6.1 install on PBG4 failing, missing/corrupt file

[bradyt]

Hi all, first post from long-time down-low Mac geek.

I have downloaded yellowdog-6.1-ppc-DVD_20081119.iso and verified its SHA1 hash on a Mac OS X 10.5.6 machine.
I have burned it to a DVD using Disk Utility, and checked the post-burn verification.
I have booted my 1GHz PBG4 from that DVD, erased the internal drive and commenced YDL installation.

It fails, saying that "NetworkManager-gnome-0.6.4-8.ppc.rpm cannot be opened... missing file..." etc.

Mounting the image or the DVD itself under Mac OS X, I search for "NetworkManager" and discover this:
NetworkManager-gnome-0.6.4-8.pp

It's highly suspicious that the filename is truncated to 31 chars length - as is the case for other long-named files I can see on the DVD. Are these filenames truncated in the ISO itself, or is that something my Mac is doing on the fly?

Easiest way to get an answer for that would be for somebody with a working system other than Mac OS X to have a look on the ISO or their DVD. Can anybody help please?

[billb]

The filenames are definitely not truncated on the DVD itself -- I'm looking at an Install DVD from Fixstars (not one I burned myself -- the one you get when you purchase YDL 6.1).

[bradyt]

Thanks Bill. I'll try and get another OS somewhere to take a look at my DVD and see how things look there.

Any other suggestions would be most welcome.

[bradyt]

Curiouser.

I have downloaded the allegedly corrupt file from the mirror and then compared checksums of both the downloaded and the file I have on my DVD. They are identical. So it looks like either the file is actually corrupt, even in the sources, or my target machine is playing up somehow.

Has anybody else successfully installed 6.1 on a PowerBook G4 (Aluminium) machine?
Does anyone have ideas on how else I might get YDL installed on this machine?

[ppietro]

Curiouser.

I have downloaded the allegedly corrupt file from the mirror and then compared checksums of both the downloaded and the file I have on my DVD. They are identical. So it looks like either the file is actually corrupt, even in the sources, or my target machine is playing up somehow.

Has anybody else successfully installed 6.1 on a PowerBook G4 (Aluminium) machine?
Does anyone have ideas on how else I might get YDL installed on this machine?

Sorry - I'm not trying to be insulting, but I have to ask a beginner question.

Are you burning the ISO to a DVD? Or are you creating the DVD from the ISO?

Burning the ISO to a DVD won't work - you need to create the DVD from the ISO.

Cheers,
Paul

[bradyt]

Hi Paul,

I'm creating a DVD using the ISO. ISO is on a new Mac running Mac OS X, open Disk Utility, click Burn, select ISO, insert DVD, wait until it burns and verifies.

The target machine, the old PowerBook G4, successfully boots from the DVD into yaboot and then anaconda. It works in both graphical and text modes. I do the partitioning etc then ask it to commence install. It always fails saying that NetworkManager-gnome-0.6.4-8.ppc.rpm cannot be opened and might be missing or corrupt.

It's certainly not missing: I have inspected the DVD using a copy of Windows under VMware and the file is there. (The 31 chars thing I mentioned in earlier posts must be a Mac OS X limitation in reading this filesystem format.)

To see whether the file on the DVD might be corrupt, I copied it from the DVD and also downloaded the same file from one of the YDL mirrors. MD5 checksums of both files are identical, so it has not become corrupt during my download and burning process.

At this point I can see only two logical options:
1. The master copy of the file is corrupt and has been distributed with that corruption.
2. There's something particular about my machine (the model, the configuration or perhaps a hardware fault) which is causing install to fail.

In order to rule out the first (less likely) option, I have asked whether anybody else has successfully installed YDL 6.1 on an aluminium PowerBook G4. I'd also be interested in alternative methods of installation, if any exist. Otherwise I'll probably just give up on my little experiment.

Cheers,
Terry

[billb]

I'm creating a DVD using the ISO. ISO is on a new Mac running Mac OS X, open Disk Utility, click Burn, select ISO, insert DVD, wait until it burns and verifies.

Another Mac user posted what looks like basically the same method for burning the DVD on OS X:
viewtopic.php?p=21884#p21884

Not sure which model he's using, though. Unfortunately we don't have too many Mac users posting here ... you might want to send him a PM in case he hasn't seen this thread. Also you could post a question regarding this on the YDL General mailing list:

http://lists.fixstars.com/mailman/listi ... og-general

[ppietro]

I'm creating a DVD using the ISO. ISO is on a new Mac running Mac OS X, open Disk Utility, click Burn, select ISO, insert DVD, wait until it burns and verifies.

Another Mac user posted what looks like basically the same method for burning the DVD on OS X:
viewtopic.php?p=21884#p21884

Not sure which model he's using, though. Unfortunately we don't have too many Mac users posting here ... you might want to send him a PM in case he hasn't seen this thread. Also you could post a question regarding this on the YDL General mailing list:

http://lists.fixstars.com/mailman/listi ... og-general

I've got a Mac - Let me take a look.

Cheers,
Paul

[ppietro]

I've got a Mac - Let me take a look.

I did find this one note:
http://lifehacker.com/software/mac-os-x ... 251758.php

I've sometimes had trouble with ISO images in Disk Utility. I find the best way o burn them is use the command...

"hdiutil burn *drag file from the finder here*"

Works with any burnable disk image.

Cheers,
Paul

[davidbchen]

It's certainly not missing: I have inspected the DVD using a copy of Windows under VMware and the file is there. (The 31 chars thing I mentioned in earlier posts must be a Mac OS X limitation in reading this filesystem format.)

To see whether the file on the DVD might be corrupt, I copied it from the DVD and also downloaded the same file from one of the YDL mirrors. MD5 checksums of both files are identical, so it has not become corrupt during my download and burning process.

I believe the issue you are encountering are with burning specifications. When burning the disc, ensure you are using the joliet specification to burn so you are able to have file names up to 64 characters. You may have to use something like Nero(Windows) or maybe Toast(Mac) to burn the ISO image. Just look for something that says joliet and check/enable it.

At this point I can see only two logical options:
1. The master copy of the file is corrupt and has been distributed with that corruption.
2. There's something particular about my machine (the model, the configuration or perhaps a hardware fault) which is causing install to fail.

In order to rule out the first (less likely) option, I have asked whether anybody else has successfully installed YDL 6.1 on an aluminium PowerBook G4. I'd also be interested in alternative methods of installation, if any exist. Otherwise I'll probably just give up on my little experiment.

The master copy is not corrupt that much I can say. I've extracted the exact ISO image using winimage and the file name is complete. I don't have an aluminum PB G4 but I can suggest the net installation method as an alternative. Having just completed installing YDL 6.1 on my Xserve G4(CD-Rom drive only), I'm pretty happy with how it went. It was my first time using the net install method for any linux distro and I have to say it was daunting at first, but in hindsight it wasn't so bad. Here's a quick step by step:

(Requirements: local web server, YDL DVD ISO)
1. Extract the contents of the ISO to a folder that sits at the root of your webserver.
2. Burn the boot.iso file from the <ydl iso folder>/images/boot.iso
3. Boot your computer from the disc made in step 2.
4. Hit enter when you see the prompt "Boot: "
5. After configuring your network, you will be asked where the YDL files are located, use HTTP and specify the address of your webserver and the folder name set in step 1.

That's it and the installation continues as normal from there. Hope this helps!

David