Slackware install issue on modern systems.
by pchristy from LinuxQuestions.org on (#5AB0W)
I came across this issue a while ago, when I bought a new laptop, and it took me a long time to get to the bottom of it. I created a "How-to" here: https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...re-4175671086/
to overcome the problem, but with 15 imminent, I thought it might be time to highlight it in a more read section of the forum.
The problem is that when trying to install Slackware, using either a USB pen drive or DVD, the system locks hard immediately after the initrd is loaded. The only way out is to power off. It is impossible to load Slackware from the usual install media.
The reason appears to be that some systems use 64-bit addressing for the efi framebuffer, and using 32-bit addressing causes the system to lock solid.
The solution - for me, at any rate - was to modify the install media to use GRUB, which is compatible with 64-bit efi framebuffers.
I thought that the install media was using elilo, but Eric (AlienBob) has corrected me pointing out that it is isolinux that is responsible.
Initially, I overcame the problem by installing Eric's LiveSlack, and then pointing Slackpkg+ at the -current tree (another excellent suggestion from Eric!). However a more elegant solution is to make the Slackware boot media more broadly compatible.
The thread linked to above gives details of how I did this. Note, I am NOT a programmer, so if anyone has any better ideas, then go for it!
However, It is probably something that needs looking at prior to the release of 15!
Cheers,
--
Pete
to overcome the problem, but with 15 imminent, I thought it might be time to highlight it in a more read section of the forum.
The problem is that when trying to install Slackware, using either a USB pen drive or DVD, the system locks hard immediately after the initrd is loaded. The only way out is to power off. It is impossible to load Slackware from the usual install media.
The reason appears to be that some systems use 64-bit addressing for the efi framebuffer, and using 32-bit addressing causes the system to lock solid.
The solution - for me, at any rate - was to modify the install media to use GRUB, which is compatible with 64-bit efi framebuffers.
I thought that the install media was using elilo, but Eric (AlienBob) has corrected me pointing out that it is isolinux that is responsible.
Initially, I overcame the problem by installing Eric's LiveSlack, and then pointing Slackpkg+ at the -current tree (another excellent suggestion from Eric!). However a more elegant solution is to make the Slackware boot media more broadly compatible.
The thread linked to above gives details of how I did this. Note, I am NOT a programmer, so if anyone has any better ideas, then go for it!
However, It is probably something that needs looking at prior to the release of 15!
Cheers,
--
Pete