[Leaplist] Continuing Install Troubles

[Bruce Metcalf]

Hi gang,

It's me again. The Old Fart with the collection of Haunted Hardware.

I'm trying to install Linux on one of my boxen. *Any* Linux ... on *any*
of my boxen. The same symptoms come up no matter which of several
distros or which set of hardware, so it's my guess that it's a PICNIC.

I can run a number of distros live in the two machines I'm looking at
today. What I cannot do is to install them onto the hard disk.

In each machine, the hard disk hda has been wiped and the install option
to "erase and use entire drive" is selected. The installs proceed to the
long period where only a percentage counter shows, and then they stall
at some point short of 100%. The percentage varies by combination, but
is typical for a given distro in a given set of hardware.

Distros tried so far:
Kubuntu 5.10 (works in one system, but the repository is now offline)
Kubuntu 6.06.1
Kubuntu 6.06.1 alternate (hangs at "setting clock")
Kubuntu 6.10
Kubuntu 7.04
Mepis 6.5
Knoppix 5.1.1 (!)
PCLOS 2007
SAM 2006-3
DSL 6.06

Clearly, there's either something colossally stupid that I'm doing or 
not doing; or Debian-based distros are really fussy about what hardware 
they'll run on.

It's also clear that I need some help or advice on how to get Linux 
installed. I'd prefer a Debian based system with KDE, but at this point 
I'm open to just about anything but Windoze.

I'll provide any hardware or install details requested, and if you come 
here, I'll also buy lunch.

Bruce Metcalf
Lake Buena Vista