still waiting for root device on ASUS p5n-MX nForce 610i

[gravicle]

Hey there!

 

 

 

Mac osX has now become an obsession for me....

 

I 've had a really hard time trying to make ANY osX work.

 

Here are my Specs:

 

Mobo: ASUS P5N-MX (CHIPSET: NVIDIA GeForce 7050 /Southbridge: nForce 610i)

 

Intel CELERON-D 347 CPU 3.0 GHz with instructions: MMX SSE SSE2 SSE3 EM64T

 

phoenix ACPI BIOS 802

 

128MB onboard gfx

 

2gig DDR-2 400MHz Hynix RAM

 

PATA 160GB + 40GB HDD

 

PATA DVD/RW..... i've just one ATA cable...thus the HDD & DVD/RW are on the same cable

 

I don't know if I have a jmicron controller or not...

 

 

 

I have tried the following distros, with their respective problems:

 

iATKOS V5i : installed OK but then STILL WAITING FOR ROOT DEVICE

 

iATKOS V7 : installed OK but then STILL WAITING FOR ROOT DEVICE

 

iDeneb v1.5 10.5.7 : installed OK but then STILL WAITING FOR ROOT DEVICE (during install i got error SAM MULTIMEDIA READ OR WRITE ERROR but the installer proceeded)

 

iPC_OSx86_10_5_6_Universal_PPF5_Final : cannot even boot the CD due to STILL WAITING FOR ROOT DEVICE

 

Kalyway 10.5.2 : cannot update system uuid

 

 

 

To solve the "STILL WAITING FOR ROOT DEVICE " I tried this:

 

1. played a LOT with jumpers and cables (u understand that....ryt).. no result

 

2. 2. Tried configuring the BIOS in ways listed here as well as according to the guide http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=167180, did a LOT of tinkering.. HUH...to no avail

 

 

2. tried a plethora of flags in all imaginable combinations: -v -f -x -s platform=x86PC platform=ACPI rd=diskXsY (with all values of X & Y) rd=diskX idehalt=0

 

3. tried patching the iPC iso with iPC_v1.1_PPF patch... but the DVD din't boot = AS USUAL

 

4. tried various kernels but not all : AppleNforceATA, AppleNforceATA_TEST, Vanilla, SleepKernel, Voodo

 

I've spent countless hours trying to resolve it and went through numerous guides... none to much avail. The mobo is compatible as detailed here http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php...178149&st=0 but its all on SATA/SATA. As far as I know IDE is rather more compatible.

 

 

 

Please help. I'll not let it go until I'm done with it. I've installed MANY times but never saw an APPLE screen beyond the grey one ...with a CROSS on it

 

 

 

Thanks in advance.

[vilpostus]

1 Use forum search. If you try, you'll find many post about it. Just type still waiting for the root device

 

2 The problem HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH kernels. The problem is your chipset and missing drivers for it. To be precise, the onboard SATA controller is not supported in this particular install disk or you have not selected a needed driver during the installation process.

If you can install, but getting the message on restart, that means you need to select some chipset driver in customize section during installation process. So if you install the right driver, it will boot successfully without any problems.

 

3 So install any of the distro you have previously managed to install, but this time pay close attention to the customize section of installation. e.g. select some chipset driver.

 

Good luck exploring new frontiers...

[gravicle]

1 Use forum search. If you try, you'll find many post about it. Just type still waiting for the root device

 

2 The problem HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH kernels. The problem is your chipset and missing drivers for it. To be precise, the onboard SATA controller is not supported in this particular install disk or you have not selected a needed driver during the installation process.

If you can install, but getting the message on restart, that means you need to select some chipset driver in customize section during installation process. So if you install the right driver, it will boot successfully without any problems.

 

3 So install any of the distro you have previously managed to install, but this time pay close attention to the customize section of installation. e.g. select some chipset driver.

 

Good luck exploring new frontiers...

 

Thanks for the quick reply dude.

 

FiNALLLLLy

I got past the ERROR....

 

as you Said... I played with the IDE/SATA drivers in the iATKos v7 customization & Selected INTEL SATA/IDE driver....

 

And lo! it went past the "still waiting for Root device"

 

 

 

But then the boot stopped at a blank BLACK SCREEN... GoDDD Damn....

 

I booted with -V flag... also tried -x (safe mode) but it never reaches anywhere. Any ideas. please...

 

 

 

P.S.: I tried to delete NVIDIA drivers but I cannot even reach the -s mode. Black screen Everywhere.

[vilpostus]

P.S.: I tried to delete NVIDIA drivers but I cannot even reach the -s mode. Black screen Everywhere

 

You is right about the root of the problem. It is about the VGA driver. If I understand you right, you get the black screen just before the blue screen should appear?. If yes, than it's for sure the VGA driver problem.

 

Install with the same settings as before (with the INTEL SATA/IDE driver selected), but this time ever deselect or select a VGA drive. I don't know which were your previous settings. As for me, I usually install with no VGA driver selected. It's better for my system to install them later.

 

A side note. -s is useful to test if the kernel is loading. If boot with -s successfully, you'll be asked what to do next - ever boot (type exit) or do disk check.

 

-v is useful when troubleshooting. It boots the system in verbose mode, so one could see how the process is going.

 

-x is the same as windows safe mode.

 

You may already know all of this though...