Alt_disk_install

[samalogo]

Hello,

I installed a system with an alt_disk_mksysb command, as follow:

-Mksysb on a similar hw box with AIX6.1 (6100-02-02-0849)
-In the target box I run the command:
alt_disk_mksysb -m /dev/rmt0 -d hdisk1
-Command finish ok
-I reboot the box
-The led show how all hw and sw codes pass ok. But when I expect to have a console, the screen remaind black.

I tried to connect a laptop as a serial console and I was be able to enter the system and it gave me login without problems. Now, I see that the problem is that I can get login from the graphic console attach to the box (39M2877 IBM 2x8 local console manager). The screen is black. I checked:

1. Login enable on the console. Ok

2. Console is assigned to /dev/lft0. Ok

3. alog -f /var/adm/ras/bootlog -o. I do not see any error with the lft#:

****************** no stderr ***********
----------------
Time: 10 LEDS: 0x538
invoking top level program -- "/etc/methods/startlft"
Time: 10 LEDS: 0x539
return code = 0
****************** stdout ***********
lft0

****************** no stderr ***********
----------------
attempting to configure device 'lft0'
Time: 10 LEDS: 0x593
invoking /etc/methods/cfglft -2 -l lft0
Number of running methods: 1
----------------
Completed method for: lft0, Elapsed time = 0
return code = 0
****************** no stdout ***********

I do not know if somebody has some suggestion in this case.


Tks,
Samalogo

 

[victorv]

hi,
try this:

0) boot your box and ensure it is going (laptop)
1) put CD1 of AIx in cdrom
2) using smit, run smitty cfgmgr, and in CDROM field,
press F4 (probably Esc+4) and select your CD (/dev/cd0)

If some drivers is missing (Graphic adapter,,...) in this
way, will be retrieved from CD.

bye
vic

 

[samalogo]

Hi Victorv,

Tks for your comment. I applied your suggestion. In fact, the cfgmgr did not install anything. Anyway I restarted the machine but the problem continue.

Any other suggestions?.

Tks,
Samalogo

 

[psi07004]

Not sure if any of these could be your problem but they all have caused the same symptons at one time or another.
1. Duplicate entry in /etc/hosts for the acutal hostame of the system. with different ip addresses.
2. Missing the /etc/resolv.conf file
3. Unable to do name resolution on the system.

Also, you could try changing the "Change System User Interface" in SMIT under "System Environments" to "Command Line" and see if that gives you a login prompt. If so, there is most likely a problem resolving the system name (nslookup acutal hostname).

Hope one of these help.

 

[samalogo]

Hi,

I checked every point that you mentioned:

1. I do not have duplicate entries in /etc/host.
2. Really I do not use in any server the resolv.conf (and I do not have problems with local graphic console with them). Any way I created one. The problem continued
3. I prove the name resolution and I do not have problems.

Finally I change the System user interface as you recommended me and I have now command line interface login in the console. Now I have to check why with CDE1.0 does not work. Do you recommend me something about it?.

Thanks for your useful help.

Samalogo

 

[samalogo]

I backed to CDE 1.0 system user interface and checked:

1. smit system -> change system user interface -> select system login user interface -> CDE 1.0
I rebooted the system

2. lslpp -l | grep X11.Dt*

X11.Dt.ToolTalk -- AIX CDE ToolTalk Support
X11.Dt.bitmaps -- AIX CDE Bitmaps
X11.Dt.helpmin -- AIX CDE Minimum Help Files
X11.Dt.helprun -- AIX CDE Runtime Help
X11.Dt.lib -- AIX CDE Runtime Libraries
X11.Dt.rte -- AIX Common Desktop Environment X11.Dt.ToolTalk 6.1.2.0 COMMITTED AIX CDE ToolTalk Support
X11.Dt.bitmaps 6.1.0.0 COMMITTED AIX CDE Bitmaps
X11.Dt.helpmin 6.1.2.0 COMMITTED AIX CDE Minimum Help Files
X11.Dt.helprun 6.1.1.0 COMMITTED AIX CDE Runtime Help
X11.Dt.lib 6.1.2.0 COMMITTED AIX CDE Runtime Libraries
X11.Dt.rte 6.1.2.0 COMMITTED AIX Common Desktop Environment
X11.Dt.ToolTalk 6.1.2.0 COMMITTED AIX CDE ToolTalk Support
X11.Dt.bitmaps 6.1.0.0 COMMITTED AIX CDE Bitmaps
X11.Dt.helpmin 6.1.2.0 COMMITTED AIX CDE Minimum Help Files
X11.Dt.rte 6.1.2.0 COMMITTED AIX Common Desktop Environment

2./usr/dt/bin/dtconfig -e
The CDE is Already set as the default User Interface

3. /usr/dt/bin/dtlogin -daemon nothing happens
when run: /etc/rc.dt
Starting AIX Windows Desktop....

4. in inittab there exists an entry: dt:2:wait:/etc/rc.dt

5. vi /etc/dt/config/Xservers
:0 Local Loacal@console /usr/lpp/X11/defaults/xserverrc -T -bs -force :0

vi dtprofile
DTSOURCEPROFILE = TRUE

I do not know what else I can check.

Thks in advance
Samalogo

 

[DukeSSD]

Have you checked the firmware SMS console?
Reboot, F1 or 1 to boot to SMS, option 4 I think for the console selection, select the LFT, then exit and the system will continue to boot.

Do you have an pSeries IBM keyboard connected? any old PC keyboard will probably not be recognised and if the system does not detect a (supported) keyboard it will not initalise the LFT.

Do you hae a supported monitor connected?

HTH.

 

[samalogo]

Hi,

I booted the box to SMS and select the LFT as console, but I still have black console.

I have 39M2877 IBM 2x8 local console manager (this has IBM keyboard and monitor). In fact, at this moment I have other 5 IBM systems attached to this KVM without problems.

Samalogo

 

[p5wizard]

Are you booting the machine with KVM console manager switched to this machine? I think the server needs to detect monitor, keyboard and mouse on boot for lft0 to come up properly...



HTH,

p5wizard

 

[psi07004]

New information, a KVM switch. I agree with p5wizard. I have had the exact same problem when booting the system without the kvm set to the booting system. Did you try that?

 

[samalogo]

Yes, when I am booting the machine with KVM console manager, I switch to this machine. During the boot process I can see the SMS menu, then the white screen with the CPU's information. After that, when the leds start with the AIX loading...The screen becomes black. When the machine is up and running I have to enter through the net or connecting a laptop to the serial port.

 

[psi07004]

Another possibility, and this comes from an IBM technote.

Proceed through all the usual checks to ensure that the mouse, keyboard, and graphics adapter are available and the drivers are installed.

Check that lft0 is available, enter:
lsdev -C |grep lft
lsdev -Cc lft

Has /usr/lpp been copied to a separate filesystem?

If so, the lpp directory must be under /usr filesystem and read at boot to configure the console. Copying lpp to a separate filesystem will prevent the console from configuring correctly, even if /usr/lpp filesystem is mounted at boot.

 

[victorv]

hi,
have you changed the frequency of video and set a resolution
that the video cannot support ?

If you see SMS, this means that HW is ok,(server,cables,kvm)
but when OS starts, it become black: nothing is broken;

1) try to use, just for a test, another video, connecting
on the fly it to the kvm
(a crt video if you have one spare that may support the actual video resolution).

2) using smitty devices, go in graphic adapter (or similar)
and look for display resolution and verify or set it at lower one.

ciao
vittorio

 

[samalogo]

I have lft available:

$lsdev -C|grep lft
lft0 Available Low Function Terminal Subsystem
$lsdev -Cc lft
lft0 Available Low Function Terminal Subsystem

And the /usr/lpp is in the same /usr filesystem:


$df -vg
Filesystem GB blocks Used Free %Used Iused Ifree %Iused Mounted on
/dev/hd4 1.00 0.15 0.85 15% 5143 199609 3% /
/dev/hd2 4.00 2.86 1.14 72% 57383 271469 18% /usr
/dev/hd9var 4.00 0.48 3.52 12% 5627 821839 1% /var
/dev/hd3 5.00 0.43 4.57 9% 728 1064689 1% /tmp
/dev/hd1 3.00 0.18 2.82 6% 696 657952 1% /home
/proc - - - - - - - /proc
/dev/hd10opt 4.00 0.38 3.62 10% 11502 845789 2% /opt


Regardless of trying to use another video, fist I do not have other available and second I do not know if is really useful because as I mentioned before I have others aix boxes connected to this KVM and for those everything are ok. In fact, when I did the alt_disk_mksysb, the mksysb is from one AIX 6 installed on that KVM that works properly.

Tks
Samalogo

 

[p5wizard]

I read somewhere (came across it while googling that KVM switch/Console manager) about firmware update necessary to properly detect USB keyboard during boot. What type of server is it and what is the firmware level?


HTH,

p5wizard

 

[samalogo]

$prtconf

System Model: IBM,9131-52A
Machine Serial Number: 1090E1G
Processor Type: PowerPC_POWER5
Processor Implementation Mode: POWER 5
Processor Version: PV_5_3
Number Of Processors: 2
Processor Clock Speed: 2097 MHz
CPU Type: 64-bit
Kernel Type: 64-bit
LPAR Info: 1 10-90E1G
Memory Size: 7936 MB
Good Memory Size: Not Available
Platform Firmware level: Not Available
Firmware Version: IBM,SF240_358
Console Login: enable
Auto Restart: true
Full Core: false

Tks,
Samalogo