[syslinux] extlinux vs. HP DL360 G4p

BuraphaLinux Server buraphalinuxserver at gmail.com
Tue Mar 30 23:29:49 PDT 2010


Hello List,

    I have been told to get linux running on two HP DL360G4p machines
(ancient rackmount xeon stuff).  Unfortunately, while isolinux boots
fine from CDROM, and extlinux can boot a USB stick, I cannot get
extlinux to boot from the CCISS hard disks (two disks in hardware raid
1 configuration).  I searched on google a lot, and found (very old,
many years ago) messages saying these machines have bad BIOS and we
should upgrade.  We did find a 2007 BIOS upgrade CD iso image from HP,
but it claimed the machines were up-to-date.

    1. Is this still a known issue?
    2. If so, is there a known workaround besides changing
bootloaders, or booting the machine from a cdrom every time?

We were using extlinux from syslinux-3.85 compiled for 32 bit to boot
64 bit linux-2.6.32.10.   Everything works for all our other
equipment, just not these specific machines.

     We are scheduled to go back on site in two days to try again, and
I was hoping somebody on this list has experience with this hardware
and can provide some hints on what to try.  When we boot, we don't get
a single byte on the screen from syslinux, the machine just hangs.  We
did wait 5 minutes just in case it was slow, but that didn't help.  We
used vesamenu, but the exact same vesamenu works great with isolinux
booted from a CDROM, so I don't think it is a graphics card issue.

    This is with the 'Smart Array 6i Controller'.  The information we
could get form the BIOS with F9 was this:

Product Id: 380325-371
HP BIOS P54 08/16/2005
Backup Version 08/16/2005
Bootblock 03/16/2004

The cpu is Xeon 3 ghz Family 15, Model ID 4, Stepping 3, and
hyperthreading and no-execute are enabled in the BIOS.

Thank you,

JGH




More information about the Syslinux mailing list