VL-5.9 std/light boot problem [SOLVED]

[Cariboo]

Hi everybody,

Both versions of VL-5.9 install flawless and work perfectly on a
Dell Laptop Inspiron 2500 (PIII/800MHz/128MB/20GB HDD)...

But only as long as the computer is not shut down...

After a 'shutdown' and 'turn on' again, the boot sequence stops/hangs.
The last line on the screen is:

'Loading iSCSI transport class v2.0-724'

See screenshots HERE

The only way out is 'Power Off'.
To get VL running again, I have to delete and new format the  / partition
and make a new installation.
This is reproducible.

I wonder what kind of log files (for example from /var/log or somewhere else)
would be needed to trace this mistery?
Or is this hardware specific?
Has anyone VL running on such a laptop?

Thanks in advance for any reply, idea, suggestion....
Desperate Cariboo

================================================================
EDIT May 2nd:
I tried to get more info and checked the /var/log files 'messages', 'syslog', dmesg....
but unfortunately I'm not educated enough to understand what they are telling. I made an excerpt of messages and syslog
where I found 'iSCSI' related entries and I put them here hoping somebody has an idea what I can do to get VL on this laptop:

Excerpt from '/var/log/messages':

Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: hdc: ATAPI 24X DVD-ROM drive, 512kB Cache, DMA
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: Uniform CD-ROM driver Revision: 3.20
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: Loading iSCSI transport class v2.0-724.
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: Detecting Adaptec I2O RAID controllers...
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: Adaptec aacraid driver (1.1-5[2437]-mh4)
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: aic94xx: Adaptec aic94xx SAS/SATA driver version 1.0.3 loaded
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: sym53c416.c: Version 1.0.0-ac


May  1 19:22:19 vector kernel: pnp: PnP ACPI: found 11 devices
May  1 19:22:19 vector kernel: ACPI: ACPI bus type pnp unregistered
May  1 19:22:19 vector kernel: SCSI subsystem initialized
May  1 19:22:19 vector kernel: usbcore: registered new interface driver usbfs
May  1 19:22:19 vector kernel: usbcore: registered new interface driver hub


May  1 19:22:19 vector kernel: aic94xx: Adaptec aic94xx SAS/SATA driver version 1.0.3 loaded
May  1 19:22:19 vector kernel: sym53c416.c: Version 1.0.0-ac
May  1 19:22:19 vector kernel: qlogicfas: no cards were found, please specify I/O address and IRQ using iobase= and irq= options<6>QLogic Fibre Channel HBA Driver
May  1 19:22:19 vector kernel: iscsi: registered transport (qla4xxx)
May  1 19:22:19 vector kernel: QLogic iSCSI HBA Driver
May  1 19:22:19 vector kernel: seagate: ST0x/TMC-8xx not detected.

Excerpt from '/var/log/syslog':

Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: hdc: LG DVD-ROM DRN-8080B, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: ide1 at 0x170-0x177,0x376 on irq 15
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: ide-floppy driver 0.99.newide
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: Loading Adaptec I2O RAID: Version 2.4 Build 5go
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: scsi: <fdomain> Detection failed (no card)
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: NCR53c406a: no available ports found
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: Emulex LightPulse Fibre Channel SCSI driver 8.1.12
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: Copyright(c) 2004-2007 Emulex.  All rights reserved.
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: Failed initialization of WD-7000 SCSI card!
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: ^Iwith "disable_clustering=1" and report to maintainers
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: GDT-HA: Storage RAID Controller Driver. Version: 3.05
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: GDT-HA: Found 0 PCI Storage RAID Controllers
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: 3ware Storage Controller device driver for Linux v1.26.02.002.
Apr 30 21:47:55 vector kernel: 3ware 9000 Storage Controller device driver for Linux v2.26.02

I could provide the whole files also if necessary or anything else the experts would ask for

=================================================================
EDIT May 7, 2008 More Info
I found this in /etc/rc.d/rc.modules (which is the main system boot script):

## Kernel 2.4 base modules
if [ "$VERSION" = "2.4" ]; then

    ### load ide-scsi if specified on boot parameter
    if grep -q "=ide-scsi " /proc/cmdline ; then
   /sbin/modprobe ide-scsi
    fi
    fi
# end VERSION check

Can this have anything to do with my problem that booting after a shutdown hangs at
'Loading iSCSI transport class v2.0-724'?

[uelsk8s]

After you shutdown I would like you to try booting with an added parameter.

if you use the CD to boot from then type

Code:

linux root=/dev/hdax ro noapic

and see how that does. alternatively you can try

Code:

linux root=/dev/hdax ro routeirq

If you use lilo then select the correct boot option and press the TAB key then just add either noapic or routeirq

Let us know what happens.

Uelsk8s

[Cariboo]

Thank you, uelsk8s, for the suggestions.

I use LiLo and I'm not sure if I do it right.
Selecting either 'linux, linux-tui or linux-gui'.
After pressing "Tab" on either selection I get the prompt:

boot: <Selection>

Then I press "blank" and type either 'noapic or routeirq'

Result:
In all cases the boot sequence stops/hangs at
'Loading iSCSI transport class v2.0-724'


Edit May 8, 2008, about ten minutes later.

To make the mystery perfect, this is what happened next, after boot stopped:

1] I turned off/shutdown with the Power button...
2] I turn the computer on...
3] I insert a Knoppix 5.1 Live CD...
4] I check the partition where VL is on by mounting this partition and reading, for example,
    the /etc/rc.d/rc.modules file...
5] I unmount the VL partition...
6] I select 'Restart'...Knoppix goes down...
7] I remove the Knoppix CD... and press 'Enter'
8] The LiLo menu comes up... and I choose "Linux"
9] The system boots to the end and VL is up and runs again...

[Cariboo]

Problem solved....case closed....see HERE