Description of problem: IMHO, it would be very useful to add an option to the Mageia installer to be able to complete an install in "text only" mode: enough to get a basic working system with networking and no GUI (eg systems boots to "systemctl set-default multi-user.target" instead of the current default "systemctl set-default graphical.target"). I have encountered problems attempting to install Mageia 9 on older systems with difficult or non-working GUI driver issues. This will also help enable a default "minimal install" option which could be useful for server installs where a local GUI is not required. This also has the benefit of reducing the number of packages and updates needed which would improve the speed of install, recovery, and updating. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): How reproducible: Steps to Reproduce: 1. 2. 3.
It may help to read the documentation https://doc.mageia.org/installer/9/en/content/software.html#minimal-install
And https://doc.mageia.org/installer/9/en/content/installer.html#d4e332
Well spotted Frank! The first reference deals with Paul's minimal install request. The second does indeed cover the no graphics text install request: "No Graphical Interface After the initial screen you did not progress to the Language Selection screen. This can happen with some graphic cards and older systems. Try using low resolution by typing vgalo at the prompt. If the hardware is very old, a graphical installation may not be possible. In this case it is worth trying a text-mode installation. To use this press Esc at the Welcome screen and confirm with ENTER. You will be presented with a black screen with a boot: prompt. Type text and press ENTER to continue with the installation in text mode." If this answers your points, Paul, please close the bug 'worksforme'.
No news = good news, so assuming your request was answered by sturmvogel. Re-open the bug if necessary.
Resolution: (none) => INVALIDStatus: NEW => RESOLVED
No, sturmvogel did not answer the issue. In fact simply trumpeting "RTFM" is not helpful in any way. There is some discussion of "minimal install" in the reference. However, I challenge you to try it: see if you can make it work to have a minimal Mageian install with text only login. I did several times and it did not work for me. I think this is a "difficult" issue to discuss because from what I see there seems to be a built in assumption about using graphics in Mageia.
(In reply to Paul Blackburn from comment #5) > There is some discussion of "minimal install" in the reference. > However, I challenge you to try it: see if you can make it work to have a > minimal Mageian install with text only login. Works for me. Just tested again in VirtualBox: 1. Boot from Mageia-9-x86_64.iso 2. Choose "Install Mageia" at boot menu 3. Proceed through Language and License screens 4. Select "Install" option 5. Proceed through Keyboard and Disk Partitioning screens 6. Don't add any additional media 7. Select "Custom" Desktop 8. Click on "Unselect All" in package group selection, then select "Individual package selection" 9. At the next screen, choose how minimal an install you want. 10. Fine-tune the package selection. Toggling to the flat view (click on the circulating arrows icon on the bottom row) shows you exactly what you are getting. 11. Proceed with install (change the bootloader to grub2 with text menu if you don't want graphics there either) On reboot, this booted in text mode (no splash screen) and presented a login prompt on tty1.
CC: (none) => mageia
Thanks Martin. I will try again. I appreciate your help. I still think this process is a bit too complicated and time consuming. With the goal of a working system: network, urpmi repositories defined, essential basic system packages and the option to skip all graphical software to keep the minimal system as lean as possible would be helpful. After all, once such a minimal system is up and running it is up to the user to add whatever else they think they need. Right? In my particular case, even with a partially working (non-minimal) install, I see the system hang for no obvious reason. This makes me wonder if there are any kernel parameters that can be set for a slower older machine?
Ever confirmed: 1 => 0Status: RESOLVED => UNCONFIRMEDResolution: INVALID => (none)
The minimal installation option exists since Mandrake/Mandriva and Mageia 1 and is well documented. The basic setup time takes only 5 Minutes and contains steps which can't be skipped if you want to have a usable system. Following steps can't be skipped independed if you want to have a minimal installation or not: - language - installation media - license - partions - users - graphics (if necessary) - bootloader It is well described that you only need to check "Custom"-> "Unselect All" (Software selection step) and you have a minimal installation. This step takes 5 seconds! It all depends on the user if he wants to read the documentation. Btw, all other major distributions use the same approach, as it is not possible to skip the above mentioned basic steps.
(In reply to Paul Blackburn from comment #7) <snip> > In my particular case, even with a partially working (non-minimal) install, > I see the system hang for no obvious reason. This makes me wonder if there > are any kernel parameters that can be set for a slower older machine? For a slow system either switch to the server kernel or add the kernel option divider=10 (don't do both). See bug 44 for details.
CC: (none) => davidwhodgins
Thanks Dave. I will try that.
Thanks Martin & Dave for jumping in. Can we take it that Paul is now more concerned with the 'minimal' install than doing it in text mode, which comments 2,3 describe. It is unfair to say it is "too complicated", since it is possible (comment 6), and as quick as any other install apart from the inevitable tedium of choosing the packages you want; and only specialised users who know what they are doing will want to do it. Paul, unless you still have a real reproducable problem, please close this as you see fit. I think it was answered from the start by comments 1,2.
CC: (none) => lewyssmith
So, I have been busy trying and retrying this with limited success. I am grateful for the help and support fo many responding and commenting. I have never experienced such a "tricky" install in any release of Mageia before version 9. Hence why I raised this as a possible enhancement on cauldron. I understand this is not going to have a quick fix solution. The key issue seems to me to be that the "normal" desktop install for Mageia is very good and has been well developed. So that would typically deal with the complexities of graphics cards and lots of software that would typically be used on a desktop/laptop. I have easily and successfully installed every Mageia (x86_64) version from 1 to 8 on this particular computer: Acer Aspire One D260 (two processor: Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU N450 @ 1.66GHz). Unfortunately with Mageia 9 it seems to run OK for a while but will then randomly "hang" for no apparent reason. I have been using this machine as a BIND DNS server on my network. It is basically too "underpowered" to use as a personal computer. It has been very reliable nameserver running on Mageia for years. Hence my interest in a "minimal install" and really no need for graphics. So, in my quest to get it working with mga9 as a simple server it seems to me that there are: a) too many packages installed b) an apparent dependence on having graphics working for some configuration steps. This can be observed in the difference between running drakconf in a graphical desktop versus running drakconf in text only mode. I also have not yet found a "install server" option except to first install a desktop version and then add the server services required. So, this enhancement request could be closed but the issues that arise from this experience with mga9 on this particular computer won't disappear as easily.
> Unfortunately with Mageia 9 it seems to run OK for a while but will then > randomly "hang" for no apparent reason. Is this after a normal graphical install (too many packages)? I learned the hard way that dated graphics end up not being adequately supported. Is it worth adding a more recent graphics card (not nVidia!)? OTOH for an underpowered machine, much better to live without graphics. > b) an apparent dependence on having graphics working for some configuration > steps. > This can be observed in the difference between running drakconf in a > graphical desktop versus running drakconf in text only mode. You imply that doing a text install is insufficient. Can you elaborate? > I also have not yet found a "install server" option except to first install a > desktop version and then add the server services required. Fair enough. Without being able to check it, can one not choose the server kernel in the packages choice?
Thanks Lewis. Here is a photo of the latest attempt at booting (into "multi-user" not graphics). It has been stuck like that for most of today. photo: https://imgur.com/a/NCN9cBk It fails to start mdmonitor.service but that is expected because I am not using raid disk configuration. As you can see, it hangs after failing to start sensord.service and while running: "Job network.service/start running (11min 49s / 14min50s)" I am going to try again with Dave's suggestion from comment 9 I can use the rescue method ( ref: https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Rescue ) to chroot to /sysroot and I am wondering if I can start network when chrooted. I will try that also.
From your previous comment, it looks as if you are booting to a text session from an installation with graphics: booting (into "multi-user" not graphics. Did you ever try or better, succeed, a minimal installation *without* graphics at all? > I can use the rescue method ( ref: https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Rescue ) > to chroot to /sysroot and I am wondering if I can start network when > chrooted. I would imagine so. Hope someone more expert will answer that (not within my experience).
Before trying a rescue, first try switching to another text terminal, such as with alt+ctrl+f3, and see if you can login there to investigate why the network isn't starting.
Current state when trying to boot Mageia9 is that it seems to have hung. I typed "e" on the grub screen and to the linux kernel parameters line I added "systemd.unit=multi-user.target" (to select text login) and "divider=10" (as suggested by Dave). Screen showing: "[ *** ] )2 of 3) Job network-up.service/start running (1min 47s / 6min 23s)" Photo: https://imgur.com/a/M0zEOge I tried hitting alt+ctrl+f3 but nothing happens. Also, pressing <enter> key does nothing (normaly would expect to see the log in screen bump up by 1 line). Mageia is installed on a USB flashdrive (as a classic install). The flashdrive has a LED which is still flashing. So I will leave it overnight in case it is just being slow. The Acer Aspire One D260 is connected to LAN with an ethernet but it also has a Broadcom wifi which I simply have not used before. I wonder if that could be messing up the network start or is the issue something else? Regarding "wondering if I can start network when chrooted", the answer is no. An error message is displayed that unable to start networking in chrooted environment. I think this is the correct thing to do because I think there would be chaos and security issues if network could be started in chroot. The next thing I might try is cloning the working dual boot Mageia8 and 'doze10 SSD then attempting an "upgrade" install on the cloned SSD of Mageia8 to Mageia9. I would rather do this and preserve the working perfectly Mageia8 original SSD than lose it. Thanks for any help.
I tried something else: I shutdown the Acer Aspire One D260, removed the Mageia 9 USB flashdrive. I rebooted another 64bit computer (also running mga9) and booted with the USB flashdrive from the Acer. This was to check and prove that the installed Mageia 9 image on the USB flashdrive was working correctly. It worked. A little slow (because it is USB 2) but the system came up to text login. I logged in, checked the network (ethernet) was functional and ran a "urpmi --auto-update". Everything worked and the computer (an old HP z600) was running OK. So I tried once more with the USB flashdrive in the Acer. Booting with kernel parameters: "systemd.unit=multi-user.target" (to select text login) and "divider=10". Thew Acer hung and I left it overnight but there was no change and no response in the morning. Photo of screen: https://imgur.com/lYplxh4 extract from (last bit of) screen showing at hang: [ OK ] Activated swap dev-disk-by?\x2d88df\x2d4bb48602584a.swap. [ OK ] Reached target swap.target. Mounting tmp.mount... [ OK ] mounted tmp.mount. Starting modeprobe@dm_mod.service... Starting modprobe@loop.service... [ OK ] Finished modeprobe@dm_mod.service. [ OK ] Finished modprobe@loop.service. [ 67.757291] wl: loading out-of-tree module taints kernel. [ 67.757412] wl: module license 'MIXED/Proprietry' taints kernel. [ 67.757582] Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint [ 67.757701] wl: module license taints kernel. Is "wl" something to do with wireless? I am guessing that the Broadcom wireless chip may be an issue here?
Summary: enhancement request: please add option to do text only install and minimal image (eg no graphics) => Unable to boot Mageia 9 install USB on an old Acer; boot process freezes
wl is one of the kernel module for wireless devices. I'm running out of idea. Just fyi. Instead of entering systemd.unit=multi-user.target as a kernel parameter, you can just use " 3" (without the quotes). Does it boot into single user mode? " 1" as a kernel option. systemd translates the run level numbers into targets ... $ ls -1g /usr/lib/systemd/system/runlevel?.target lrwxrwxrwx 1 root 15 Aug 20 15:22 /usr/lib/systemd/system/runlevel0.target -> poweroff.target lrwxrwxrwx 1 root 13 Aug 20 15:22 /usr/lib/systemd/system/runlevel1.target -> rescue.target lrwxrwxrwx 1 root 17 Aug 20 15:22 /usr/lib/systemd/system/runlevel2.target -> multi-user.target lrwxrwxrwx 1 root 17 Aug 20 15:22 /usr/lib/systemd/system/runlevel3.target -> multi-user.target lrwxrwxrwx 1 root 17 Aug 20 15:22 /usr/lib/systemd/system/runlevel4.target -> multi-user.target lrwxrwxrwx 1 root 16 Aug 20 15:22 /usr/lib/systemd/system/runlevel5.target -> graphical.target lrwxrwxrwx 1 root 13 Aug 20 15:22 /usr/lib/systemd/system/runlevel6.target -> reboot.target
One thing that makes debugging difficult, is that the last msg on the screen is usually from the last thing that worked, not the thing causing the freeze. The next message on my system after the modules being loaded from the initrd is the root file system being mounted. Make sure the usb stick is unmounted cleanly on the system where it is working.
Try adding 'modprobe.blacklist=wl' to the boot command line.
Thanks Dave, good point. I am just tring to narrow it down and when searching back in the Mageia fora I found some mention of broadcom being a problem on the D260. Also, yes about unmounting cleanly. The only way I found to escape the system hang was to hold the power button down for 5 or more seconds. This is not ideal for filesystems but fortunately I have configured ext4 partitions which means there is a filesystem journal that fsck can recover from. So, after power down I take the USB flashdrive to another machine and use gparted to run a "check" (really fsck) to recover from the journal for each partition. This normally means a clean startup when I boot again from the flash drive. Thank you Martin for suggesting 'modprobe.blacklist=wl' for the kernel command. That seems to have made the difference. Yay! [root@localhost etc]# uptime 17:12:09 up 1:32, 5 users, load average: 5.90, 3.82, 2.14 I have bind dns server configured and running. I will leave it running for a couple of days to make sure it stable. In the grub menu, I used "e" to configure the kernel command parameters: systemctl.unit=multi-user.target divider=10 modprobe.blacklist=wl I have noticed messages like the following from dmesg: [ 357.100280] xt_addrtype: ipv6 does not support BROADCAST matching [ 2506.467282] perf: interrupt took too long (2523 > 2500), lowering kernel.perf_event_max_sample_rate to 79200 [ 2674.870697] perf: interrupt took too long (3208 > 3153), lowering kernel.perf_event_max_sample_rate to 62100 [ 3633.843659] perf: interrupt took too long (4024 > 4010), lowering kernel.perf_event_max_sample_rate to 49500 [ 5211.445577] perf: interrupt took too long (5038 > 5030), lowering kernel.perf_event_max_sample_rate to 39600 [ 5469.727481] sda: sda1 sda2 sda3 sda4 < sda5 sda6 sda7 sda8 sda9 sda10 > [ 5469.968795] sda: sda1 sda2 sda3 sda4 < sda5 sda6 sda7 sda8 sda9 sda10 > [ 5471.013054] perf: interrupt took too long (6349 > 6297), lowering kernel.perf_event_max_sample_rate to 31500 Are these "interrupt took too long" entries anything to be concerned about? I much appreciate your help and comments. Thanks everyone.
Update: after many more attempts I finally managed to get a stable Mageia 9 running on the Acer Aspire One D260. It seems to be that the main problem was the Broadcom wifi chip. $ lspci | grep Broadcom 02:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4313 802.11bgn Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01) On several tries, the install would seem to complete OK (including configuring a static IP address on the ethernet during the configuration stage of the install) only to find that on post install reboot there would be no networking and it would book into "emergency" mode. Eventually, I found an SSD with enough space to rsync-replicate the core, non-free, and tainted repos (together with updates). This allowed me in emergency mode or rescue to simply mount the repos on the local ssd and configure with: urpmi.addmedia --distrib /mnt/data/mageia9/distrib/9/x86_64/ To bring everything up-to-date. I also found a relevant post in the Mageia fora regarding the Broadcom: "you will need to install: broadcom-wl-common dkms-broadcom-wl kernel-*desktop*-devel-latest (I have the *desktop* kernel, (you may have a different one. : server, i586, linus, tmb etc) ref: https://forums.mageia.org/en/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=13327&p=78173&hilit=dkms+broadcom+benmb#p78100 So, even having done this and not seeing anymore trouble from the broadcom, I am keeping "modprobe.blacklist" in the kernel parameters because I just do not need wifi the Ethernet is sufficient.
(In reply to Paul Blackburn from comment #23) > Update: after many more attempts I finally managed to get a stable Mageia 9 > running on the Acer Aspire One D260. Good. > It seems to be that the main problem was the Broadcom wifi chip. Broadcom has long been problematic for us, but more in the past than now. Can we close this? Does it warrant an ERRATA entry? (CCing Morgan). If so - what should it suggest?
Update: the D269 is still up and running. Bind resolving fine. For reference, here is more detail on the Broadcom wifi device that seems to be the root of the issue: $ lspci -vnn -d 14e4: 02:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4313 802.11bgn Wireless Network Adapter [14e4:4727] (rev 01) Subsystem: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries Device [14e4:0510] Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 10 Memory at 96000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K] Capabilities: <access denied> Kernel modules: wl I have "modprobe.blacklist=wl" in the kernel parameters (set via the "e"(dit) option in grub boot menu) to block use of the Broadcom wifi. The ethernet connection is sufficient for now.
Since this bug was about being unable to *boot*, are you able to see what happens if you are able to and try bringing WiFi up once the system is running?