HOWTO: Solve OpenSUSE 10.2 Installation failure

Posted on January 8, 2007 by Black God

I started OpenSUSE 10.2 installation with a lot of expectation (10.1 version was very slow on my PIII/192MB system). My built-in graphics card is not enough to run the installation in graphics mode, OpenSUSE detected the same and run the installation in console based screen. After partitioing and file copying phases, system restarted for second stage of installation. When the system started, YaST2 started in graphics mode but without displaying letters on screen (hope, it did not remember the console mode installation). Then It crashed immediately throwing some segementation fault error and then system continued to boot. Got the login prompt. But what is my root password? I have not yet set. Now I need to manually invoke YaST2 in Second Stage. But it is possible only with root login. What I did?

1. chroo-ed OpenSUSE from DreamLinux installation. Here is a HOWTO on it. I set the root passwd. Then rebooted in OpenSUSE.

2. Logged in as root. I found the YaST2 installer as /usr/lib/YaST2/startup/YaST2.Second-Stage. Executing this manually showed console based YaST2 in second stage. That is it. Just followed remaining installation wizard. It often reported about some source package information not available. I just ignored them. After a long wizard, rebooted the system to get nice GDM login screen.

Additional Note:

OpenSUSE 10.2 has improved its performance from 10.1 considerably. It is working in my PIII/192MB PC at tolerable speed. But it is not usable in day to day production due to its slow response in invoking the application. It has well integrated desktop, wonderful hardware detection, control panel for almost everything on your system, nice looking fonts, etc. If I have a shiny new system I would have gone with OpenSUSE.



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  • Dermot Doran

    Another Additional Note:

    I had my first ever complete failure at installing SuSE Linux with openSuSE 10.2. It did not recognize the USB keyboard nor the USB mouse. I was installing on a Dell Optiplex GX-620 and it has no PS/2 connections. I think this is the first time I’ve had a problem since SuSE Linux 5.3.

  • PCDR

    I had the same problem on my DELL GX520 after flashing the BIOS from A05 to A11. Before the flash it would have issues with the DVD burner. Now it simply won’t see the USB mouse and keyboard. It times out and boots to Windows.

  • max

    any one know why open suse 10.2 would install and then bring me to a command prompt and ask for a user id and password that it never asked me to enter?how do i login?

  • Aubrey Bourke

    In response to the usb keyboard problem:
    try holding down the shift key while rebooting the suse cd/dvd.
    It should give you a text install.

  • Jim Dickin

    I am trying to install Suse 10.1 from DVD onto my new Dell Dimension 9200 (having already installed it on my lap-top without any problems) and am having the same problem – the USB keyboard and mouse are not recognised and I cannot select “Installation”. I have tried Audrey’s suggestion but after two text prompts it reverts back to the installation screen from where I can do nothing. The default value is “Load from hard disk” so I go round in circles.

    Has anybody got round this issue?

    Regrads

    JD

  • Anand

    I am trying to install suse 10.2 on my P3/866MHZ machine, but it is not configuring my user login and upon reboot, it is asking for user -id and password, which I haven’t yet configured.

    Any one has any help?

    Thanks in Advance

  • http://cutecomputer.wordpress.com/ swamytk

    Hi Anand/max,

    If your installation is successful (there should have been some error which might have caused skipping of root password setting), you can follow the following procedure to set right.

    Boot your system to any other Linux installation or Live CD. Change the root file system of that system to openSuse root file system using “chroot” command and change the password. For help refer http://cutecomputer.wordpress.com/2007/01/07/howto-dev-file-system-in-chroot-ed-environment/

  • fxrsliberty

    for those with no root password.
    at the boot options screen type 1 this brings you into single user mode at which point you can re-invoke the yast installer
    by typing
    sh /usr/lib/YaST2/startup/YaST2.Second-Stage
    for those with USB KB+mouse
    as far as I can tell it’s your PC’s bios.
    I have a lot of IBM ‘s that came with USB KB but also had PS2 connectors
    the USB KB works fine.

  • Rex

    I avoided this problem by starting the installation in text mode
    instead of having it fail to get the right answer from the video card and forcing text mode.

    On the very first screen in the install, hit F3 (labeled “VESA”) and select “Text Mode”. After the boot at the end of disk 3, it will nicely prompt you for a root password.

  • Arun Theeban

    Rex your suggestion did the trick!. Thanks for suggesting a simple and cleaner way. I think opensuse has to make the text mode option much explicit and visible.

  • Dann

    When I try to install opensuse 10.2, after I press Installation, it goes to a blank screen and stays there. Doing nothing. It won’t install.

  • computerdell

    Does anyone have trouble with Vista runing slowly on their computer, mine does and it’s driving me insane?

    http://www.computer-deals.com.au

  • nikhil

    I have same problem. when I try to rub Yast2.Second.Stage manually it always run in graphics mode and fails.
    Any way to force it to run in text mode?

  • woinshet

    i have a problem with dell gx520 and dell gx720 computer
    on that the all usb port are not work .we download the flus bios but i don’t now the step to solve tanks

  • JC

    Aubrey wrote: In response to the usb keyboard problem:
    try holding down the shift key while rebooting the suse cd/dvd.
    It should give you a text install.

    Perfect…this is working great!

    Tks!

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  • opensuse 11.0 final version on toshiba laptop

    /usr/lib/YaST2/startup/YaST2.Second-Stage
    Re-Starting syslog services done
    unicode_start skipped on /dev/pts/1
    /usr/lib/YaST2/startup/Second-Stage/S05-config: line 20: initviocons: command not found
    D-Bus already started. Not starting.
    Starting acpid done
    HAL already started. Not starting.
    NetworkManager already running done
    Please supply a config file

    second stage crashes under my laptop computer on bootup for 11.0
    opensuse , can you report this problem to them, also by default I have to select vesa under xorgconfig in order to get it to display without the nvidia drivers under my laptop model is 205x Satellite Toshiba computer