I got a pink screen!

[pio_masaki]

I had a thread jack going on over at ps2-dev, but I think I wore out my welcome as my issues are more linux related then dev related (ok, it wasn't dev related at all). Anyways, here it is:

I finally got my linux going thanks to help from a few guys there, using deba5ers base and user/local packages, mega man's klauncher 2.0. I have a V7 console, use Free McBoot 1.8, and component video on my 720P HDTV. Everything works on these cables except linux and snes station. After hashing out some switches in both klauncher and the win3 script, I got resolutions about handled (some resizing and alignment needed, need help here too) and everything is PINK from kernal launch to fluxbox. They're out of ideas/patience, and they don't use HDTVs and/or components, so they can't offer much more help then what SHOULD be working.

SO, in the end:
V7 console
720P HDTV
Component video (pink picture)
Klauncher is set crtmode=dtv2
win3 is set dtv,720p (pink and off center about 6 inches left)
Everything else runs fine, not the TV or console or cables, snes station runs until a game launches, then it flashes alot, but still works, just makes your face explode.

I tried the RTE SBIOS (not really needed but one more thing tested) and it fails to launch the kernal, so its not being used.

Also shows up pink on a 1080P LCD HDTV at my brother in laws house, still pink.

I installed using mega man's kloader 2.0, his initrd (the one marked for general usage) his devfs kernal, deba5er's base and usrlocal packages. Normal running has kloader on MC0, mega man's fat_and_slim_v2 kernal also on MC0. USB isn't required for anything outside of booting with an initrd. HDA1 is swap, HDA2 is root. Linux runs and boots fine, its just pink and off center.

[BradicaL]

Man it wont even install for me keeps looking for the damn ps2linux-base.tar.bz2

It looks like its installing. Gets to a counter where it goes from 0-86 does that then can't find that file.

Your still farther ahead than me haha.

[pio_masaki]

I renamed mine to just base.tar.bz2, so when I mounted my jump drive to /usb it was just tar jxvf /usb/ps2linux/baseta~1.bz2

I had it in the directory ps2linux on my drive, yours may be different. Make sure you use the correct file name as it won't have the entire filename there. A way to check is to change to the file's directory, assuming the same one I used it would be

(before mounting to /usb)
cd /dev/scsi/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1
then enter ls hit enter, should show your file names in the directory. I changed to base.tar.bz2 and usrlocal.tar.bz2 so the shortened file names weren't just ps2lin~1 and ~2, it was easier to know which i was using tar on.

I mounted the usb drive to /usb, so after mounting hda2 (hdd partition 2, my root drive) to /mnt I went into it and did all of that. This is what I did start to finish (from memory)

Booted using klauncher2, an initrd and kernal.devfs from megaman
fdisk /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/disc
"p" (shows all partitions on disc)
"d" (deletes all paritions on disc, skippable if they are how you want)
"n", "p", "1", "1", "+128M" (each letter gets enter, so n ENTER p ENTER etc. this is a new primary partition 128MB)
"t", "1", "82" (this makes the new partition you just made a swap parition)
"n", "p", "2", enter, enter (makes your root/main partition)
w (writes new partition to disc)

mkswap /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1 (formats swap partition)
mke2fs /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part2 (formats root/main partition)

mkdir /mnt
mount /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part2 /mnt
mkdir /usb
mount -r /dev/scsi/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1 /usb (the -r switch mounts it as read only)
cd /mnt
tar jxvf baset~1.bz2 (this takes awhile)
tar jxvf userl~1.bz2 (this takes awhile too)

Then it's editing /etc/fstab to point to the correct partitions,

vi /mnt/etc/fstab
It shows a bunch of text, its like an old school text editor, move the cursor with arrow keys, go to the line that says /dev/sda1, it will say ext2 to the right, change sda1 to read hda2, use i to enter text, esc when done entering text, x to delete whatever the cursor is on, when all done with that, hit esc, go to sda2, it will say swap to the right, change this to hda1, same method, hit esc, then enter :wq to save and quit. If you make a mistake enter :q! to exit and NOT save, then try again with the command vi /mnt/etc/fstab

Now, almost done.

cd /
umount /mnt (unmounts hda2 mounted to /mnt
umount /usb (unmounts usb from /usb)

shutdown -h now (kills all processes and shuts down ps2)

Boot back up however you do it, launch klauncher (i launch straight from the ps2's browser) change kernal parameters, delete the ramdisk setting, replace with root=/dev/hda2 ro
Go to select initrd, select disable initrd
Go to select kernal, select the kernal you chose without devfs, I used mega man's v2 kernal.

As I don't know what files you are actually using, this was based on my install of deba5ers base image and user/local image, yours may be different, it may not, but the will install blackrhino base image or any other out there, assuming you change file names to match what you have on your system.

I got this far with help from cherriff, dlanor and deba5er on ps2-dev.

I could probably see about making a video of my installing my linux, if you need it I can just post it on youtube or something, I'm sure some one has done that already, though.

[deba5er]

@BradicaL

The ps2linux-base.tar.bz2 and ps2linux-usrlocal.tar.bz2 files must be placed into the /ps2linux directory on your usb thumb drive prior to running the installer which is also in this directory (from ps2linux_v0.7.zip).

You will need to modify files prior to installation for the correct kernelloader settings (config.txt in mc0:\kloader) as well as hosts, win3, resolv, intface. The PSTwo Slim does not install to usb successfully at this time but it will install to a SMB Windows Share (must be read-write) if you follow the instructions on ps2.nuclearfall.com.

@pio_masaki

and they don't use HDTVs and/or components

Actually I have a component cable that I use with my recently built test rig - PSTwo Slim version 15 with component cable to sync-on-green (SOG) Nanao monitor (with RCA-BNC connectors). In kloader it is crtmode=VESA0 and in win3 it is:

sudo X :0 -screen 0 VESA,1024x768x24,60 -auth ~/.Xauthority -once -terminate -nolisten tcp &

I need to have FMCB 1.8 autostart ULE which autostarts GS Mode Selector (GSM) - see http://psx-scene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61808 (GS Mode Selector: Development & Feedback)

This allows me to run the PSTwo v15 like a desktop computer. If they eventually get GSM to autoset mode then autostart another homebrew (like kloader) I wouldn't have to press a single button to boot into PS2-Linux. I just mention GSM because this thread has all of the people who have noted magenta/pink problems. Try GSM and if it still shows pink then you can ask a GSM-related "pink" question there and you will get the experts opinions. Then once it works with GSM I'm willing to bet it will help with PS2-Linux. The other reason I mention GSM is because it will allow you to test the various modes with your DTV.

his initrd (the one marked for general usage) his devfs kernal

This is a bad way to install my ps2linux-distro. You should use the fat_and_slim_v2 kernel and initrd.usb2.install.gz. This is why you got the short-names when viewing the two ps2linux-base.tar.gz and ps2linux-usrlocal.tar.gz files. If you use the instructions with ps2linux_v0.7.zip you can select "h" for hard drive installation, and it should have gotten you there quicker (auto-partition config and unpack). I'm interested if you tried and failed so I can troubleshoot and update the package.

Oh, and no patience lost, I am happy to help where I can, but this forum is more appropriate as you noted and as a bonus you'll get more attention to your types of problems.

[pio_masaki]

I did try to use the other initrd from mega man, it hung after a dma pio error, the only way I could get an install to boot and install was using that devfs kernal with that general initrd. I wouldn't get a boot using the v2 kernal, either. After install v2 works, and initrd isn't an issue anymore. Using the files I mentioned, the way I mentioned gave me a successfull boot into fluxbox in less then half an hour, short of the pink thing, but set to NTSC on composite everything is normal and operational, so you can call it a sucessful install, the auto install thing, I don't know, I did it all manually, can't help you on that part of it, sorry.

Thanks for pointing me at GSM, I'm running tests with it right now, so far square, the setting for HDTV shows off to the left, some rolled over to the right side of the screen, but it is still in color. Being an elf and run as such, I'm not sure it will duplicate my color issues in linux only environments, as klauncher runs normal until I launch the kernal.

[deba5er]

@pio_masaki

it hung after a dma pio error

I've found these sorts of errors would occur when I made modifications away from the File/Restore Defaults on kernelloader. When testing, I use the Restore Defaults option quite often to get me back to a working state. Otherwise, I've seen hangs when you don't have a network cable connected to the PS2 (doesn't have to have internet access, just to your router so it is active). I've been pretty frustrated trying to figure out a way to make things easier for users to just plug in a thumb drive and install, but the hardware configurations vary so much and the usb kernel problem on PSTwo Slims (the reason for my version 15 test rig) have made this very difficult. I did get a very good SMB install of PS2-Linux for these users, but it requires RTE for sound, and very few have the RTE. I am sidetracked getting a NAS to work with homebrew on my test rig for the past couple weeks, and I haven't solved, but I intend to use my lessons learned from this to get the SMB installer finished.

[pio_masaki]

I can appreciate the effort required to make something plug n play, especially something as complicated as getting linux to run (100%) on something like the ps2. As such, I consider it something of a duty to find ways to MAKE it work, you can only do so much. Some time with google, some friendly advice on forums, and good packages makes this alot easier then I would have first thought. I generally manage to make anything work without having to post about it, my PSP was bought 15 minutes after launch, and was running homebrew a month later, following guides from multiple places, then it bricked. Years later, I managed to hardmod my battery to pandora and bring it back to life, also without asking a single question. Same for jailbreaking my iTouch gen2, just takes time and effort, everything can't be handed to you in a simple click this package. As for GSM, I haven't been able to duplicate the pink screen issue, so I consider it a flaw somewhere in linux, either on my part, my hardware, or something being missed someplace no one thought to look.

Edit1 after messing with alignments and other such fun with GSM, everything that is normally centered was to the right and smaller, which I did with the intent to fix the alignment issues with linux at 480p. Soon as I launched the kernal the video mode reset back to normal and GSM changes were gone, I don't think this is the way to fix this, its linux, sadly GSM will not help me any here.

Edit2 I set the premade mode of 480p and started up SNES Station, a program that previously flashed if used on component, fixed the flashing and everything appears to work properly now, so thanks for GSM, it fixed something! Linux is still pink, though.

[BradicaL]

Agreed with this PSOHDD (pink screen of HD death) I can't find any workarounds with it. Searching for modules floating around the net. :?P I love this Linux on my PS2 =] but the HD would be even sicker.

[peterdcrees]

Getting PS2 linux working on a slim console with deba5er's distribution on a SMB share is no more difficult than getting any other PS2 homebrew program installed and working.

It's about the same as setting up FreeMC boot, getting SMS to access network shares, or using uLE with the host: protocol.

That's all down to deba5ers hard work and generosity, the reason I didn't bother going back to an NFS install afer my NAS died was that the SMB option seemed so much easier!

BTW, the "ps2 linux rte cd" is easy to find if you have Google

I have a regular SD 4:3 TV with component inputs, it also turns pink when connected via component cables in PS2 linux, it's a shame because the text is much sharper in Dillo than on composite video.

[pio_masaki]

The RTE stuff isn't an issue, I can get them if I need them, and it's also not an issue as I have a V7, they aren't even needed for my console to run linux with sound/usb/whatever, at least, that I've come across. I've googled for pink screens in ps2 linux and come up with just stuff for pink screens on ELFs, nothing about linux, let alone how to go about fixing it.

Using GSM has fixed problems with other things flashing, but when I launch linux from kloader it seems to reset anything GSM did, and goes right back to pink text. On component with the default NTSC kloader switch the screen is pink AND flashes so much my face explodes. Yeah, all over my HDTV screen. So in the end, its not flashing, but pink, or flashing and pink with component, normal with composite. What are we missing?

Theres something inside there someplace that will fix this, I find it hard to believe that sony's linux for their ps2 can't use component video normally. I say this because booting the sony linux cd 1 boots...PINK right off the bat. So, no that wasn't based entirely on what deba5ers distro does, but also what sony's distro does.