[clug] dist-upgrade to Debian Lenny - flagged boot problem

[Daniel Pittman]

Felix Karpfen <felix.karpfen at gmail.com> writes:
> Daniel Pittman wrote:
>
>> Um, the key problem in the Debian upgrade, in fact, is that some former PATA
>> controllers (/dev/hd?) are now run through libata, which is a SCSI driver for
>> them, so they change to /dev/sd?.
>
> Bang go all my attempts to wiggle out of the problem!  The above was my
> understanding of the problem as flagged in the release notes :(.
>
> If the change from /dev/hd? to /dev/sd? does occur on my system, at which
> point in the upgrade does it happen?

When you boot the newer kernel.

> Would an inspection of the entries in /dev prior to a reboot tell me
> anything?

Sadly, no.

> Also the release notes say that the "lilo" command needs to be rerun before
> the reboot that implements the upgrade.  I would expect this command to
> crash if the syntax of entries in /etc/lilo.conf" are no longer valid. Am I
> correct?

Maybe.  I don't know enough about lilo to tell you, these days.  It could also
be that where you hit problems is after the reboot, because the "root" passed
to the kernel is wrong, so it fails to locate it.

> Below is the info on my installed PCI hardware. Does that info hold any
> clues on how my OS will respond to the changes introduced with Debian Lenny?

Not to me, sorry.  Um, your best bet might be to try a Lenny LiveCD of some
sort, and find out if you have /dev/hd? or /dev/sd?, at this point. :)

        Daniel

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