On 12/24/2023 05:09:24, Stakanov via openSUSE Users wrote:

In data domenica 24 dicembre 2023 00:53:11 CET, joe a ha scritto:

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Trying to salvage/repurpose former VMware host, to see if a useful iSCSI target can be built on LEAP 15.5. Dr. Frankenstein has granted me license to use some of his techniques. Call me Igor.

Creeping along, gathering bits from various Cyber crypts in the "Laboratory", I find the beastie will not boot from DVD or the Floppy, but willingly boots the former VMware drive.

The HD's are all "SATA" type, the DVD is IDE and the Floppy is, well, floppy. Well, the cable is anyway. The boot priority is DVD first, FD second, HD third.

Upon boot, it acts as if the DVD and FD are not installed. I tried another physical DVD, and cables for DVD and FD. Not a hint of activity on the drives, except during power on and POST.

If I remove the HD's from the boot sequence, leaving only the DVD and FD, there is still no observable activity on the drives (seeking sounds, LED blinks, NADA) and the process halts with F1, no boot found, press a key.

This used to work fine, I know, as I installed VMWARE via DVD, oh, so long ago. Gasp, I wax nostalgic. Which is quite different than waxing Brazilian. So I'm told

TIA. In advance.

joe a.

Welcome to Jurassic Park! (but I appreciate you effort, I tried the same at times).

The mainboard is very old. First: what OS do you wish to install (TW or Leap?).

LEAP 15.5. But, we don't get anywhere near that point.

Any POST?

Yes, appears normal. Shows all devices.

I will departure by the idea that you have only one IDE device attached and that it is cable select. You may set via jumper the DVD to master instead, some old models have problems with cable select in rare circumstances. If two devices are present use either cable select for ALL devices or master slave (in this case double check that the colour coding is correct on the cables (must be "black" plug for the master).

It is the only IDE and set to master. Tried various cables. Including the one that worked originally to install VMware, oh, so long ago . . .

First: check the installation medium, try a second burn if you have one. Burn at very low speed.

A thought, but this DVD was burned under the same conditions as all the others I've used.

Second: Did you push the machine (overclocking?) then you need to set default values in speed, especially RAM settings can blow the slow IDE to fail in boot.

No, normal clocking.

Third: Note that some mainboards have a resource restraint so that when fully packed with SATA they may fail to boot from an IDE, you could check in the bios which SATA ports are capable to boot and if possible, temporarily remove one of the cables until the boot / install is done and join it afterwards.

I have 4 SATA installed but deactivated them in BIOS as part of my thrashing about.

After this: As far as I see you have only one IDE, as first step go into the BIOS and deactivate the floppy. Set DVD first.

DVD has always been first But did not try eliminating the floppy.

If USB is authorized to boot, try either a mobile usb DVD for install (do NOT use a HUB when installing, do it only and always on a physical usb plug of the mainboard.

Sadly, no USB boot seems to be available. Tried the lastest BIOS (2012, a great year! for wine perhaps)

If the OS is not available on USB key, and the other steps did not give result, you could try to change the IDE cable (I would normally advise to change controller but you have only one as far as I see on the layout).

So first: medium, default chipset timing, no floppy, if still not then one sata taken off during install, if not possible try to change cable, try USB without hub.

Then once you are done with all this, you may tell results.

Seasonal greetings.

Same to all.

On 12/24/2023 12:41:51, Felix Miata wrote:

joe a composed on 2023-12-24 10:07 (UTC-0500):

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If USB is authorized to boot, try either a mobile usb DVD for install (do NOT use a HUB when installing, do it only and always on a physical usb plug of the mainboard.

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Sadly, no USB boot seems to be available. Tried the lastest BIOS (2012, a great year! for wine perhaps)

Some BIOS obfuscate USB booting by equating it to HDD booting. You may have been looking in the wrong places. The ASUS BBS key is F8. Try it at the same time as you would DEL to try to get into BIOS setup. That should give you a boot device menu that includes USB and OM, unless BIOS setup has blocked booting either or both, or neither are available.

F8 was the key (sorry, could not resist). Still was not a walk in the park, but it now does boot, albeit from the USB stick. I see someone at OpenSuse is in the holiday spirit, viewing the installers seasonally oriented opening display. At this point, I may as well let it run the Memory test for "a while" and seek other amusement. Thanks for the help.