# Gentoo Install failure? First boot, screen messed up.

## kingace

Hello,

I'm installing Gentoo on a slightly older Mitac laptop, and I've run into some trouble.

The first time I tried to install, I messed up my fstab and grub configuration. When I loaded the universal CD again to fix it, it seemed like the kernel and everything had never been installed. So I started over. This time, I configured everything correctly (apparently), and on first boot, Gentoo loaded. But when it was finished booting, instead of a regular screen, it seemed as though the entire thing was compressed into a thin line on the monitor. Also, there were three different cursors.

It seems as though there's a problem with the graphics configuration, but it worked perfect when booting off the CD it worked fine. Besides, I never even had to do anything regarding graphics.

Now, I've done a bit of googling, but I haven't found anything having to do with the above problem. And, even if someone here tells me what my problem is, I'll need to load up the universal CD again, and I really don't want to have to start the install over AGAIN.

So, any suggestions?

Thanks In Advanced,

Adam

Edit: i've been searching around this forum, and I noticed that there's supposed to be a VGA configuration in grub.conf. I never made one. Do you think this could be the problem? If so, could you point me to a tutorial for setting this up? Thanks in advanced.

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## zecora

What type of kernel config did you do, Genkernel or did you do it yourself?

Also I think it is called framebuffer, do you remember selecting that is your config if you did do it yourself. It seems to me that each time I selected that and I am guessing just didn't config it right it always gave me a messed up screen.

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## kingace

I used genkernel.

And I never even heard of framebuffer. If someone could point me to a tutorial for framebuffer config-ing?

Thanks

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## at240

Before you start to configure the framebuffer, let's be sure that this is the problem. What does your /boot/grub/grub.conf file contain? It should be possible to alter this to boot minus framebuffer support. If that works, then we'll be closer to isolating the problem.

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## kingace

Well, I'd find out, but to do so I'd have to put the Universal Live CD back in. And last time I did that all of my data seemed to be erased.

I'll try though.

Edit: Is there any tutorial on re-mounting everything and getting back into the state I was in after the Gentoo install on the live cd, without actually reinstalling?

Edit Number 2: For example, which things should I re-mount on the livecd? /mnt/gentoo? if possible please list these.

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## at240

To just edit files or find them, you need to boot from the LiveCD and then mount your root partition to /mnt/gentoo and probably your /boot to /mnt/gentoo/boot. So something like this will do it:

```
mount /dev/ROOT /mnt/gentoo

mkdir /mnt/gentoo/boot

mount /dev/BOOT /mnt/gentoo/boot

```

If you need to move into the installed environment to continue the installation, you need to 

```
mount -t proc none /mnt/gentoo/proc

chroot /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash

env-update

source /etc/profile

export PS1="(chroot) $PS1"

```

Don't start again until you're sure it's not still sitting there!

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## kingace

 *at240 wrote:*   

> To just edit files or find them, you need to boot from the LiveCD and then mount your root partition to /mnt/gentoo and probably your /boot to /mnt/gentoo/boot. So something like this will do it:
> 
> ```
> mount /dev/ROOT /mnt/gentoo
> 
> ...

 

Why would I recreate the /gentoo/boot directory?

And what do you mean, move into the installed environment?

I'm trying to fix the display so that I can install the packages WITHOUT the live cd.

I'm off to lunch, I'll start booting the livecd and when I get back ill mount the drives again and write down my grub.conf and fstab and post them here.

Thank you all SO much for the fast replies. Today is my last day to get gentoo working because tomorrow it's back to school.

Will post again soon,

Adam

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## at240

 *kingace wrote:*   

> Why would I recreate the /gentoo/boot directory? 

 

Because the LiveCD originally mounts this stuff into your RAM, I think, which is then flushed when you reboot. To access it again, you need to remount it somewhere, and you must create the mountpoint where you want it mounted...

 *kingace wrote:*   

>  And what do you mean, move into the installed environment? 

 

This is the relevant part of the handbook that explains it: http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=6

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## kingace

Hmm. My Boot and My root are both hda1.

Is this OK?

Also, when I attempt to mkdir Boot, it says it already exists.

 :Evil or Very Mad:  And now, when I try to nano /mnt/gentoo/boot/grub/grub.conf it opens a "new file". Which means it was never there. DARN. this is exactly what was happeneding before, when I put the livecd in again after a failed install. Everything seems to be gone... And I don't have time to install the bloody genkernel again. 

Please help,

Adam

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## XenoTerraCide

from now on don't use genkernel. it's crap in my opinion. you don't need to recreate the boot or export the $PS1 (that's a visual reminder change only). boot to the live cd. run 

```
fsck -cc 
```

on the partition in question. go watch a movie it's gonna take a while. It's checking your hard drive for bad blocks. I think you may have a bad hard drive if you keep losing data.

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## XenoTerraCide

and don't mount the drive first. BAD Idea to do it on a mounted drive.

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## kingace

I think it may be a problem with how I'm mounting it once I put the livecd back in. because, and here's the wierd part, it did boot. Without the livecd in, gentoo booted. it just looked wierd.[/topic]

And if I don't use genkernel, than I won't have a kernel at all, right? I need a kernel... I'm not gonna use the livecd all the time.

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## XenoTerraCide

no if you don't use genkernel (gentoo's crap tool) you'd do this... 

```
cd /usr/src/linux

make menuconfig

```

 configure needed options. 

```
make && make modules_install

cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/kernel
```

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## kingace

OK... but what do you think about this:

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> I think it may be a problem with how I'm mounting it once I put the livecd back in. because, and here's the wierd part, it did boot. Without the livecd in, gentoo booted. it just looked wierd.

 

is that possible?

what is genkernel anyway?

could I talk to you on AIM? i've tried to IM you but it says your offline.

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## XenoTerraCide

your problem probably is framebuffer. but if files keep disappearing it may be a bad hard drive. I'm going to say your not ready for framebuffer and should take it out of the kernel. and you should take it out of grub. I could point you to a walkthrough but I haven't been able to get it to work myself yet (well the bootsplash, framebuffer works).

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## XenoTerraCide

I'm online... on aim msn and yahoo. and what's in my account is still right. what's your aim I'll try to contact you.

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## kingace

is there any way to test (off the livecd) if gentoo is installed properly on the hdd?

I'm acecoimbra

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## XenoTerraCide

not that I'm aware of. lol and properly installed would mean different things to different people. this distro isn't like red hat or ubuntu. it's source based.

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## XenoTerraCide

what are you using for IM. can you talk to people other than me on aim?

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## at240

I hope you got somewhere with this.

 *kingace wrote:*   

> Hmm. My Boot and My root are both hda1.
> 
> Is this OK?
> 
> Also, when I attempt to mkdir Boot, it says it already exists. 

 

Yes that is OK, and that explains why it already exists, so don't worry about that. This phenomenon of an installation 'not being there' when you boot from livecd is very common, and usually just a matter of making sure you're remounting the right partition and remembering to prefix the installed / with /mnt/gentoo. Are you sure you're remounting this stuff correctly? Booting from the livecd again should not destroy this stuff if it was there in the first place. So if there really is an issue of a disappearing installation here, then yes, investigate the drive itself.

 *XinoTerraCide wrote:*   

> I'm going to say your not ready for framebuffer and should take it out of the kernel. and you should take it out of grub.

 

This is what I was advising too. Clearly there seems to be a problem getting to the original grub.conf....

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## nixnut

Moved from Installing Gentoo to Kernel & Hardware.

Kernel problem, so moved here.

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## XenoTerraCide

and you don't have to mkdir /boot again under any condition's (unless it disappears?) 

```
mount /dev/hdxy /mnt/gentoo

mount /dev/hdxy /mnt/gentoo/boot
```

 you have to mount the / partitions before it will know that boot exists.

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## kingace

How do you mount the /?

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## Bitwaba

It was posted above i believe, but if you followed the Handbook, then you would type 

```
# mount /dev/hda3 /mnt/gentoo/
```

That is, of course, if you are running in the live cd environment

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## XenoTerraCide

ug... when you mount /dev/hdxy /mnt/gentoo you've just mounted what is your /, when you boot normally, to /mnt/gentoo which is why you don't have to do a mkdir /mnt/gentoo/boot more than once.

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