[vox-tech] need to debug boot crash

[Peter Jay Salzman]

remember that not every "error" is a real error.  for instance, a micro
channel driver can search your system buses for a micro channel device
and not find one.  it'll print something vaguely error-ish to screen.

you didn't say if your kernel is panicking or not.

assumming your kernel isn't panicked, you can do shift-pageup to scroll
up on the console.

you can also look in /var/log/messages or dmesg | less.

note that most module related errors upon boot don't make it into the
error log.  some kernel developers are working on that.  there's a good
reason for it (but i can't recall).

if your kernel is panicking, your options are a bit more limited.  the
easiest way (assumming you're not henry house who knows how to do the
serial console thing) is to take a picture of your monitor with a
digital camera.  however, most kernel panics usually don't print tons of
error messages for this exact reason.  if the problem is a root
filesystem that can't be found or a bona-fide "oops", you'll see 2 or 3
lines of error at most.

note, a very, very, very, very worthwhile thing is to extend the buffer
that your kernel allocates for the scrollback.  it's in the linux FAQ.
basically, you need to recompile your kernel and define something like:

#define VIDEOCARD_CAN_DO_32_MEGS

(this isn't it -- you'll have to look up the exact define).  i do it
each time i compile a new kernel.  it gives you ALOT more scroll back
buffer space.

pete



begin eric nelson <en77@pacbell.net> 
> I have an error occuring during boot.  However, the pertinant
> information flys by, and I just get a long list of error messages on the
> screen.  Is there a way to record the messages during the late part of
> kernel boot, or to make it slow down, or require a prompt, or something?
> 
> _______________________________________________
> vox-tech mailing list
> vox-tech@lists.lugod.org
> http://lists.lugod.org/mailman/listinfo/vox-tech