Boot from USB

[NASuser]

I have a GoFlex Home that I installed Arch on. It was working great until I came home yesterday and noticed apache was down. When I tried to connect with ssh I got a warning that the server fingerprint changed and I wasn't able to log in with my public key or with my password. I turned it off to try to connect it to my laptop, but the connector on the SATA->USB board I have wasn't long enough, so I put the hard drive back on the dock. I don't have a desktop computer I to connect it to. Then I set up netcat to listen on the addresses/ports that the GoFlex sends kernel and bootloader messages and noticed some errors:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', '[ 221.537030] ata1.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x6
[ 221.543519] ata1.00: edma_err_cause=00000084 pp_flags=00000001, dev error, EDMA self-disable
[ 221.552030] ata1.00: failed command: READ DMA
[ 221.556453] ata1.00: cmd c8/00:28:df:b0:25/00:00:00:00:00/e1 tag 0 dma 20480 in
[ 221.556460] res 51/40:00:f0:b0:25/00:00:00:00:00/01 Emask 0x9 (media error)
[ 221.571602] ata1.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
[ 221.575655] ata1.00: error: { UNC }
[ 222.185838] end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 19247344
[ 222.191548] JBD: Failed to read block at offset 13321
[ 222.196881] EXT4-fs (sda1): error loading journal')

That's the kernel log, and those ata errors would repeat ~10 times (I didn't count), then the 3 lines at the bottom, and then it starts over again. Here's the bootloader log:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'U-Boot 2010.09 (Feb 16 2011 - 18:44:23)
UBIT v0.6 by Jeff Doozan and Peter Carmichael
(Re)start USB...
USB: Register 10011 NbrPorts 1
USB EHCI 1.00
scanning bus for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found
scanning bus for storage devices... 0 Storage Device(s) found
Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0
UBIFS error (pid 0): ubifs_get_sb: cannot open "ubi:fast", error -19
Error reading superblock on volume 'ubi:fast'!
UBIFS not mounted, use ubifs mount to mount volume first!
** Block device usb 0 not supported
** Block device usb 0 not supported

** Invalid boot device **

** Invalid boot device **
** Block device usb 1 not supported
** Block device usb 1 not supported

** Invalid boot device **

** Invalid boot device **
** Block device usb 2 not supported
** Block device usb 2 not supported

** Invalid boot device **

** Invalid boot device **
** Block device usb 3 not supported
** Block device usb 3 not supported

** Invalid boot device **

** Invalid boot device **

Reset IDE: Bus 0: OK Bus 1: not available
Device 0: Model: ST2000DL003-9VT166 Firm: CC98 Ser#: 5YD2SHSL
Type: Hard Disk
Supports 48-bit addressing
Capacity: 1907729.0 MB = 1863.0 GB (-387938128 x 512)
Loading file "/boot/uImage" from ide device 0:1 (hda1)
2855240 bytes read
Loading file "/uInitrd" from ide device 0:1 (hda1)
** File not found /uInitrd
Loading file "/boot/uInitrd" from ide device 0:1 (hda1)
2643606 bytes read
## Booting kernel from Legacy Image at 00680000 ...
Image Name: Linux-3.1.10-14-ARCH
Image Type: ARM Linux Kernel Image (uncompressed)
Data Size: 2855176 Bytes = 2.7 MiB
Load Address: 00008000
Entry Point: 00008000
Verifying Checksum ... OK
## Loading init Ramdisk from Legacy Image at 01100000 ...
Image Name: UBIT-2010.11-00125-ga21bcca
Image Type: ARM Linux RAMDisk Image (gzip compressed)
Data Size: 2643542 Bytes = 2.5 MiB
Load Address: 00000000
Entry Point: 00000000
Verifying Checksum ... OK
Loading Kernel Image ... OK
OK

Starting kernel ...

')

I tried unzipping the Arch OS tarball onto an ext3 partition with the boot flag set, but that didn't work. UBOOT detects the drive, but the kernel files it looks for weren't in the tarball (the only file in /boot is uImage):

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'U-Boot 2010.09 (Feb 16 2011 - 18:44:23)
UBIT v0.6 by Jeff Doozan and Peter Carmichael
(Re)start USB...
USB: Register 10011 NbrPorts 1
USB EHCI 1.00
scanning bus for devices... 2 USB Device(s) found
scanning bus for storage devices... 1 Storage Device(s) found
Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0
UBIFS error (pid 0): ubifs_get_sb: cannot open "ubi:fast", error -19
Error reading superblock on volume 'ubi:fast'!
UBIFS not mounted, use ubifs mount to mount volume first!
Loading file "/boot/uImage" from usb device 0:1 (usbda1)
2856016 bytes read
Loading file "/uInitrd" from usb device 0:1 (usbda1)
** File not found /uInitrd
Loading file "/boot/uInitrd" from usb device 0:1 (usbda1)
** File not found /boot/uInitrd
## Booting kernel from Legacy Image at 00680000 ...
Image Name: Linux-3.1.10-13-ARCH
Image Type: ARM Linux Kernel Image (uncompressed)
Data Size: 2855952 Bytes = 2.7 MiB
Load Address: 00008000
Entry Point: 00008000
Verifying Checksum ... OK
Loading Kernel Image ... OK
OK

Starting kernel ...

')

Can I download these files from somewhere? Is there any reason the root partition would suddenly become unmountable?

[WarheadsSE]

You only need /boot/uImage

[NASuser]

I guess I missed the part where it says "Starting kernel..." after mounting the USB. I noticed these errors from the kernel.

This part repeats many times:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', '[ 61.333580] ata1.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x6
[ 61.340067] ata1.00: edma_err_cause=00000084 pp_flags=00000001, dev error, EDMA self-disable
[ 61.348602] ata1.00: failed command: READ DMA
[ 61.353029] ata1.00: cmd c8/00:28:df:b0:25/00:00:00:00:00/e1 tag 0 dma 20480 in
[ 61.353036] res 51/40:00:f0:b0:25/00:00:00:00:00/01 Emask 0x9 (media error)
[ 61.368175] ata1.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
[ 61.372229] ata1.00: error: { UNC }')

And this is the last thing displayed:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', '[ 61.981226] end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 19247344
[ 61.986934] JBD: Failed to read block at offset 13321
[ 61.992258] EXT4-fs (sda1): error loading journal
[ 62.111101] Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address 00303030
[ 62.118393] pgd = c0004000
[ 62.121140] [00303030] *pgd=00000000
[ 62.124757] Internal error: Oops: 5 [#1] PREEMPT
[ 62.129396] Modules linked in:
[ 62.132476] CPU: 0 Not tainted (3.1.10-13-ARCH #1)
[ 62.137650] PC is at mount_block_root+0x200/0x280
[ 62.142382] LR is at mount_block_root+0x1e0/0x280
[ 62.147110] pc : [<c052abfc>] lr : [<c052abdc>] psr: 40000013
[ 62.147115] sp : c7829f80 ip : 00000000 fp : 00000000
[ 62.158667] r10: c0499d70 r9 : c7812150 r8 : 00008000
[ 62.163921] r7 : 00000000 r6 : c054cdfc r5 : c7812021 r4 : 00303030
[ 62.170486] r3 : c7829eb0 r2 : c7829f74 r1 : c0499d48 r0 : 00000039
[ 62.177043] Flags: nZcv IRQs on FIQs on Mode SVC_32 ISA ARM Segment kernel
[ 62.184394] Control: 0005397f Table: 00004000 DAC: 00000017
[ 62.190167] Process swapper (pid: 1, stack limit = 0xc7828270)
[ 62.196026] Stack: (0xc7829f80 to 0xc782a000)
[ 62.200413] 9f80: 00000000 00000000 00006180 c74a2f00 00006000 c00d3508 c78190a0 c7497300
[ 62.208644] 9fa0: c0499d70 00000001 c058f000 c054ce11 c000945c 00000013 00000000 00000000
[ 62.216874] 9fc0: 00000000 c052af3c fffffffe 00000002 00000000 c0553e64 c0553e64 c052a8c8
[ 62.225095] 9fe0: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 c052a7ac c000945c 1e204498 24ef1b44
[ 62.233330] [<c052abfc>] (mount_block_root+0x200/0x280) from [<c052af3c>] (prepare_namespace+0x160/0x1c0)
[ 62.242958] [<c052af3c>] (prepare_namespace+0x160/0x1c0) from [<c052a8c8>] (kernel_init+0x11c/0x14c)
[ 62.252151] [<c052a8c8>] (kernel_init+0x11c/0x14c) from [<c000945c>] (kernel_thread_exit+0x0/0x8)
[ 62.261076] Code: e1a00004 ebf3b167 e2800001 e0844000 (e5d43000)
[ 62.267260] ---[ end trace ea788b9589763325 ]---
[ 62.272029] Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!
[ 62.278013] [<c000d290>] (unwind_backtrace+0x0/0xe0) from [<c03c6d14>] (panic+0x58/0x198)
[ 62.286280] [<c03c6d14>] (panic+0x58/0x198) from [<c0021a48>] (do_exit+0x88/0x7a0)
[ 62.293931] [<c0021a48>] (do_exit+0x88/0x7a0) from [<c000b8e0>] (die+0x1d4/0x200)
[ 62.301487] [<c000b8e0>] (die+0x1d4/0x200) from [<c03c6bec>] (__do_kernel_fault.part.2+0x54/0x74)
[ 62.310430] [<c03c6bec>] (__do_kernel_fault.part.2+0x54/0x74) from [<c03ce358>] (do_page_fault.part.3+0x274/0x2b0)
[ 62.320861] [<c03ce358>] (do_page_fault.part.3+0x274/0x2b0) from [<c03ce3c0>] (do_page_fault+0x2c/0x94)
[ 62.330338] [<c03ce3c0>] (do_page_fault+0x2c/0x94) from [<c00083cc>] (do_DataAbort+0x34/0x98)
[ 62.338934] [<c00083cc>] (do_DataAbort+0x34/0x98) from [<c03ccb78>] (__dabt_svc+0x38/0x60)
[ 62.347262] Exception stack(0xc7829f38 to 0xc7829f80)
[ 62.352364] 9f20: 00000039 c0499d48
[ 62.360596] 9f40: c7829f74 c7829eb0 00303030 c7812021 c054cdfc 00000000 00008000 c7812150
[ 62.368841] 9f60: c0499d70 00000000 00000000 c7829f80 c052abdc c052abfc 40000013 ffffffff
[ 62.377097] [<c03ccb78>] (__dabt_svc+0x38/0x60) from [<c052abfc>] (mount_block_root+0x200/0x280)
[ 62.385964] [<c052abfc>] (mount_block_root+0x200/0x280) from [<c052af3c>] (prepare_namespace+0x160/0x1c0)
[ 62.395617] [<c052af3c>] (prepare_namespace+0x160/0x1c0) from [<c052a8c8>] (kernel_init+0x11c/0x14c)
[ 62.404834] [<c052a8c8>] (kernel_init+0x11c/0x14c) from [<c000945c>] (kernel_thread_exit+0x0/0x8)')

Is there any way to get it to boot from USB?

[WarheadsSE]

You should be able to follow moonman's instructions to produce a bootable thumb drive. They are linked to in his signature.

[NASuser]

I followed those directions but I'm still getting the kernel errors in my last post and it isn't connecting to the LAN.

In case anyone else is wondering, here's the link: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=3312&p=19207#p19207

[moonman]

Seems like your hdd is about to die/dead. Remove it from the enclosure, connect to your PC and run a smart utility ("SpeedFan" has a pretty good smart analysis feature built in) on it to see what's going on. Sometimes hard drives will get recognized, work for 5 min and shutdown. If speedfan does not say anything conclusive, then I would get Hiren's Boot disk and run "Vivard" on the hdd. It will scan for bad blocks and remap them and you will know if the hdd shuts itself down for no reason.

EDIT: To run smart utility you don't have to remove from enclosure, Vivard requires direct connection to IDE/sata interface.

[NASuser]

So is my entire warranty void, or is hardware failure like this still covered? I just bought this in November...

I don't have a working desktop PC right now, so I'll have to find one I can borrow/use. Are those suggestions to save the hard drive, or just the data?

Edit: The harddrive's sata and power ports are exposed with just a metal sheet and plastic piece covering the hard drive around it. Do you mean I don't have to connect it to a computer to run speedfan? I'm still getting those kernel errors when I boot from the USB drive, I can't ssh in to run programs, or even ping it.

[moonman]

Hmm, your topic name confused me. I though you were booting from USB. The GoFlex drive needs to be taken out of the enclosure to get to the sata and power connectors. Yes they are exposed but you won't be able to get to them without taking the drive out first. If the same error occurs when you are trying to boot from a different usb drive should be fine and problem is in something else. Try to format the flash drive without the partition editor with these commands:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'mkfs.ext3 /dev/sdX1
tune2fs -L "rootfs" /dev/sdX1')

replace X with the drive letter of your USB flash drive/hard drive.

[NASuser]

Honestly, I'm using fedora and didn't want to download gparted or whatever they used, so I did this:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'mkfs.ext3 /dev/sdb1
e2label /dev/sdb1 rootfs')

I've never booted from USB before. I was using my hard drive until it stopped working, and now I'm trying to recover my files. I don't have a desktop PC, so I think getting it to boot from USB is the easiest way to access an exposed SATA port and try to recover the files and hopefully the drive. It's only a couple months old...

[moonman]

That should be fine as well. So what did you use to boot from an external drive? was it a flash drive or hard drive? Some flash drives don't work reliably. I would do a warranty exchange if I were you. Something isn't right about your device. The only kernel panic I've seen was when I didn't label my boot partition with the right label.