dark.

Replace the power supply.

Just a hunch from another hardware guy

bigpup · #47 Post by **bigpup** » Sat 06 Sep 2014, 03:46

Did you do this:

Look for obvious damage on motherboard. (bulging capacitors)

Bad capacitors can cause all kinds of problems.

All this memory swapping.
Are you making sure the bios settings are set properly for the memory?

Unless each stick of memory is identical, they will need settings specific to each.

Sylvander · #48 Post by **Sylvander** » Sat 06 Sep 2014, 07:20

drams1 wrote:Wow, can you believe it, using the cd-r I was able to boot up my laptop. I guess the next step is to try to boot the questionable computer.

If I remember right:
a. A CD-RW can be read by a CD-RW drive but not by a CD-R drive->[FAIL].

b. A CD-R made in a CD-RW drive [or a CD-R drive] can be read by either a CD-RW drive or a CD-R drive->[SUCCESS].

c. If your CD-RW won't boot [be read] in the CD-RW drive in which it was made [or any other CD-RW drive?]...
There's possibly something wrong with that drive.
.
.

Fossil · #49 Post by **Fossil** » Sat 06 Sep 2014, 09:10

Did you blank the CD-RW before writing the Puppy Linux ISO program to it? If so, how? An imperfectly reformatted/written disc can still contain remnants of previous writes. It's better to use a new CD-R to remove any doubt regarding possibly failing CD-DVD's.

ardvark · #50 Post by **ardvark** » Sat 06 Sep 2014, 23:52

starhawk wrote:Ah... IBM DeskStar. AKA IBM DeathStar for a reason! Junk that thing, it's definitely hosed.

Ohhhh, yes, I do remember those.

I had one literally go out with a bang and it took the motherboard (or at least the controllers) with it.

It's probably one hard drive that if I see it, I would recommend its replacement immediately.

I must be doing something wrong because I can't get puppy to boot on good computer.

@drams1: If it's not your CD-ROM, then I would take a look at your motherboard capacitors as Bigpup has suggested. However, even if they are all good doesn't mean there isn't a motherboard issue. If all else fails, you can take it a local computer shop and have them look at it.

Regards...

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Installing Puppy linux on HP compaq