Re: 4.0 Installation problems

chayashida wrote:

I am trying to install OpenBSD 4.0 on a Dell OptiPlex 745. The computer has a SATA CD-ROM and a SATA hard drive.

After the install/upgrade/shell part, I see a lot of kernel messages. Everything looks normal, and it looks like all of my hardware is detected. The install appears to go okay, but then it hangs after the file sets are copied. It doesn't matter if I select all, some, or the minimal file sets: the installation always hangs after the copy is finished. I tried a separate set of CDs, just to see if that was the issue, but I get the same result. I also tried reducing the size of the root partition to see if that was an issue.

Another member suggested that I try Ctrl-Z after the hang. If it stops the job, then the installation program has hung. I tried it. ^Z displays on the screen, but I do not get a shell. Apparently this means that the kernel has hung.

The OptiPlex 745 has the following hardware:

SATA CD-ROM
SATA hard drive
3.4 GHz Pentium D
Broadcom BCM5754 network card
Intel 82801H

All of the above are listed as supported under OpenBSD 4.0. I noticed
that there were kernel errors when I tried to set up the network to
use DHCP with the on-board NIC, so I installed a new NIC.

I disabled the on-board NIC and installed an Encore Electronics
ENL832-TX-ICNT 10/100 Ethernet PCI card. I had also disabled the
on-board audio as well. I ran the install, but this time chose to
install over ftp instead of from the CD-ROM. It worked. (Previously, I
had tried from another disc, so I was able to rule out the CD.) The
only other difference was that the files on the CD were in the root of
the disc, instead of 4.0/i386. I made another CD with the files in the
correct directory and tried to install, and I still had problems. I
also tested that CD by copying all the files off the CD without
errors.

I ran the install again, this time with the same configuration, but
from the CD-ROM. It failed again. My best guess is that the accessing
the SATA CD-ROM and the SATA hard drive at the same time is somehow
hanging the system.

I am installing a second system overnight (we have a slow Internet
connection) but I expect it to work.

I hope this helps someone else.

Chris