adjustment to boot time (Solved)

[Yankee]

I have a boot message that says "waiting for sdb3 to appear - 1 min"
and the boot messages actually stop for 1 minute.   Sdb3 was a portable
hard drive that is disconnected.   Presently am booting from sdb1 which
is a flash drive.

Can I manually adjust the boot time wait for sdb3 to 10 seconds ?    Pretty
advanced question and I haven't a clue where to make the adjustment.

THX

[pags]

I have a boot message that says "waiting for sdb3 to appear - 1 min"
and the boot messages actually stop for 1 minute.   Sdb3 was a portable
hard drive that is disconnected.   Presently am booting from sdb1 which
is a flash drive.

Can I manually adjust the boot time wait for sdb3 to 10 seconds ?    Pretty
advanced question and I haven't a clue where to make the adjustment.

THX

Sounds like you did the install (or, installed a new kernel) while the external drive was connected...

Try this.

[kjpetrie]

I don't know whether you can adjust the wait, but you can remove it altogether by editing /etc/fstab as root and deleting the line (or commenting it out with a leading # if you prefer) that refers to /dev/sdb3.

/dev/sdb3 will then be detected by HAL in exactly the same way as any other USB drive. You can mount it by opening it in a file manager.

Hope that helps.

[Yankee]

I don't know whether you can adjust the wait, but you can remove it altogether by editing /etc/fstab as root and deleting the line (or commenting it out with a leading # if you prefer) that refers to /dev/sdb3.

Code: [Select]

# Entry for /dev/sdb3 :
LABEL=lxdemini1 / ext4 defaults 1 1
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts defaults 0 0

The above fstab code is really for sdb1 as sdb3 is no longer connected.
The LABEL=lxdemini1 is an hd0,0 for grub when I select it at bootup
and is where I moved the whole filesystem formerly on sdb3.

Thanks for the response(s).   Need to read these over again.

[AS]

HI FF,

Grub does not read the file /etc/fstab, will read only the file /boot/grub/menu.lst, and will search the label there.
Once you boot from your external hard disk, the file that will be used will be the /etc/fstab from your external HD.

You can however retain the entry in your current /etc/fstab, only change the option from "default" to "noauto",
this will prevent the automatic mount at boot time.

AS

[Yankee]

Sounds like you did the install (or, installed a new kernel) while the external drive was connected...

Try this.

Actually installed it to the external HD (sdb3) and moved it to a flash drive (sdb1).   Ran
the mkinitrd command you suggested with my kernel number but it still likes to stop
before making the root filesystem for the full 1 minute.

At least it's just pausing, not doing anything bad.

THX

BG

[Yankee]

HI FF,

Grub does not read the file /etc/fstab, will read only the file /boot/grub/menu.lst, and will search the label there.
Once you boot from your external hard disk, the file that will be used will be the /etc/fstab from your external HD.

You can however retain the entry in your current /etc/fstab, only change the option from "default" to "noauto",
this will prevent the automatic mount at boot time.

Code: [Select]

# Entry for /dev/sdb3 :
LABEL=lxdemini1 / ext4 defaults 1 1
/dev/sdb3 /media/disk2 ext4 defaults,noauto 1 1
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts defaults 0 0

Hi AS,

The above code now includes a fstab entry for sdb3 to mount at /media/disk2 with
noauto.  But it still is sitting with a 1 minute timeout waiting for disconnected sdb3
to appear.   It must have the original install partition permanently engraved somewhere.
Unless it sees that disk, mounted or not, it's pausing.

Well at least I can see the timeout message to identify the reason for the added pause.

Thanks for your help again, anything else that might help just add it right in.

THX

[kjpetrie]

If you want it to be mounted at /media/ does it have to be disk2? HAL mounts in media when  a new device is connected, without any entry in fstab.

If you just want to be able to access the drive in /media/ when you plug it in, put a # in front of that line.

[Yankee]

If you want it to be mounted at /media/ does it have to be disk2? HAL mounts in media when  a new device is connected, without any entry in fstab.

If you just want to be able to access the drive in /media/ when you plug it in, put a # in front of that line.

Hello,

I'm sure it would mount when plugged in, just testing if that entry for /dev/sdb3 would
stop it from attempting to mount and waiting to mount it when it isn't plugged in.

Fstab doesn't seem to be causing the 1 minute timeout when sdb3 isn't connected or
causing the waiting for a nonexistent or existing fstab entry to mount sdb3.

I'm surprised one of the two ideas didn't work (fstab adjustment or a new initrd).

[AS]

FF,

Actually installed it to the external HD (sdb3) and moved it to a flash drive (sdb1).

Are you sure that after you "moved" this installation, the reference (UUID) in menu.lst has been changed accordingly ?
May be the problem started exactly after this move ?

AS

[kjpetrie]

I seem to recall that after correcting fstab you have to remake the initrd, as at that stage the kernel is using the copy in there.

[Yankee]

Actually installed it to the external HD (sdb3) and moved it to a flash drive (sdb1).

Are you sure that after you "moved" this installation, the reference (UUID) in menu.lst has been changed accordingly ?
May be the problem started exactly after this move ?

Hello,

The sdb3 drive and the sdb1 flash partitions have the same UUID, the FSArchiver program does it that way, also the same label.   If I changed the UUID it would also slow down boot but I can never see a pertinent message relating to that.   It just does.  The kernel expects to see the original UUID and it takes awhile to see the new UUID I'm guessing, again.

I'm using labels in menu.lst so it references the right partition OK.

It's not that big of a problem just wants that 1 minute timeout.   Next week I'll try the newest kernel
and see if it breaks this seeking for sdb3 and just stays with sdb1.

Thanks for the response, have a good one.

[Yankee]

Good News !

Installed the new 38.4 bfs kernel while watching American Idol...
and it booted right thru everything.   Sdb3 wasn't a problem and
caused no hesitation, the wlan0 went right on, it didn't even hesitate
a second looking at my Dynex 5 button mouse.

Very quick boot overall.   That sdb3 timeout had to be kernel related.


Thanks for your response(s) and help.   Have a good one.

FF

[Old-Polack]

Good News !

Installed the new 38.4 bfs kernel while watching American Idol...
and it booted right thru everything.   Sdb3 wasn't a problem and
caused no hesitation, the wlan0 went right on, it didn't even hesitate
a second looking at my Dynex 5 button mouse.

Very quick boot overall.   That sdb3 timeout had to be kernel related.


Thanks for your response(s) and help.   Have a good one.

FF

Actually initrd related. The new initrd for the new kernel had none of the old cruft from the partition change and such. It was made with the system in its present form.

[johnmart]

I experienced  a similar problem some time ago but couldn't remember the details of the fix. While I was looking for my notes your kernel upgrade fixed you up.
Guess it is a good thing cuz I can't find my notes, but the keyword was "waiting for sdb3 to appear - 1 min"