[CentOS] Long time waiting on boot

Sun Jan 6 20:20:12 UTC 2008
Robert Moskowitz <rgm at htt-consult.com>

The problem with the booting might be USB timing related see below...

Robert Moskowitz wrote:
> I just installed Centos 5.1 with XEN on my HP nc2400 duo core and 
> there are two problems out the starting gate:
>
> Oh, I am booting off a 40Gb 2.5" drive on a USB adapter.  The internal 
> hard drive is encrypted and not usable right now (until I get XEN 
> figured out). But I don't think it has a bearing...
>
> The system hangs for some reason at various points.
>
> When first starting up graphic (you know, when the screen goes from 
> character mode to graphic and you can then follow the boot by pressing 
> <alt-D>.
> When bringing up loopback
> When bringing up eth0 (dhcp server very reachable)
> When starting mcstransd (whatever that is)
> When starting system message bus
> When starting some bluetooth service (the first boot but not after the 
> yum update)
> When starting Avahi deamon (timeout out and failed during this long 
> wait, I should turn that service off anyway)
> When starting HAL (the first boot but not after the yum update)
>
> Each hangup is a few minutes!  Then the system continues.  I did not 
> see anything of note in /var/log
Lots of USB messages in /var/log/messages  I just did not figure it out 
the first time (plus I have to strain my next to see the notebook's 
screen, now that the external video is working...):

Jan  6 13:26:58 nc2400 avahi-daemon[2950]: Registering new address 
record for 208.83.67.155 on eth0.
Jan  6 13:27:58 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device 
using ehci_hcd and address 4

one minute waiting then the reset.

Jan  6 13:28:23 nc2400 kernel: [drm] Initialized drm 1.0.1 20051102
Jan  6 13:28:23 nc2400 kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:02.0[A] -> 
GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 21
Jan  6 13:28:23 nc2400 kernel: [drm] Initialized i915 1.8.0 20060929 on 
minor 0
Jan  6 13:29:15 nc2400 dnsmasq[2937]: reading /etc/resolv.conf
Jan  6 13:29:15 nc2400 dnsmasq[2937]: using nameserver 208.83.67.147#53
Jan  6 13:29:26 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device 
using ehci_hcd and address 4

It sure felt like a longer time waiting.  I will have to haul out the 
stopwatch.

Jan  6 13:47:17 nc2400 gnome-power-manager: (root) DPMS blanking screen 
because the lid has been closed on ac power
Jan  6 14:32:49 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device 
using ehci_hcd and address 4
Jan  6 14:33:50 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device 
using ehci_hcd and address 4
Jan  6 14:41:05 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device 
using ehci_hcd and address 4
Jan  6 14:42:07 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device 
using ehci_hcd and address 4
Jan  6 14:43:48 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device 
using ehci_hcd and address 4
Jan  6 14:45:01 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device 
using ehci_hcd and address 4
Jan  6 14:46:32 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device 
using ehci_hcd and address 4

why the constant resetting?
>
> Second issue, the external video.
>
>
> I cannot not turn it on.  This HP notebook does not offer any BIOD 
> control of the external monitor.  There is a 'presentation' button 
> right above the keyboard you are suppose to press to toggle the 
> external video.  It does nothing.  Well I do hear the drive spinning 
> so the system is trying something?  I should point out that my XP boot 
> off the internal harddrive sometimes 'looses' the external video, and 
> I have to go into display control and turn off then on the 
> 'presentation' option.
I closed the notebook, as I was logged in as root for now (and lock is 
not available for root), and the external video came on. And it stays on 
when I opened the notebook.  Stupid BIOS...
>
> This could work out GREAT if I can get a few more things working (and 
> learn XEN to boot the XP in a window).