More FC3 install problems 'Assertion (heads >0)' Workaround

[Rick Stevens]

Graeme Nichols wrote:
> Graeme Nichols wrote:
> 
>> Hello Folks, After getting over the media check failures of FC3 I am 
>> now encountering the following error that pops up straight after 
>> selecting the keyboard. It is as follows:
>>
>> BUG
>> Assertion (heads >0) at disk_dos.c:485 in function 
>> probe_partition_for_geom() failed
>> 96
>>
>> BUG
>> Assertion (sectors<=63) at disk_dos.c:490 in function 
>> probe_partition_for_geom() failed
>> 96
>>
>> Clicking on the right button (can't remember what it was labelled now) 
>> resulted in a revolving hourglass cursor and a very long wait. 
>> Clicking on the 'Ignore' button resulted in aborting the install.
>>
>> I have tried the suggestions in the http://www.fedorafaq.org/
>> website (boot: linux ide=nodma) but no joy.
>>
>> Has anyone come across the same problem? If so, what is the workaround?
>>
>> My system is P4 3G, 512 Mb RAM, hda 200G (Win XP SP2), hdb 40G (FC2), 
>> Radeon 9800XXL video and the usual hardware. The system is a Medion 
>> (German make/design)
>>
>> TIA
>>
> I hope this may help others who encounter the media test failure and 
> 'Assertion (heads >0)' bug during an upgrade of FC2 to FC3.
> 
> The workaround which definitely works (The workaround on the RH site 
> doesn't!) is to boot from your FC2 CD1 and run the media test from 
> there. Once the media check is completed then Ctl +Alt + Del to re-boot 
> the machine and start the upgrade again.

And bypass the media check of FC3's install.  You know the discs are
good by now.

> When the 'Assertion (heads >0)' bug bites after selecting the keyboard 
> just keep banging away on the 'Cancel' button and the upgrade will 
> continue. The same bug will bite again a little later, just keep banging 
> away on the 'Cancel' button until the upgrade continues and all will be OK.

Yes, that will work.

> According to bugzilla it is resolved but, probably due to my ignorance, 
> I could not find what the resolution was. HOWEVER.... the bug is caused 
> by the bug-ridden version of PARTED v1.6.15 that comes on the FC3 CDs. ( 
> run PARTED 1.6.15 from the command line as root and you will see what I 
> mean). I would imagine, but I haven't tried it, that if you install the 
> latest version of PARTED before doing the upgrade to FC3 then IF PARTED 
> is run from the HD and not the install FC3 CD1 (I haven't found the 
> PARTED executable on the FC3 CD1) then the bug will not occur

The parted used during installation is buried in the image of the RAM
disk that anaconda installs for its operation.  It does not depend on
the hard drive at all.  anaconda is pretty much self-contained.
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- Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
- VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
-                                                                    -
-   Never test for an error condition you don't know how to handle.  -
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