"install exited abnormally" immediately after all GUI info entered

[rbh00]

I'm trying to install Fedora Core 2 test2 on my Fujitsu laptop (233MHz and 96 Megs of memory). Installation runs smoothly, and I select all of the default options. When I finally click at the "point of no return", almost immediately the X Windows interface disappears and my console reports "install exited abnormally".

I have verified my burned CD multiple times. All runs smoothly until the last. I have tried at least twice. Both times I chose no firewall and no SELinux. Once I tried customizing my installation; this last time I went with the default workstation. I specified removing all existing partitions, and the resulting partitioning looks reasonable.

Is there a place where I can see more error messages? Presumably the repartition has not yet been done, because I get the message "you may safely reboot your system" and I'm able to reboot.

Messages after "install exited abnormally" are:
sending termination signals...done
sending kill signals...done
disabling swap...
unmounting filesystems...
[nine filesystem done messages; the last one is "/selinux done"]
you may safely reboot your system

Any hints for me? any things I might try? I'm pretty linux- and unix-literate.

Richard

[ieatlint]

Had the same problem with FC2 test1, although not with test2. Solved by typing this at the boot prompt (instead of just hitting enter):
linux noprobe

It's probing something and gets results it doesn't like. The noprobe switch allowed a normal installation, and I had no trouble thereafter.

[edal]

Certain hardware configurations (particularly those with LCD displays) may experience problems while running the Fedora Core installation program. In these instances, restart the installation, and add the "nofb" option to the boot command line.

NOTE: Chinese, Japanese, and Korean graphical installations started using the "nofb" option will start in English, and then switch to the appropriate language once the graphical phase of the installation process begins.

Ed Almos
Budapest, Hungary

[rbh00]

I tried installing using "linux nofb" and got a failure at the same place, that is, after the GUI that said I'd need Fedora CD1 and Fedora CD 2. I clicked "Continue" and the GUI disappeared and my console showed these messages:

/usr/lib/anaconda/isys.py:382: FutureWarning: x<<y losing bits or changing sign will return a long in Python 2.4 and up
rc = ((string.atoi (quad[0]) << 24) +
install exited abnormally
... [as before in my prior report]
you may safely reboot your system.

(It may very well be that the line-382 message was produced much earlier than the "install exited abnormally" message; it does seem to be merely a warning message.)

So, thanks for the "linux nofb" suggestion but it didn't work. Now I'll be trying the "linux noprobe" suggestion.

Richard

[rbh00]

Okay, "linux noprobe" failed as well. This attempt, at the same time, I got a diagnostic screen and an offer to write it to a floppy disk. I put a floppy disk in and hit Alt-S, and after a few seconds it again gave the "install exited abnormally" message. Nothing was written to the floppy. I then verified that the floppy was NOT write-protected (on a separate computer, of course).

Before the "install exited abnormally" message were the lines it would have written to the floppy, which sadly I have to transcribe manually:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/ghui/py", line 1047, in handleRenderCallback
self.currentWindow.renderCallback()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/iw/progress_gui.py", line 242, in renderCallback
self.intf.icw.nextClicked()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/gui.py", line 766, in nextClicked
self.dispatch.gotoNext()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/dispatch.py", line 169, in gotoNext
self.moveStep()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/dispatch.py", line 237, in moveStep
rc = apply(func, self.bindArgs(args))
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/packages.py", line 531, in turnOnFilesystems
thefsset.formatSwap(instPath)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/fsset.py", line 1240, in formatSwap
self.formatEntry(entry, chroot)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/fsset.py", line 1283, in formatEntry
entry.fsystem.formatDevice(entry, self.progressWindow, chroot)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/fsset.py", line 708, in formatDevice
searchPath = 1)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/iutil.py", line 55, in execWithRedirect
childpid = os.fork()
OSError: [Errno 12] Cannot allocate memory

Hm, it *is* true that the machine has only (*only*) 96 megs of ram.

Hope this helps at all. Let me know what else I might try, please.

Richard

[Sporkadelic]

Originally Posted by rbh00

Okay, "linux noprobe" failed as well. This attempt, at the same time, I got a diagnostic screen and an offer to write it to a floppy disk. I put a floppy disk in and hit Alt-S, and after a few seconds it again gave the "install exited abnormally" message. Nothing was written to the floppy. I then verified that the floppy was NOT write-protected (on a separate computer, of course).

Before the "install exited abnormally" message were the lines it would have written to the floppy, which sadly I have to transcribe manually:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/ghui/py", line 1047, in handleRenderCallback
self.currentWindow.renderCallback()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/iw/progress_gui.py", line 242, in renderCallback
self.intf.icw.nextClicked()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/gui.py", line 766, in nextClicked
self.dispatch.gotoNext()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/dispatch.py", line 169, in gotoNext
self.moveStep()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/dispatch.py", line 237, in moveStep
rc = apply(func, self.bindArgs(args))
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/packages.py", line 531, in turnOnFilesystems
thefsset.formatSwap(instPath)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/fsset.py", line 1240, in formatSwap
self.formatEntry(entry, chroot)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/fsset.py", line 1283, in formatEntry
entry.fsystem.formatDevice(entry, self.progressWindow, chroot)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/fsset.py", line 708, in formatDevice
searchPath = 1)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/iutil.py", line 55, in execWithRedirect
childpid = os.fork()
OSError: [Errno 12] Cannot allocate memory

Hm, it *is* true that the machine has only (*only*) 96 megs of ram.

Hope this helps at all. Let me know what else I might try, please.

Richard

Pardon me for resurrecting an old thread, which I found via Google. I had a similar issue with FC4 on a machine which also had 96 MB of RAM. Bug 115589 (reported against FC1) also looks like the same thing; the workaround suggested there is a text-mode installation, which seems to be working for me too (installation is in process now).

Two questions come to mind: what is the minimum RAM requirement for FC4? Is it still 64 MB, or did it get bumped up? And didn't anaconda used to let you know up front if you didn't have enough memory for a graphical installation?

Thanks,
Russell

[mjb3677]

I just d/l and burned fedora c2 and am trying to upgrade my rh9 server to fedora c2. Boy, am I frustrated with fedora. Seriously considering migrating to Gentoo. This is BS. I have the exact same problem, where after CD testing, anaconda starts up and I get the following messages:

Running anaconda, the fedora core system install - please wait....
install exited abnormally
sending termination signals....done
sending kill signals...done
disabling swap...
unmounting filesystems...
/mut/runtime done
disabling / dev/loop0
/proc/bus/usb done
/proc done
/dev/pts done
/tmp/ramfs done
/mnt/source done
you may safely reboot you system

After reboot, I try another by typing "linux text", the result was the same as previous.

same with noapic, or nofb, or noprobe. The system did fine with RH9, so what gives w/ fedora?! It's like all the old RH quality in these installs have fallen off a cliff.

[reb51]

Don't move your mouse while anaconda is loading

[Sporkadelic]

It occurred to me that I ought to RTFM again. I see that the FC4 minimums are 64 MB for text mode and 192 MB (256 recommended) for graphics. Since I'm installing a server with no GUI, I assumed that the 64 MB minimum would apply; guess not. It would still be a good idea for anaconda to give an earlier warning, as it used to do.

Russell

[w5set]

or try
linux ide=nodma