2006.0 LiveCD hangs trying to mount CD [SOLVED]

jcbradfield · n00b Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 4

On HP Omnibook 6000.

After accepting the default boot, I see:

>> Loading modules
[bunch of modules]
>> Activating udev
>> Making tmpfs for /newroot
>> Attempting to mount CD:- /dev/hda

and then it accesses the hard drive (which is empty) for a while (some minutes) and then hangs.

xmwxd · n00b Joined: 17 Sep 2004 Posts: 64

jcbradfield · n00b Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 4

Thank you for that helpful comment. However, I suggest learning to read before
attempting telepathic determination of disk contents.
(Hint: "empty" does not mean "contains a LiveCD directory".)

I suppose I could try the minimal install. Or I could just try Fedora instead!

sircave · n00b Joined: 31 Mar 2005 Posts: 50

If you have a network connection, maybe the way to go would be the minimal install. Then you could control your installation 100%. As for me, I am not as fortunate as others, so I must go the way of the networkless install.
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Got Root?

rodolfo · Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 2:17 am Post subject:

I had a similar problem before, it ended as a bad cd burn. Hope it helps.

jcbradfield · n00b Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 4

I thought about a bad CD burn, but I've checksummed the CD
and it matches (and I used a fairly new drive which has
never had a problem).
I wonder if it would help if I put a file system on the hard drive?

terrigan · n00b Joined: 25 Aug 2005 Posts: 11

I have the same exact issue with both the LiveCD and the Minimal/Install CD. It's not a bad burn. The CD boots fine and detects the CD rom drive on my laptop which only has a linux partition but on my desktop it booted once from the CD drive and never again afterward. One thing i do have though, I have a dual-boot system. I have XP on the first partition on hda and the second partition is blank and formatted for linux.

jcbradfield · n00b Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 4

Well, after picking apart the LiveCD (a non-trivial process), I find that the magic
incantation is to type at the boot prompt:

gentoo cdroot=/dev/hdc

so that it tries to find the cd on /dev/hdc before trying /dev/hda .

I still don't know why mount was hanging instead of failing when it tried to mount
/dev/hda ...

terrigan · n00b Joined: 25 Aug 2005 Posts: 11

I think i resolved my issue. It seems that the second partition on the first harddrive wasn't formatted for any operating system. I formatted the partition as a linux partition using partition management software in Windows and rebooted. After that, the CD booted and got past the disc check, but who knows. I have successfully done the cd install and am up to building X and KDE.

BitJam · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 3:43 am Post subject:

Thanks jcbradfield, I had a similar problem and setting the cdroot worked for me.