Baltix

Bug #930447
Comment #172

Comment 172 for bug 930447

Revision history for this message

ldlandis (ldlandis) wrote on 2013-05-03: Re: [Bug 930447] Re: Unable to start Ubuntu 12.04 live CD with syslinux loader on Pentium M x86 Laptop due to bug in PAE kernel, initramfs or syslinux

#172

ThinkPad.T41.Type-2373-9EU Edit (541 bytes, application/octet-stream; name="ThinkPad.T41.Type-2373-9EU")

Hi,

My machines (IBM ThinkPad T41, Type 2373-9EU) all claim to
be Pentium-M and do NOT support PAE according to the Ubuntu
boot message. I do have 2GB (the max without PAE) of DRAM
installed.

How much simpler is life with PAE-only support?

(Since that is the path that was taken, I am hoping that the
answer is very trivial to quantify since the work was done
and the code base reflects that change).

I understand moving ahead, but, to me, this fairly capable 32-bit
machine should still be supportable by Ubuntu. I have not tried
using CentOS as my desktop yet, but maybe that is an option if
I can't get the next LTS (14.04) Ubuntu to boot straight up.

Cheers,
--ldl

ldl@boGus:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS
Release: 12.04
Codename: precise

On Fri, May 3, 2013 at 3:35 PM, Christiansen <email address hidden>wrote:

> oliver, I agree with you entirely on your previous comments. The ThinkPad
> series were rather expensive hardware, and maybe on that account rather
> long lasting hardware. To this date I'm servicing 5 of these older
> ThinkPads running 12.04 *buntu, installed using the USB GRUB method
> described above in this bug.
> In later *buntus the kernel packages have been deliberately crippled by
> developers, so it isn't quiet as easy to work around, while you now have to
> fiddle with the kernel package for installation, and every time a
> subsequent kernel upgrade happens.
>
> I completely agree with the Ubuntu decision to let NON-PAE hardware go,
> but can't understand why hardware that works absolutely perfect with
> even the latest (kernel-fixed) versions of *buntu is left out this way.
> The change in the pre 12.04 kernel packages placing an OBSTRUCTION, is
> absolutely misplaced. The syslinux bug on the other hand demands bug-
> fixing work to be done, and we must accept if neither Canonical or the
> syslinux developer will spend time on that.
>
> But what I absolutely don't understand is, that the time used to make the
> *buntu kernel packages OBSTRUCTION, wasn't spent on fixing syslinux bug
> instead.
> A lot of people (ThinkPad among others) would probably have benefitted
> from this, and even those who don't find this bug rapport, and probably
> don't know what hit them when trying to install *buntu on their great
> hardware. Instead they may try another newer bad operating system from
> around 2007, and find that it just installs and works on their hardware -
> thus linux or *buntu is just a pain to use, which is hard for us who value
> open source and linux to argue against. So everybody, except you know who,
> looses out.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to a
> duplicate bug report (1029041).
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/930447
>
> Title:
> Unable to start Ubuntu 12.04 live CD with syslinux loader on Pentium M
> x86 Laptop due to bug in PAE kernel, initramfs or syslinux
>
> Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
> Won't Fix
> Status in “syslinux” package in Ubuntu:
> Confirmed
> Status in Baltix GNU/Linux:
> Triaged
>
> Bug description:
> Ubuntu 12.04 doesn't start from Desktop CD or USB with syslinux boot
> loader on Pentium M 1.6Ghz or faster Pentium M CPU - displays error
> message about missing PAE feature in CPU, but *the same* *Ubuntu
> 12.04* Desktop CD/LiveUSB starts fine on *the same CPU* (and same PAE
> kernel) if GRUB boot loader is used, for example when WUBI or LiveUSB
> with GRUB boot loader, like Multisystem
> (http://liveusb.info/dotclear/index.php?pages/install ) is used!
>
> The error message is:
> "This kernel requires the following features not present on the CPU: pae.
> Unable to boot - please use a kernel appropriate for you CPU."
>
> THIS IS AN IMPORTANT REGRESSION! People are able to install and
> successfully use Ubuntu 12.04 on such pretty new hardware, like IBM
> Thinkpad T42 laptop with Pentium M 1700Mhz processor, but the bug in
> syslinux (or something related) forbids Ubuntu 12.04 installation.
> This bug is reproducible on lots of computers, there are several log
> files and /proc/cpuinfo file attached to this bugreport, AFAIK it's enough
> to reopen this bug.
>
> ---
> ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
> Architecture: i386
> CurrentDmesg: Error: command ['sh', '-c', 'dmesg | comm -13
> --nocheck-order /var/log/dmesg -'] failed with exit code 1: comm:
> /var/log/dmesg: Permission denied
> MachineType: IBM 2373PPU
> dmi.bios.date: 06/18/2007
> dmi.bios.vendor: IBM
> dmi.bios.version: 1RETDRWW (3.23 )
> dmi.board.name: 2373PPU
> dmi.board.vendor: IBM
> dmi.board.version: Not Available
> dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
> dmi.chassis.type: 10
> dmi.chassis.vendor: IBM
> dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
> dmi.modalias:
> dmi:bvnIBM:bvr1RETDRWW(3.23):bd06/18/2007:svnIBM:pn2373PPU:pvrThinkPadT42:rvnIBM:rn2373PPU:rvrNotAvailable:cvnIBM:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
> dmi.product.name: 2373PPU
> dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T42
> dmi.sys.vendor: IBM
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/930447/+subscriptions
>

--
---
NOTE: If it is important CALL ME - I may miss email,
which I do NOT normally check on weekends nor on
a regular basis during any other day.
---
LD Landis - N0YRQ - de la tierra del encanto
3960 Schooner Loop, Las Cruces, NM 88012
651-340-4007 **FWBCS N32 21'48.28" W106 46'5.80"

Hi,

My machines (IBM ThinkPad T41, Type 2373-9EU) all claim to
be Pentium-M and do NOT support PAE according to the Ubuntu
boot message. I do have 2GB (the max without PAE) of DRAM
installed.

How much simpler is life with PAE-only support?

(Since that is the path that was taken, I am hoping that the
answer is very trivial to quantify since the work was done
and the code base reflects that change).

I understand moving ahead, but, to me, this fairly capable 32-bit
machine should still be supportable by Ubuntu.  I have not tried
using CentOS as my desktop yet, but maybe that is an option if
I can't get the next LTS (14.04) Ubuntu to boot straight up.

Cheers,
  --ldl

ldl@boGus:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS
Release: 12.04
Codename: precise

On Fri, May 3, 2013 at 3:35 PM, Christiansen <930447@bugs.launchpad.net>wrote:

> oliver, I agree with you entirely on your previous comments. The ThinkPad
> series were rather expensive hardware, and maybe on that account rather
> long lasting hardware. To this date I'm servicing 5 of these older
> ThinkPads running 12.04 *buntu, installed using the USB GRUB method
> described above in this bug.
> In later *buntus the kernel packages have been deliberately crippled by
> developers, so it isn't quiet as easy to work around, while you now have to
> fiddle with the kernel package for installation, and every time a
> subsequent kernel upgrade happens.
>
> I completely agree with the Ubuntu decision to let NON-PAE hardware go,
> but can't understand why hardware that works absolutely perfect with
> even the latest (kernel-fixed) versions of *buntu is left out this way.
> The change in the pre 12.04 kernel packages placing an OBSTRUCTION, is
> absolutely misplaced. The syslinux bug on the other hand demands bug-
> fixing work to be done, and we must accept if neither Canonical or the
> syslinux developer will spend time on that.
>
> But what I absolutely don't understand is, that the time used to make the
> *buntu kernel packages OBSTRUCTION, wasn't spent on fixing syslinux bug
> instead.
> A lot of people (ThinkPad among others) would probably have benefitted
> from this, and even those who don't find this bug rapport, and probably
> don't know what hit them when trying to install *buntu on their great
> hardware. Instead they may try another newer bad operating system from
> around 2007, and find that it just installs and works on their hardware -
> thus linux or *buntu is just a pain to use, which is hard for us who value
> open source and linux to argue against. So everybody, except you know who,
> looses out.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to a
> duplicate bug report (1029041).
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/930447
>
> Title:
>   Unable to start Ubuntu 12.04 live CD with syslinux loader on Pentium M
>   x86 Laptop due to bug in PAE kernel, initramfs or syslinux
>
> Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
>   Won't Fix
> Status in “syslinux” package in Ubuntu:
>   Confirmed
> Status in Baltix GNU/Linux:
>   Triaged
>
> Bug description:
>   Ubuntu 12.04 doesn't start from Desktop CD or USB with syslinux boot
>   loader on Pentium M 1.6Ghz or faster Pentium M CPU - displays error
>   message about missing PAE feature in CPU, but *the same* *Ubuntu
>   12.04* Desktop CD/LiveUSB starts fine on *the same CPU* (and same PAE
>   kernel) if GRUB boot loader is used, for example when WUBI or LiveUSB
>   with GRUB boot loader, like Multisystem
>   (http://liveusb.info/dotclear/index.php?pages/install ) is used!
>
>   The error message is:
>   "This kernel requires the following features not present on the CPU: pae.
>   Unable to boot - please use a kernel appropriate for you CPU."
>
>   THIS IS AN IMPORTANT REGRESSION! People are able to install and
> successfully use Ubuntu 12.04 on such pretty new hardware, like IBM
> Thinkpad T42 laptop with Pentium M 1700Mhz processor, but the bug in
> syslinux (or something related) forbids Ubuntu 12.04 installation.
>   This bug is reproducible on lots of computers, there are several log
> files and /proc/cpuinfo file attached to this bugreport, AFAIK it's enough
> to reopen this bug.
>
>   ---
>   ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
>   Architecture: i386
>   CurrentDmesg: Error: command ['sh', '-c', 'dmesg | comm -13
> --nocheck-order /var/log/dmesg -'] failed with exit code 1: comm:
> /var/log/dmesg: Permission denied
>   MachineType: IBM 2373PPU
>   dmi.bios.date: 06/18/2007
>   dmi.bios.vendor: IBM
>   dmi.bios.version: 1RETDRWW (3.23 )
>   dmi.board.name: 2373PPU
>   dmi.board.vendor: IBM
>   dmi.board.version: Not Available
>   dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
>   dmi.chassis.type: 10
>   dmi.chassis.vendor: IBM
>   dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
>   dmi.modalias:
> dmi:bvnIBM:bvr1RETDRWW(3.23):bd06/18/2007:svnIBM:pn2373PPU:pvrThinkPadT42:rvnIBM:rn2373PPU:rvrNotAvailable:cvnIBM:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
>   dmi.product.name: 2373PPU
>   dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T42
>   dmi.sys.vendor: IBM
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/930447/+subscriptions
>

-- 
---
NOTE: If it is important CALL ME - I may miss email,
which I do NOT normally check on weekends nor on
a regular basis during any other day.
---
LD Landis - N0YRQ - de la tierra del encanto
3960 Schooner Loop, Las Cruces, NM 88012
651-340-4007 **FWBCS N32 21'48.28" W106 46'5.80"