Debian no longer boots, Help

Hey, It seems My Dockstar has stopped booting into debian. I can only boot into Pogoplug. here is output of fw_printenv

bootcmd=run bootcmd_usb; usb stop; run bootcmd_pogo; reset
baudrate=115200
arcNumber=2097
mainlineLinux=yes
console=ttyS0,115200
usb_init=usb start
usb_device=0:1
usb_root=/dev/sda1
usb_rootfstype=ext2
usb_rootdelay=10
mtdparts=mtdparts=orion_nand:1M(u-boot),4M(uImage),32M(rootfs),-(data)
mtdids=nand0=orion_nand
partition=nand0,2
bootcmd_pogo=fsload uboot-original-mtd0.kwb; go 0x800200
usb_load_uimage=mw 0x800000 0 1; ext2load usb $usb_device 0x800000 /boot/uImage
usb_boot=if ext2load usb $usb_device 0x1100000 /boot/uInitrd; then bootm 0x800000 0x1100000;else bootm 0x800000;fi;
set_bootargs_usb=setenv bootargs console=$console root=$usb_root rootdelay=$usb_rootdelay rootfstype=$usb_rootfstype $mtdparts
bootcmd_usb=run usb_init; run usb_load_uimage; run set_bootargs_usb; run usb_boot;
led_init=green blinking
led_exit=green off
led_error=orange blinking
stdin=serial
stdout=serial
stderr=serial
ethact=egiga0
ethaddr=00:10:75:1A:90:29
bootdelay=15
serverip=192.168.1.10
ipaddr=192.168.1.6
if_netconsole=ping $serverip
start_netconsole=setenv ncip $serverip; setenv bootdelay 10; setenv stdin nc; setenv stdout nc; setenv stderr nc; version;
preboot=run if_netconsole start_netconsole

Is attaching Serial Cable only way to recover or there is some other way. If I *have* to use the serial cable, then I have already got Nokia CA-42 cable with me. tried attaching it dockstar but didn't get any output on minicom. I tried using netconsole too, but same result. no output at all

Please help recover

What did you change since the last successfull debian boot? Did you run 'apt-get upgrade' and you got a new kernel installed?

Can you mount the usb device at all or is it broken?

Try "screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200 8N1" - maybe minicom is waiting for some handshake (hope you got the correct wires and pins)

gary4gar,

you should definitivly see something like

U-Boot 2010.06-00695-gbd23130-dirty (Aug 30 2010 - 23:04:56)
Marvell-Dockstar/Pogoplug by Jeff Doozan

SoC:   Kirkwood 88F6281_A0
DRAM:  128 MiB
NAND:  256 MiB
In:    serial
Out:   serial
Err:   serial
Net:   egiga0
88E1116 Initialized on egiga0
Using egiga0 device

on your serial connection (e.g. minicom) when your dockstar boots. Double check your pinout. Today I had to solder a serial cable using a noname CA-42 USB adapter, and http://buffalo.nas-central.org/wiki/Use_a_Nokia_Serial_Cable_on_an_ARM9_Linkstation#Determining_the_wiring_assignment_of_your_cable was a big help. See http://pinouts.ru/CellularPhones-Nokia/nokia_pop_pinout.shtml for the Nokia side (you need pins 6 rx, 7 tx and 8 gnd) and use a multimeter to find the corresponding colors of your wires.

With a serial cable it was easy to find out that my dockstar was suffering from filesystem errors:

/dev/sda1: UNEXPECTED INCONSISTENCY; RUN fsck MANUALLY.
	(i.e., without -a or -p options)
fsck died with exit status 4
failed (code 4).
An automatic file system check (fsck) of the root filesystem failed. A manual fsck must be performed, then the system restarted. The fsck should be performed in maintenance mode with the root filesystem mounted in read-only mode. ... failed!
The root filesystem is currently mounted in read-only mode. A maintenance shell will now be started. After performing system maintenance, press CONTROL-D to terminate the maintenance shell and restart the system. ... (warning).
Give root password for maintenance
(or type Control-D to continue):

It may also be possible to do an fsck of your USB stick (first partition) on another Linux machine.

HTH, regards,
Heinz

Quote
_Oscar_
_Oscar_ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What did you change since the last successfull
> debian boot? Did you run 'apt-get upgrade' and you
> got a new kernel installed?
>

Yes, this exactly what happened. now what to do?

hkramski Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> on your serial connection (e.g. minicom) when your
> dockstar boots. Double check your pinout. Today I
> had to solder a serial cable using a noname CA-42
> USB adapter, and
> http://buffalo.nas-central.org/wiki/Use_a_Nokia_Se
> rial_Cable_on_an_ARM9_Linkstation#Determining_the_
> wiring_assignment_of_your_cable was a big help.
> See
> http://pinouts.ru/CellularPhones-Nokia/nokia_pop_p
> inout.shtml for the Nokia side (you need pins 6
> rx, 7 tx and 8 gnd) and use a multimeter to find
> the corresponding colors of your wires.
>

>
> It may also be possible to do an fsck of your USB
> stick (first partition) on another Linux machine.


I have ran an FSCK, drive is fine. Now will try to get the serial connection working but Its gonna be difficult for me as I have no prior experience. I guess I have to read and learn. Thanks for the links



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2010 12:56PM by gary4gar.

Take a look at http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,1042,1111#msg-1111.

Installing the "flash-kernel" package will do this for your automatically on future kernel updates.

Heinz

@heinz, I updated to the newest flash-kernel package but it doesn't run without the script I linked there: http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,1820,1846#msg-1846

Oscar,

I ran mkimage today manually so timestamps are insignificant now - I can't say for sure. It was my impression that flash-kernel does what it should, but maybe it was only after an update of initramfs-tools, not the kernel itself. Thank you for pointing that out.

Regards,
Heinz

Oscar,

unfortunatly you are right. "flash-kernel" is not triggered by installing a new kernel (like 2.6.32-27 today). At least, we have an easy to remember command now...

Regards,
Heinz

check my link: you have to add a script running the flash-kernel command in the /etc/kernel/postinst.d directory and it will be called after a kernel update by dpkg/apt-get.

Thanks, looks promising...

Edit:
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-flash-kernel confirmed working on my 2nd Dockstar, thanks again.

Heinz



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2010 04:59PM by hkramski.