Created attachment 359124 [details] screenshot sha512sum install-amd64-minimal-20130816.iso a43eb31e2b381aaac3ba0e564365197a22f717e29413d16701cfb1babbae7d3194b07585f6643ad44d437d691d360b47835811ca59fea321bf63ff4acbd4b5f9 install-amd64-minimal-20130816.iso After booting this live cd (qemu-kvm, gentoo-nofb kernel) first it appears that tar is failing (see screenshot). Then there is a long delay where nothing happens, then we get a "login:" prompt but appears not to accept any keyboard input.
I'm not able to reproduce this in virtualbox, but this feels like something is going wrong with the storage controller driver during boot. Can you try emulating a different storage device type?
I've gotten it to boot now. I'll leave this open for the original guy who reported this problem on #gentoo. Apparently the default amount of memory (512M?) that qemu appropriates to an image is no longer enough to boot the ISO image and you get an error when it unpacks the firmware (to RAM). Giving qemu 1024M succeeds.
(In reply to Albert W. Hopkins from comment #2) > I've gotten it to boot now. I'll leave this open for the original guy who > reported this problem on #gentoo. > > Apparently the default amount of memory (512M?) that qemu appropriates to an > image is no longer enough to boot the ISO image and you get an error when it > unpacks the firmware (to RAM). Giving qemu 1024M succeeds. In that case, I consider this at most a documentation bug. @docs-team: shall we update /add minimum requirements to the handbook?
The current handbook says 256MB is the minimum requirement for amd64 minimal install cd. I've done some testing in vbox and the unpack succeeds on 160MB but fails on 128MB. qemu's default is 128MB, lower than our minimum requirement. I believe this minimum requirement will go even lower once the autobuild box gets updated to newest catalyst-9999, since Zero_Chaos removed the useless firmware-tarball setup about 2.5 weeks ago: http://git.overlays.gentoo.org/gitweb/?p=proj/catalyst.git;a=commitdiff;h=9f4116ea616f806d02f6abff60a42be222a672c1
Indeed; the docs currently state a minimum of 256 Mb of memory for the minimal installation CD, and this still seems to work (downloaded and booted latest amd64 one here). Considering the catalyst update, I don't think it is necessary to adjust the limits right now.
I wonder how SystemRescue CD is doing things differently. The current release still runs with the default qemu 128MB RAM, that's including "docache" plus it can still run an X server. It has 52499 bytes in /lib/firmware. The latest minimal CD does not work in 128MB, doesn't run X and has slighly less in /lib/firmware (52076 bytes).
(In reply to Albert W. Hopkins from comment #6) > I wonder how SystemRescue CD is doing things differently. The current > release still runs with the default qemu 128MB RAM, that's including > "docache" plus it can still run an X server. I think you are mistaken, the docache feature will not work on such little RAM: >> Copying sysrcd.dat file for caching (size: 318476 KB)... Killed !! Caching failed. Likely due to lack of memory !! Cannot unmount the original media I've just done a quick test build with new catalyst, here's how things look on my test setup, amount of memory used immediately after boot: install-amd64-minimal-20130816.iso: 81MB sysrescuecd-3.7.1: 59MB install-amd64-minimal-ben.iso: 39MB (this one being built w/ releng specs, new catalyst) The new build boots fine on 128MB RAM, also. Anything else to be fixed here?
(In reply to Ben Kohler from comment #7) > (In reply to Albert W. Hopkins from comment #6) > > I wonder how SystemRescue CD is doing things differently. The current > > release still runs with the default qemu 128MB RAM, that's including > > "docache" plus it can still run an X server. > > I think you are mistaken, the docache feature will not work on such little > RAM: > > >> Copying sysrcd.dat file for caching (size: 318476 KB)... > Killed > !! Caching failed. Likely due to lack of memory > !! Cannot unmount the original media > You are right. I didn't catch that error the first time, and the OS continues to load anyway which gives the impression that docache succeeded. > I've just done a quick test build with new catalyst, here's how things look > on my test setup, amount of memory used immediately after boot: > > install-amd64-minimal-20130816.iso: 81MB > sysrescuecd-3.7.1: 59MB > install-amd64-minimal-ben.iso: 39MB (this one being built w/ releng specs, > new catalyst) > > The new build boots fine on 128MB RAM, also. Anything else to be fixed here? I'm not sure if the guy on IRC is on this bug and I cannot remember his nick. So I'm not even sure if he is on this bug. But AFAIC you can close this one out. thanks, -a
Given all the comments in this bug, I'm closing this as fixed (per Zero's commit to catalyst to stop using firmware tarballs).
