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Slackware 10.0 Mysteries—Day 23

© Copyright Darrell Anderson.

I’m still chasing error messages. When I boot with the 2.4.27 kernel I always receive the following error message:

I receive that message three times in succession. Surfing the web left me frustrated. Apparently this is a common problem frustrating many people, but every discussion thread I found never resolved the issue. The most I learned is that the error number is related to a file or directory not existing. I don’t know if this is a Slackware problem in the way the kernel is compiled or a kernel issue. I am certain the issue is related to using SCSI emulation with IDE CD drives. I’m no kernel expert, but my simple testing seemed to indicate the scsi emulation is not compiled directly into the kernel. Although comparing apples to oranges, I tested this idea by using the 2.6.7 kernel from my VectorLinux distro and the error messages disappeared.

Another problem I could not resolve with the 2.4.27 kernel was its insistence in searching for RAID devices. I have old hardware and the motherboard and BIOS do not support RAID. I tried stopping that nonsense with the kernel boot parameter of raid=noautodetect. No luck. Then I tried adding various alias-off parameters to my /etc/modules.conf. No luck. Again, using the 2.6.7 kernel ended that nonsense, but that is inconclusive because the kernel is compiled by a different individual. I don’t like these error messages, having never seen them in Mandrake 9.2.

Another kernel problem is searching for an IDE2 port. Again, I have only two IDE connectors, IDE0 and IDE1. There is no IDE2 on my system. The 2.6.7 kernel performs the same futile search. I suppose this type of thing is nice for people running large servers, but the messages are a nuisance to me. I later discovered how to avoid that message. Add the ide2=noprobe boot parameter. However, this is a bandage fix, not foundational. I need to discover which parameter to toggle in the kernel configuration and recompile.

I realize that many or all of these error messages might be harmless. However, I have been around computers a long time and I am well aware of how one problem can mask another. Thus, my goal is to resolve problems when encountered. The most difficult problems to troubleshoot are intermittent problems that are not easily traced, and problems produced by two or more causes. The latter area is the reason I do not like all of these possibly harmless error messages. Down the road I do not want these error messages confusing or misleading me if I encounter other problems.

Besides, those error messages are distracting and irritating. They indicate a degree of sloppiness and uncertainty.

I have mixed thoughts about the 2.6 series of kernels. In the past the general practice was to use the odd-numbered series as the testing ground and the even-numbered series for production. The even-numbered kernels are patched and maintained with bug fixes. However, this approach now seems dead and at least the 2.6 series is now a test bed too. I want stability and I think I will stay with the 2.4 series for my older hardware.

I don’t yet know how to compile kernels, but I think I need to learn if I hope to stop a lot of this nonsense. My hardware might be aging but is more than adequate to serve my needs. I have no intention of spending money on new hardware. Thus, compiling a kernel that does not look for things that don’t exist on my computer seems the only option for me. Probably I will notice no speed improvements, but at least I end up with “clean” boot screens.

I still have some mysteries to solve:

1. My Scroll Lock LED fails to work once I launch an X session. I have no idea where to troubleshoot. The key is working but the LED fails to work. There are no such problems outside of X or in Windows. The setleds command refuses to work in an X window shell but works fine out of X. The LED does not work in any X session of any distro I have installed. I would like to resolve this mystery. However, I have tested only within KDE and not other window managers.
2. I ache for a simple ToggleKeys program that will provide me a simple PC speaker beep whenever the Insert, Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock keys are toggled. I have this configured in Windows and because I occasionally suffer from fat-finger syndrome, I have grown to rely on this audio feedback. This has been a standard feature in Windows for many years. I want these beeps in and out of my X sessions. I did find an old program that provides audio feedback, but the program does not work for the Scroll Lock or Insert keys, and stopped working when I experimented with the 2.6.7 kernel. I do not know how to resolve this problem. A KDE control panel add-on would be great, as long as the add-on modifies the underlying system and not only the X/KDE environment. I realize GNOME offers such a tool (although not supporting the Insert key), but I dislike GNOME.
3. I do not know why, but my command line aliases do not work in an X session shell but work fine out of X. Those variables are globally set and should work. I need to learn the correct pecking order of getting all of the related bash files working together.

What amazes me is I have yet to add any user accounts. That task certainly will introduce additional nuisances, almost all related to file and directory permissions. All of my time has been spent as root and I will continue to work that way until I learn the insides of Slackware and resolve remaining issues. I have yet to generate any “productive” work from this environment. If people need to know, I am still writing these essays from Windows and Word 97!

Finis.

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