RH AS 2.1 install on HP ML330

[Derek Otten]

Help! I repeatedly get "An error has occurred- no valid devices were found on which to create new filesystems. Please check your hardware for the cause of this problem. I successfully created a boot disk and booted off of it. It didn't work.

I have also tried booting off the disk and then installing the lsicsb6 module for the CSB6 ATA IDE controller as recommended by the hp support site. At the end of a number of 'installing lsicsb6 module messages, it ends with 'failed to insert lsicsb6 module'!

I am out of ideas at this point! I am now staring at a couple of brand new servers that are worthless to me at the moment!

[Steven E. Protter]

Are you using the disk druid to set up the filesystems? If so, try it, it validates the ide devices before it lets you set them up.

You also might want to look at the startup sequence when the install kernel boots. It lists valid ide devices. If you don't see the target device there is no point in continuing.

Does this work on one of the other servers in the bunch? This could be an ide subsystem problem with the one server.

SEP

[Martin P.J. Zinser]

This is a shot in the dark, but are these disks correctly registered in the BIOS? I did once run into a situation where Windows would use a new disk happily without being made known to the BIOS, while the Linux install failed to find it.

[Derek Otten]

When I get to the partitioning options screen I get to choose disk druid, fdisk, or automatic. I get the error no matter which option I choose.

This happens on both servers (just running 2 of them, both ML330's with csb6 ATA IDE controller).

I'll check on the startup sequence. In regards to registration in the BIOS, I do see them during POST before the install kernel loads. Does that answer your question, Martin?

[Stuart Browne]

Given the error message, I'd suggest trying to find the correct driver diskette for the IDE-RAID controller before continuing.

It's as if it's not seeing the disks as a RAID array, but as two separate IDE disks (note: this is why I hate ATARAID!).

[Cristian Draghici]

I may be way off here but is your system running the megaide module before insmodding lcicsb6?

I think that might be a reason for failure, see

http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/15990.html

and

http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/19110.html
(portinent to RH8 but still a 2.4.x kernel)

Good luck,
Cristi

[Derek Otten]

Some more answers to above.
For Steven, It seems to see the ide devices, but the screen flies by.

For Stuart-In my original message I mentioned the driver disk for the CSB6 ATA IDe controller and I also tried....

For Cristian-in both of these cases, I received the 'failed to insert <> module' when I tried loading them off a driver diskette.

Help!! I'm at a loss now!

[Cristian Draghici]

Any failure to insert a module should be accompanied by some more details on why it failed. (like no such device or dependency/unresolved symbols errors).

Try switching the console when you get the error (Alt+F1, Alt+F2, Alt+F3, Alt+F4 - with Ctrl if you're in X) - I don't remeber which (i think 3) is the output from the kernel. You should get errors/warnings/something in there.

[when all else fails]
Are you absolutely sure the hardware is installed correctly? (ie can you install Windows or another OS on the box and see the ATA IDE disks?).

[Derek Otten]

Here's a breakdown of what error messages I see under each screen:
Alt+F1- No errors 'x server started successfully'

Alt+F2- sh2.05# prompt

Alt+F3- Here's a list of what looked like error lines:
*pcmcia probe returned: IPCI bridge probe: not found
Intel PCIC probe: not found.
Dataprobe TCIC-2 probe: at ox240: not found.
*no pcic controller found

*found suggestion of usb-ohci
*found nothing
*looking for video requiring agpgart module
*found video card controller unknown

....the rest seem to be just status messages.

ALT+F4-
<4>EXT2-fs warning: checktime reached. Running e2fsck is recommended.

<4>Unable to identify CD-ROM Format.
<4>VFS: Can't find X2 file system on dev loop(7,0)


Let me know if I'm missing anything. -Derek

[Derek Otten]

Additionally, the identical second server is currently running Windows Server 2002 and I can see the disks.