Hi Tercero, I had a similar problem, basically the error occurs because the entry for the swap is not made in the file system table (/etc/fstab), and nothing that you've done wrong. I solved it as follows:
I did the full install, ignoring the lack of swap space, and allowed the reboot from hard-disk option, but instead of writing the boot disk (which always locked up my system), I rebooted with the lomem disk in the disk drive, but skipped everything I could and didn't repartition the disk (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT). You will have to re-install minix, but that's no problem. Once you get to the main install bit (after the lomem disk) you can hit left-alt f2 to open up another login window. Login. cd to the root directory: cd / make a directory, say 'junk': mkdir junk mount your previously installed linux native partition (hda3?) with: mount /dev/hda3 junk You can now cd junk and you'll see all your installed directories. Now: cd /etc and edit the fstab file: vi fstab you need to add (under the following headings) the line: <filesystem> <mount pt> <type> <options> <dump> <pass> /dev/hda1 none swap sw 0 0 (or whatever your swap partition is) save the file then cd back to your minix partition: cd / unmount junk: umount /dev/hda3 rm junk and reboot! (without the floppy) Hopefully it will now read the fstab file and safely 'swapon' your swap space. Please let me know if you need any more help, and better still, if this solution works for you. Cheers, Simon Tercero wrote: > > Hello Debian users! > I'm hoping you can solve my problem. > I am installing debian 2.0 on a 386sx/20. > The system has 4Mb RAM w/ a 125Mb HDD, partioned as follows: > Partion# Size Type > ----------------------------- > 1 16M Linux Swap > 2 4M Minix/Old Linux > 3 89M Linux Native > 4 16M Caldera DR-DOS > ------------------------------------------ > The two lines below appeared (along with many other things) > when I chose option #4 exit. (from the lowmem setup menu) > > *************************************** > swapon failed > device or resource busy > *************************************** > > I have run the low memory setup, and all appears well until, > In dinstall, I am told to initialize the swap portion. > I have already done so under the Lowmem install program. > I have tried all the options, except doing without a swap > partition. Each time, it says the partion is busy and it > cannot be initialized. > HELP!!! > Troy > -- > Tercero -- Email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;" > --Psalms 118:22 > "Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, > but he on whom it falls will be crushed." > --Luke 20:18 > > -- > Unsubscribe? mail -s unsubscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] < /dev/null -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Simon Holgate, Tel: (+1) (250) 721 6080 Centre for Earth and Ocean Research, (FAX) 721 6200 University of Victoria, P.O. Box 3055, E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Victoria, B.C. CANADA. V8W 3P6 http://george.seos.uvic.ca/people/simon/simon.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~