I have got a problem. A few days ago I downloaded antiX-15-V_386-full.iso and burned it on a cd-rom and on a pendrive (with software rufus 2.6). It was all right for some days, I used them, testing connection and so on.

3 days ago the live-cd install prompted this message :

ok - starting network connction manager : wicd
live-restore-services : services link restored (this last in italian : ripristino dei collegamenti dei servizi)

Welcome to Antix. Powered by debian

For cli install, login as root (password=root) and type cli-installer
Follow the instructions
Antix1 login:..... and so on

If you type login and password"root" it prompts a command line. No desktop, no gui, and I don't have any idea of commands I can type here ("help" apart).

Maybe the cd-rom is broken ?
I tried changing many options in the boot screen but I had no results, what can I do to restore the default gui interface ?

Thanks in advance. R.

If you did a upgrade and said yes to package maintainers for slim.conf.
Sometimes you will lose the slim login screen.
Anyhows.

What happens if your just type in
and just hit enter.

Then try if it does not work
etc......

But. You might have broke something also.

Server error,

I've snap some pictures. I can' t believe a read only memory can be modified after its burn

No one can reply to me ?

Hardware failure?

Specs for the box you are using?

It's a notebook Dell 510 Latitude with 2Gb Ram and a little hard disk with a single Xp sp3 partition. It's not an hardware failure because I use it currently.

Yesterday I tried the live cd with another pc, a desktop p4 3ghz with 2 Gb Ram and so on,

I noticed there is a timer at the prompt of login and password, and after a few seconds it continues until the desktop (Picture 1).

It is surprising, and the following error too is a surprise I've never seen on the noteboook : the missing dektop image (Picture 2)

So I tried again with the notebook, and I've got the usual prompt, with no timer and the same message for any command I type : server error (Picture 3)

Any idea ?

Some additional information might help community members to assist you.

To check the CD drive is OK
Can you boot the Dell using a different live distro burned to a different CD disk?

When you downloaded the antiX ISO:
Did you verify its integrity by checking its md5sum?

In your opening post you mention putting antiX on a CD and USB stick:
Does the problem occur when booting the Dell from the USB stick?

When booting the Dell from CD:
At the first bootloader screen what parameters do you change before booting the system?

When the Dell boots from CD to the command prompt:
Log in as root
Provide the output of the following commands

5. When the Dell boots from CD to the command prompt:
Log in as root
Provide the output of the following commands. . . .

ok, I grabbed the picture you see

4. When booting the Dell from CD:
At the first bootloader screen what parameters do you change before booting the system?

yes, all the options I need (Italian, berlin, mount all, 1024, save) and no one of them, simply hitting accept as it

3. In your opening post you mention putting antiX on a CD and USB stick:
Does the problem occur when booting the Dell from the USB stick?

The usb install has other problems, first times nothing to say, then after few days I noticed that the wifi goes off and you must start it manually, the connection is on, the wifi signal ix excellent but iceweals says the page not found error message. I tried to change the desktop image but it didnt' save it, and at the boot I have again the default image. I will build the bootable pendrive with unetbootin instead of rufus, and from into the Antix desktop

2. When you downloaded the antiX ISO:
Did you verify its integrity by checking its md5sum?

Yes

1. Can you boot the Dell using a different live distro burned to a different CD disk?

Usually, for your request I tried gparted (2011), grafpup (2008) Runtime Software (knoppix and driveimage), Ubuntu (2010 and 2012) and other windows based (Bart Pe Ubcd4win, Hiren's boot Cd etc.

I've just tried Ubuntu 2010 and 2012 and it works very well

2. When you downloaded the antiX ISO:
Did you verify its integrity by checking its md5sum?

Yes

That makes me think failing cdrom drive for the cd problem.

For the usb problem. Maybe usb drive needs changing also. After all. Your handle is"retrocomputing".

I've just tried Ubuntu 2010 and 2012 and it works very well

Not sure what to tell from that. No description if running off cd drive or same usb or a different usb drive or usb port.

My initial post in this thread assumed you were running a installed antix version. Not a live version problem.
So I take it. No installed Antix version at this time.

The pinboard error screenshot is no big deal running a live session. I have seen also with no bad results getting that before I do a install.

Yes, we are talking about a live cd. But I can't understand why it loaded well in the first days. It's a read only memory !

Why on the second pc it continues succesfully and load the desktop ?

Do you suggest me to re-burn the cd ?

Retrocomputing wrote:Why on the second pc it continues succesfully and load the desktop ?

Not all CD disks work with every CD drive.

Retrocomputing wrote:

SamK wrote:When you downloaded the antiX ISO:
Did you verify its integrity by checking its md5sum?

Yes

This provides a known good reference point from which to proceed.

Retrocomputing wrote:

SamK wrote:Can you boot the Dell using a different live distro burned to a different CD disk?

Usually, for your request I tried gparted (2011), grafpup (2008) Runtime Software (knoppix and driveimage), Ubuntu (2010 and 2012) and other windows based (Bart Pe Ubcd4win, Hiren's boot Cd etc.

I've just tried Ubuntu 2010 and 2012 and it works very well

This is a reasonable indication the CD drive is working.

Because various other CDs boot successfully it suggests:

• Their downloaded ISO was valid
• The software and hardware used to burn of each ISO produced a valid CD
• Each burned CD disk has remained undamaged

At what speed were the those ISOs burned?
The slower the burn speed the more reliable are the results.

Are those ISOs burned to reusable CD-RW disks, or to single use CD-R disks?
Some CD drives can boot better from CD-R than CD-RW disks.

Are those ISOs burned to CD disks from a reputable manufacturer?
Unbranded CD disks might sometimes be manufactured to a lower price point and quality standards.

Is your stock of CD disks beginning to fail due to age?
The other distros you have on CD are quite old. While that does not neccessarily mean they were burned a long time ago, if you are using (and reusing) CDs you have had for a long time they may be deteriorating.

Retrocomputing wrote:

SamK wrote:When the Dell boots from CD to the command prompt:
Log in as root
Provide the output of the following commands

Code: Select all

cat /proc/cmdline

Code: Select all

inxi -F

ok, I grabbed the picture you see

The report from inxi points to a serious problem.

Does your Dell have a working wired network adaptor built into the motherboard?
When a system contains a functioning wired NIC, it is highly unusual that it not detected.



Next Step
On the basis that the ISO is valid and the CD drive seems operational (i.e. boots other live distros) combined with the detection failures repoted by inxi, the obvious suspect is the CD disk. It is possible that any of the following might have occurred:

• The burn created some form of corruption
• The burn was initially successful then the disk suffered deterioration or damage
• There is an incompatibility between the CD drive and the CD disk

To eliminate the CD disk as the cause of the problem

• Burn the ISO again
• Use a new good quality CD disk (preferably CD-R)
• Burn at the slowset possible speed

Boot the system using the newly created CD
At the boot screen

• check the RAM is OK (Select Memory Test)

If the memory test is OK reboot
At the boot screen

• select your Language (F2)
• leave all other setting at their default state

Boot the system

If the boot fails to display a GUI desktop, reboot
At the boot screen

• select your Language (F2)
• leave all other setting at their default state

Boot the system using either"Safe Video Mode" or"Failsafe Mode"


@anticapitalista
On the CD bootloader screen F4-->checkmd5
Does this verify the contents of the burned CD are what are required, or does it check the integrity of only some files in the CD? Does this option definitively establish the burned CD is able to boot antiX?

SamK wrote: @anticapitalista
On the CD bootloader screen F4-->checkmd5
Does this verify the contents of the burned CD are what are required, or does it check the integrity of only some files in the CD? Does this option definitively establish the burned CD is able to boot antiX?

As we can see, the iso on the cd is able to boot.
That does not mean that the cd is not defective in some way though.

I'm guessing that the cd is defective and a new one burned at slow speed would 'solve' this problem.

@anticapitalista

anticapitalista wrote:As we can see, the iso on the cd is able to boot.
That does not mean that the cd is not defective in some way though..

I've had a quick look around inside a burned CD of antiX-15 and agree that it is possible for the test via F4-->checkmd5 to report no fault but for the CD disk itself to be defective.

As far as I can tell the test only checks the md5sums of 3 files within the CD

• initrd.gz.md5
• linuxfs.md5
• vmlinuz.md5

So if these check out OK the test would report no fault found, yet a fault may exist somewhere else.

This gives rise to a second point. CD boot loader screen F1--> F4 Miscellaneous Options-->checkmd5; this contains an inacurate description"Check Integrity of the install media". The media is not being checked only the above mentioned files contained within the media.

Perhaps an alternative approach will provide less ambiguous results.

========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Md5sum"
linktext was:"http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Md5sum"
====================================

Towards the foot of the page is a method using dd and cmp to verify the burned CD matches the ISO. Perhaps we might adopt/adapt something similar.
Users will then be able to:

1. Before burning, verify the md5sum matches the ISO
2. After burning, verify the burned CD matches the ISO

Oooook... damned cd, i'll burn you again... in the oven !!!

SamK wrote: Users will then be able to:

1. . . . . .
2. After burning, verify the burned CD matches the ISO

What do you mean, how to verify ? Do you mean the verify of the masteizing software ? (I use Imgburn)