New Mobo & cpu No old linux?

[Hawkeye]

Can't make heads nor tails of this one..
Upgraded main box with mobo cpu and ram (Asrock P67 i72600k ddr3)
Same box with original parts includes 2x HDDs (1xWD500 & 1xSGate500)
these drives had PCLos2010 & Win7 (SGate) and PCLos2009 & WinXP (WD) and all were running fine on the old mobo setup.
After the swap all but PCLos2009 were booting fine.
No matter what I did I couldn't get the 2009 install to boot ??
since then I have found that I am unable to boot a number of earlier live linux distros?
Firstly I tried my two remasters of the PClos2009 that I have made - no go.
I tried my original PCLos2007 - no go.
I then went through a number of earlier items including...
GPARTED Live CD 03.4-10 beta - no go.
knoppix 5.1 - no go.
PING - no go.
and a couple of others (they will all boot on other machines but not on this setup?).

PCLos2010.12 & PCLos2011.09 along with SuperGrup2 & another distro Netbook 10.10 all boot without any problems.

Errors are > No suitable media for the live cd content found (PCLos2007 & 9)
                 >cannot find knoppix file system
                 >Kernel panic - not syncing (PING hard reset needed)
                 >invalid loop location :/gparted.dat (GPARTED livecd)
I have since wiped my install of 2009 and installed OpenSUSE64bit in it's place - seems OK.
anyone any idea's what may be the problem/s here.
Thanks.

[AS]

Can't make heads nor tails of this one..
Upgraded main box with mobo cpu and ram (Asrock P67 i72600k ddr3)
Same box with original parts includes 2x HDDs (1xWD500 & 1xSGate500)
these drives had PCLos2010 & Win7 (SGate) and PCLos2009 & WinXP (WD) and all were running fine on the old mobo setup.
After the swap all but PCLos2009 were booting fine.

May be PCLinuxOS 2009 had an older kernel installed ?

No matter what I did I couldn't get the 2009 install to boot ??
since then I have found that I am unable to boot a number of earlier live linux distros?
Firstly I tried my two remasters of the PClos2009 that I have made - no go.

Again, may depend on kernel version, additionally may depend on the (possibly wrong) compression used to remaster.

I tried my original PCLos2007 - no go.
I then went through a number of earlier items including...
GPARTED Live CD 03.4-10 beta - no go.
knoppix 5.1 - no go.
PING - no go.
and a couple of others (they will all boot on other machines but not on this setup?).

PCLos2010.12 & PCLos2011.09 along with SuperGrup2 & another distro Netbook 10.10 all boot without any problems.

Errors are > No suitable media for the live cd content found (PCLos2007 & 9)
                 >cannot find knoppix file system
                 >Kernel panic - not syncing (PING hard reset needed)
                 >invalid loop location :/gparted.dat (GPARTED livecd)
I have since wiped my install of 2009 and installed OpenSUSE64bit in it's place - seems OK.
anyone any idea's what may be the problem/s here.
Thanks.

sorry, no enough info to understand what went wrong, other than a failure to recognize the CD unit 

AS

[Xenaflux]

As for PCLinuxOS 2009.2 , I had the same problem when I changed hard drives from ( old ) IDE drives to ( new ) sata drives.
I was able to install it , provided it was on ext3.
But then it couldn't see more than 10Gb of any other partition bigger than that.
When I tried to install it on ext4, it gave similar messages as what you got.

I posted on this forum, and one of the developers here told me: forget it Jack.
 
Of course, the words were different , more polite, and more technical.
< forget it Jack > is just my interpretation.

That was the day I switched to KDE4  

sorry, can't say more on it.
Xx

[ruel24]

I've never had luck upgrading hardware and assuming that Linux would adjust the drivers the way Windows does, and keep on going. It seems that any new hardware upgrade involving the motherboard requires a fresh install. As far as PCLOS 2009, if it hasn't been updated to the latest, which I believe required a reinstall anyway, it simply won't work. The kernel is too old for the hardware.

I've posted on many Linux sites about this one area of Linux I don't like. If I build the latest/greatest computer with all the best parts, I need to have the latest kernel to install Linux. I cannot go back and install Red Hat 7.3, for instance. However, I can boot up a Windows XP disk that I've had since 2001, and install it, and then upgrade it with the latest service packs and drivers and use it. So, why does Linux have to be this way? I can take an installation of Windows on a hard drive from one computer, and move it to another, and aside from the activation issue, it'll reconfigure itself to work on the new hardware. It doesn't seem, in my experience, that Linux works that way at all. For all the wonderful things Linux does right, this is one thing they don't.

[rubentje1991]

Never tried replacing a motherboard on an existing install.....
however all other hardware parts until now do work - new HDs, CD/DVD-drives, swapping video cards, adding RAM, etc etc (but that's pretty normal - in contrast with another motherboard  )

[Old-Polack]

I've never had luck upgrading hardware and assuming that Linux would adjust the drivers the way Windows does, and keep on going. It seems that any new hardware upgrade involving the motherboard requires a fresh install. As far as PCLOS 2009, if it hasn't been updated to the latest, which I believe required a reinstall anyway, it simply won't work. The kernel is too old for the hardware.

I've posted on many Linux sites about this one area of Linux I don't like. If I build the latest/greatest computer with all the best parts, I need to have the latest kernel to install Linux. I cannot go back and install Red Hat 7.3, for instance. However, I can boot up a Windows XP disk that I've had since 2001, and install it, and then upgrade it with the latest service packs and drivers and use it. So, why does Linux have to be this way? I can take an installation of Windows on a hard drive from one computer, and move it to another, and aside from the activation issue, it'll reconfigure itself to work on the new hardware. It doesn't seem, in my experience, that Linux works that way at all. For all the wonderful things Linux does right, this is one thing they don't.

Five days ago, I replaced my MB with a new AM3+ socket Gigabyte 970A-UD3 board, a new 4 core AMD FX 4100 CPU, 16 GB DDR3 RAM, 500 Watt Antec PS, PCI-e slot GeForce 9800 video card, and replaced the old IDE DVD burner with a new SATA unit. (no IDE sockets on this board) That pretty much leaves the external Hard drives and the case itself as all that's left of the old build.

Having read the above and having only booted into the 64 bit test install previously, I rebooted and chose the 2009 TR5 installation, the oldest OS on this hard drive. I'm typing this from that installation. It booted without any issues whatever. All hardware was found, properly configured, and is fully functional. I didn't have to do anything. It just worked.

This installation was originally done on an IDE hard drive on a previous build with a 754 pin AMD 64 single core 3000+ CPU, all IDE controllers (no SATA) 10/100 Ethernet card, 2 GB DDR RAM, and a nVidia AGP slot Geforce 6600 video card. When I did the previous rebuild I used rsync to copy the installation to the External drive it now resides on, and it's worked equally well (without issues) with an AM2+ socket MB with an AMD 64 5200+ dual core CPU, 4 GB DDR2 RAM, Gigabit Ethernet card, PCI-e Geforce 8600 video card, with both IDE and SATA drive controllers. That's three generations of builds on this machine, and this installation stills boots and runs without a hiccup.

Being as this OS is on an external drive, I also boot it from an old 2002 Compaq with a 32 bit AMD XP 2100+ CPU and 2 GB DDR RAM, 10/100 Ethernet card and an old nVidia Geforce MX 400 on board GPU. I had to add a USB2 PCI card in order to connect the external drive, then copy the TR5 /boot directory to the Compaq's internal drive to enable the boot up, because the machine's too old to have a "Boot From USB" BIOS option.

Not only has it booted without issue on all the above machines, I bring the hard drive with me when I go to other peoples houses to work on their errant machines, and have yet to have boot up issues with any installation. The very worst problem I've encountered is with having to reconfigure the video drivers if the machine in question has other than an nVidia card within the range of the current driver, and that's just a matter of running PCC from the VT, with a root login, and selecting the correct driver.

How compatible ones older installation is with newer hardware depends a lot on how radical the change in hardware is, how well the hardware manufacturers support Linux, and the kernel used by the installation. Assuming the hardware in question has proper manufacturer support for Linux, the newer the kernel the greater the chance the drivers needed will be present, and the greater the chance the hardware will be properly detected and configured on first boot up. If the proper drivers are present, then there should be little or no problems with booting on a different or upgraded machine. On this TR5 installation the kernel in use is;

[root@fatman ~]# uname -r
2.6.27.31.tex5

[Old-Polack]

Just found an even older installation on my other external hard drive; a 2008 MiniMe, still with the default black and green desktop wallpaper, upgrading stopped before the "Big Repo Freeze" before the 2009 release. Typing this from that installation. Again, it just booted up on the new build, no problems.

[root@fatman ~]# uname -r
2.6.22.15.tex2

Firefox looks a bit funny, at version 2.0.0.14, but it's working fine. The nVidia 173.14.27 driver doesn't recognize the video card by name, but works fine.

[ruel24]

I was just simply going off my past experience. I've tried building new rigs and just plugging in the hard drive, but it's always been met with disaster for me. Maybe things are better now? I just do a fresh install. How long does that take? A couple of minutes? With updated ISOs, updating is no longer a pain, either.

[Old-Polack]

I was just simply going off my past experience. I've tried building new rigs and just plugging in the hard drive, but it's always been met with disaster for me. Maybe things are better now? I just do a fresh install. How long does that take? A couple of minutes? With updated ISOs, updating is no longer a pain, either.

All true, no argument there.

My experience, however, has been just the opposite. Maybe because, since 1998, I always use AMD CPUs, MB chip sets are either nVidia or AMD/ATI, and since 2003 all video cards have been nVidia. Last ATI card was a pre Radeon All In Wonder with 32 MB memory using the old rage drivers. (1999-2000 ? )

It's been so long since I've run anything but PCLinuxOS I don't know what other distro's hardware detection is like anymore. I know it's great with PCLinuxOS.

I'm now on an even earlier TR4 (partially upgraded pre 2007 Test Release) OS, and same thing as the 2008 MiniMe and 2009 TR5, it booted right up and is running like it was originally installed here. That's the very oldest OS on either of these external hard drives. I didn't even know I still had this one, until I checked the partition labels.

[root@fatman ~]# cat /etc/release
PCLinuxOS release 2007 (PCLinuxOS) for i586

[root@fatman ~]# uname -r
2.6.22.17.tex2



Slightly newer nVidia driver, that actually recognizes the video card by name. Long way from the 290-295 drivers that are currently used with this card, which pretty much means any nvidia driver between 173 and 295 will grab this card and make it its own.

[djohnston]

Well, I don't have any older installations. But, about 3 or 4 months ago, I had to replace 2 mobos. They were replaced with a different vendor's motherboard, but used the same RAM, video card, hard drives, etc. Went without a hitch. The CPUs were changed, but were/are AMD in both cases. The specs are a little higher on the newer boards as far as RAM capacity. etc.

[Hawkeye]

Thanks everyone for your comments
Have to consider that it is as ruel24 suggested - older kernel maybe?
Have stripped the box of all devices except the GPU (NV blk prl 9600) - MB no on board GPU.
No HDDs and only 1 4gB stick ram (also have tested ddr3 sticks via Memtest - OK)
Have since dloaded some new live iso's of gparted, clonezilla, etc to try to boot into.

I had been keeping my 2009 install as it was always my treasure - everything worked and I ran compiz on top of kde3 including the neat screensaver that had my dtops revolving back on the sphere with a skymap behind - created oohhs & aahhs from viewers 
I found she wasn't booting as I can't get my genius webcam to run under 2010 and 11 but she ran fine under 2009?
Don't use it much and I have another couple somewhere that most likely will run - I was curious as to why so thought I'd just boot back into it to check.

I have also since found problems installing VB (another post) wanted the USB support so was trying getvirtualbox.
Thought I'd try booting the live 2009 (and other failings) in a VM on this box - see what the outcome was to be.
Still working on that one.
Will update with any findings.
Thanks for your thoughts.

[Old-Polack]

Hawkeye:

When you say "won't boot" exactly what did it do? At what stage of the boot process does it stop? Do you know which kernel was in use on the installation that failed to boot?

[DeBaas]

Maybe the old AHCI settings problem ?
Try fidling with the HDD AHCI settings in the BIOS from your new mobo.
Or..... don't look back and use the latest and greatest, get your documents from older partitions and focus forwards for better use of this now available disk space.

Ed

[Hawkeye]

Back again 

Would appear that anything that is trying to load a kernel 2.6.32 or earlier creates some sort of fault?
Sorry haven't dug through the more recent iso's and cd/dvd's to keep checking at which point the failures stop but likely I will when I get more time (the constant booting & rebooting etc chews up the moments).
So far the most common error has been finishing with /unable to mount live cd
but as pointed out in my OP the errors are quite different with each build.

Also pointed out that all these cd/dvd's boot without problems on other (earlier) boxes including lappies.

Thanks to DeBaas for your input but that was one of the first areas that I plummeted into without success of course and I have tried the noapic route at grub boot as well?
PS: are using (many) current vers pclOS's    including a couple 64bit installs (kde & gnome)

PING (2.6.24) error kernel panic - not syncing usually pointing at memory conflict/problems had me run memtest (1x 4Gb modual at a time) overnight to check valid stable ddr. After those appeared to check out OK I have resumed with only (1) one 4Gb modual installed.
Started to think that I have fallen into this new breed of chipset that has caused eyebrow raising ie: signed driver & M$ and started to read a little more up on that subject but have dismissed since installs OK using later kernels.
Also have now got Oracles VB installed and PCLos2009KDE running inside that next to M$win8 ?? - of course not a good indicator as VB sets up mimic hardware but proved that it would load live and install on this new box - abate within a VB indicating that the problems are more likely new type bios idiosyncrasy's or rather modern hardware being incompatible with earlier kernels.

When I get a little more flush ($$) I'll grab another Mobo (with integrated gpu) and retest some of these problems so until I can come up with anything conclusive would still like to hear from anyone whom may be able to shed some light.
Many thanks once again.
 

[Crow]

New hardware probably needs new kernel.

I just want to say that PClinuxOS adapts itself to new hardware needs fairly well, we had a problem in a school to install the edu remaster in computers PIII which doesn't boot from USB, doesn't have DVD reader and didn't accept one (a bios thing I guess). My son suggested to pull out the HD and install from his laptop using an IDE to USB cable; he configured using vesa drivers and did that. After putting the HD's in place the computers booted fine.

The only problem was a monitor that went black after log in, Google told us that the monitor only accepted 800x600 at 70 Hz and 1024x768 at 60Hz, XFdrake was a breeze to use.

Here is a picture of said machine