[kedvall123]

Hello,
I am trying to install XBMCUbuntu on my laptop.
It is a HP Touchsmart tx2z-1300 CTO (64-bit) with an AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile RM-75 processor.
I am unable to run lspci as I can't boot into linux but Device Manager identifies the wireless card as Broadcom 802.11g as previously stated.

I am trying to do a usb install using Linux Live USB Creator to make the usb key.
I tested the installer on another laptop and it works fine.

Here's what I've tried so far:
1. Install using version xbmcbuntu-12.2.Intel-AMD.iso
- It fails with this message:
[22.848638] Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception in interrupt

2. I then attempted a live boot with the same version
- It fails with this message:
[22.848638] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43/ucode15.fw" not found.
[22.848638] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43-open/ucode15.fw" not found.
[22.848638] b43-phy0 ERROR: You must go to http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Driv...cefirmware and download the correct firmware for this driver version.
- I tried to follow the Ubuntu/Debian solution but because I'm unable to boot I can't run "sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer" as suggested.

3. I attempted both an install and a live boot with xbmcbuntu-12.00-RC3.AMD.iso but only achieved the same results.

4. I also attempted both an install and a live boot with xbmcbuntu-12.2.Intel-AMD.iso using a DVD instead. This seemed to get further but still did not work.
- The install fails with:
[22.848638] Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception in interrupt
[22.848638] Shutting down cpus with NMI
- The live boot doesn't give any error. It displays * starting XBMC live CD installer, then * stopping XBMC job starter twice, and goes black.

I can't get to the installer or run XBMCbuntu live off the usb.
Searched the forums and google for info but everything I found assumed that linux would boot, wireless just wan't working.
I have pictures of all of this if that would help.


I think what I need to do is manually insert the firmware into the .iso before I make the bootable usb but I am very confused about how to do that.
I am new to linux so I apologize if I'm doing something wrong or making a stupid mistake.

Any help/advice/guidance would be greatly appreciated!

[Claudio.Sjo]

It looks like you need a BIOS update

[negge]

Spare yourself the trouble and use ethernet while installing the OS, after that you can apt-get install the required firmware for your wireless card.

[kedvall123]

Thanks for the replies guys.

It looks like you need a BIOS update

Checked HP's website and I have the newest BIOS version (F.25).

Spare yourself the trouble and use ethernet while installing the OS, after that you can apt-get install the required firmware for your wireless card.

Tried it with ethernet and got the kernel panic message. Tried it a few more times and got the same message as before telling me to download the correct firmware.

Any idea what I should try now?
Thanks!

[pumkinut]

Have you tried taking the WiFi card out or disabling it in the BIOS, if possible, during the install? Have you tried installing another version of Linux just as a test to see if it would work, e.g. installing plain Ubuntu?

[kedvall123]

I disabled Network Adapter boot in the BIOS so the network card should be shut off during boot. Unfortunately this didn't change anything.

I took the network card out and got a different error.
-[20.163534] sp5100_tco: mmio address 0xfec000f0 is already in use
Tried it a few more times and got a kernel panic.

I tried Ubuntu 13.04 and it booted fine.

I tried using xbmcbuntu-12.2.Intel-AMD again but this time used Unetbootin (what I used for Ubuntu) to make the usb instead of LiLi. Now instead of giving me a kernel panic it starts to boot, performs some checks, starts and stops some stuff just like normal but goes black instead of booting into the desktop as Ubuntu did.

Now my question is where would I find log files so I can post my kernel panic / list of what it's doing before it goes black?
Any other help would also be appreciated.
Thanks!

[pumkinut]

While you're going through the boot process, you can try looking at /var/log to look at any of the files there, you can also run dmesg and redirect its output to a text file with something like:

Code:

dmesg >textfile.txt

You can then grab that file and post it if necessary.

Looks like there's a kernel bug related to your chipset. Some short, very short, googling revealed this.

I'd suggest you start looking at some Linux oriented message boards, as this is not an XBMC issue, rather a Linux issue, and a Linux on AMD issue at that.

[nickr]

And if it doesn't boot to the point where you get a shell, or sshd running, how do you expect to run dmesg or look at /var/log?

You gotta have a kernel running before anything else will work. Kernel panic puts paid to kernel running. End of story.

BTW I don't think this is much to do with the broadcom wireless, or networking at all. It is more likely a bios/chipset incompatibility with the kernel in ubuntu 12.04. Could also be an unsupported acpi implemetation, etc etc. There are boot parameters to get around some of those problems, but the fact that the later kernel in 13.04 boots fine leads me to the next para.

@kedvall I would get a ubuntu 13.04 minimal iso and find one of the minimal install howtos on here or the wiki. Or try openelec if you aren't wedded to a ubuntu install. If you need more help, keep posting

PS you can install openelec to a usb stick (assuming your lappie can boot from one) and try it without touching your hard drive.

[pumkinut]

And if it doesn't boot to the point where you get a shell, or sshd running, how do you expect to run dmesg or look at /var/log?

A question was asked, I answered, whether it was possible in the OP's particular situation or not depends. I also pointed to where bugs were reported that specifically resulted in the error the OP was seeing. Much more than you seem to have done.

[kedvall123]

While you're going through the boot process, you can try looking at /var/log to look at any of the files there, you can also run dmesg and redirect its output to a text file with something like:

Code:

dmesg >textfile.txt

Thanks for the suggestion but it doesn't even make it to the installer before I get a kernel panic. I can only get to the screen asking me if I want to install, run live off the usb, etc. No matter which one I choose it fails so I'm not sure how to get a log.

Looks like there's a kernel bug related to your chipset. Some short, very short, googling revealed this.

I'd suggest you start looking at some Linux oriented message boards, as this is not an XBMC issue, rather a Linux issue, and a Linux on AMD issue at that.

BTW I don't think this is much to do with the broadcom wireless, or networking at all. It is more likely a bios/chipset incompatibility with the kernel in ubuntu 12.04. Could also be an unsupported acpi implemetation, etc etc. There are boot parameters to get around some of those problems, but the fact that the later kernel in 13.04 boots fine leads me to the next para.

@kedvall I would get a ubuntu 13.04 minimal iso and find one of the minimal install howtos on here or the wiki. Or try openelec if you aren't wedded to a ubuntu install. If you need more help, keep posting

Okay I tried using Ubuntu 12.04 to see if its a bios/chipset incompatibility with the kernel in ubuntu 12.04. I did a live boot and it worked just fine although it showed I needed some proprietary drivers. So both Ubuntu 12.04 and 13.04 work fine. This would lead me to believe that it is an XBMC issue.

@nickr you mentioned there are boot parameters I could try. I've used boot parameters before with Hackintosh but like I said, I am a linux noob. I found this but will these work with XBMC as well? I was unable to find any XBMC specific ones. If they are supported should I try noapic or apic=off?

Thanks for all the help!

[nickr]

I would try noapic etc.

I hate it when things like this don't work, and I can't work out how to fix it. But frankly are you too hung up on xbmcbuntu when it looks like you could install ubuntu minimal and then xbmc?

[pumkinut]

++

XBMCbuntu is nice, but why go through all the fuss if the ISO is just not going to play nicely with your hardware? Install vanilla Ubuntu, add the XBMC repo, install XBMC and then be done with it. If you want the stripped down version of Linux behind XBMC, then install Lubuntu. It comes with LXDE as it's window manager and will work just fine.