Re: Creating Loopback filesystem

[Matt Drew <mdrew redhat com>]

On Thu, 1 Mar 2001, Horace wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I'm not too sure (cuz I'm a newbie too) but I think that you have to read
> the install documents because you're using a non-Intel chip and that could
> be the cause of your woes.

Shouldn't be a problem, the only recent known issue that I know of was the
CPU_ID thing with Thunderbirds and Durons, and that's been fixed.

> > I'm having problems installing Redhat Linux 6.2.  When I'm the
> > installation procedure I make all the appropriate settings as described
> > in the manual and when I get to the end of it all, it says "Click next
> > to start the Installation".  I then get the message 'creating loopback
> > filesystem' the system then hangs and installation doesn't even start.
> > I even left it on overnight coz I didn't know how long it would take.
> >
> > Someone mentioned on a newsgroup I looked at said that he chose NOT to
> > skip X config and that had solved his problem.  I've tried with &
> > without X config with no luck :(  I had this problem ages ago so I
> > emailed Redat support, they said to try the updated boot files.  I made
> > the new boot disk didn't make a shred of difference, as I thought it
> > wouldn't.  I also tried installing on a much lower spec pentium machine

What else did the tech say?  The updates disk is a pretty standard initial
response - did you go back to the tech with more information before your
support term ran out?

> > (P166 Overclocked to 200 Mhz ), had the same problem with this machine.
> >
> > Has anybody out there got any ideas how to get the installation to start
> > ?
> >
> > My comp has the following specs:
> >
> > Time computer with:
> > Samsung DVD ROM SD-608
> > 700Mhz AMD Athlon Processor
> > 128 Mb Ram
> > RIVA TNT2 Model 64 Graphics
> > Creative Sound Blaster AudioPCI 128
> > HCF MODEM ( 56K )
> > Hauppauge WIN TV    <--- removed to to try to install Linux
> > SCSI Card                 <--- removed to try to install Linux
> > Yamaha 4260tx CD REwriter   <--- removed to try to install Linux
> >
> > I'm coming straight from windoze so I'd really appreciate any help, I'm
> > getting nowhere fast !!!

Don't do a partitionless installation.  This problem usually results from
selecting a partitionless install that is greater than 2GB in size.
Since the maximum FAT file size is 2GB, the installer crashes on
attempting to create the loopback filesystem required for the
partitionless install on your Windows partition.  Trust me --
partitionless installs are tougher than they appear and are not worth the
effort.  And yes, it's an annoying and cryptic way for the installer to
respond to that set of circumstances, and it's not supposed to happen.

QA looked at this issue a couple of weeks ago and couldn't get it to
happen with wolverine.  I'll take a look at it, but I'm pretty sure that
the bug has been fixed in wolverine.

You should investigate fips.exe in the /dosutils directory on Red Hat CD
#1 -- that's a util that can shrink your Windows partition so that you can
install a Linux system on linux partitions, which is much nicer.  Some
information on this is available in the Installation Guide on our web
site.

Matt

-- 
Matt Drew
XO and Bughunter
Red Hat Consumer Services