crc error when booting

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>]

>>>>> "Inc" == Inc Hatsuhiro <hatuhiro@example.com> writes:

    Inc> 1) What is the meaning of "crc error"?

The data read into memory is corrupted.  CRC means "cyclic redundancy
check" (or something like that).  It is a simple check on data
integrity, like a hash function or a parity bit.

    Inc> 2) How can we get rid of this problem?

Get good data into memory.  There are three conditions that must be
satisfied:

    1. The data on the CD must be correct.
    2. The data must be copied from the CD to memory correctly.
    3. Memory must receive it correctly.

    Inc> I was supposing the bootable CD-ROM could boot Linux no
    Inc> matter what file systems the HD had.

Correct.

    Inc> I tried booting old Slackware 3.6 Linux, but I got the same
    Inc> message as above.

This is bad.  Surely the kernels' data differ.  Also, the 3.6 is known
to have worked at one time.  This means that most likely the data is
correct on both CD-ROMs.

  You can check this by using them to boot another machine; you should
  be able to exit the install before changing anything on the hard drive.

This means that the high probability is that your CD-ROM drive is
broken, the controller is broken, or you have some bad memory.

    Inc> Now, Linux system software but MS Windows doesn't work on my
    Inc> computer, so I have no help, except for asking experts.

Try reading the CD under Windows.  You should be able to at least use
explorer on the filesystem.  If you get read errors under windows,
too, then the CD-ROM drive is probably broken.  Hmm.  If you can find
the kernel, do "type e:vmlinuz >nul:" (I think that should work) in a
DOS box.  E: should be changed to whatever Windows thinks your CD-ROM
is, and vmlinuz should be the name of the kernel.  Often its just "linux".

    Inc> How do we troubleshoot it in that environment where no Linux
    Inc> does work?

With a rescue disk.  A "rescue disk" is just a boot floppy that comes
with a known good root file system and some tools.  Often on a
separate floppy.

Linux _does_ work; the fact that boot disks get as far as "Kernel
panic : VFS : Unable to mount root fs on 03:01" is _good_ news.  It's
exactly what should happen.  "03:01" is the kernel's internal name for
/dev/hda1, and you don't have a linux root partition there yet.  So it
can't mount it.

Do you have an old Linux installation on the disk (eg in /dev/hda2),
or did that get reformatted/overwritten by the Windows install?

If not and you remember which partition (assume /dev/hda2 for
example), when the boot floppy types "boot:" you type

linux root=/dev/hda2

and you win.  Probably.

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