[Leaplist] Continuing Install Troubles

[patrick]

Bruce Metcalf wrote:
> 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
> _______________________________________________
Correct me if I've covered this with you before.

I do installs each week on systems of all vintage.  Have had your exact
situation, recently!

Here are all the things I check, set up, that have proven to cause
trouble in the past installs, as recently as last week!

1. Drive jumpers need to be set to Master / Master wo Slave / Slave.
Had a WD drive that had to be reverted to factory jumper settings before
it would work, as a single drive on IDE0, though it was recognized in
the bios! Upon the reboot after the BIOS Setup, it would not be there!
(MSI K8NGM2-FID Athlon AM2 socket 939 Board).

It was set as Single Master, but, that wouldn't work, so I had to put
the dual jumpers back in the factory configuration!

2.  I had to have the DVDrom on an 80 wire IDE cable, because the 40
wire IDE cables introduced too much noise in computers of 800 Mhz and
faster.  So, set it as master on IDE1, to boot the live CDrom.
Sometimes, in some computers, it needs to be on the IDE0, for Bios to
see it and for it to boot up.  That case required the hard drive to be
on IDE1.  NEVER put any optical drive on any IDE cable with any drive
you want to run faster than ATA33.  (on that 800 Mhz ASUStek P3 board).

3. If using one of the PCI ATA controller cards that let one add drives
to a system, by adding one or two IDE channels, they only boot up and
recognize hard drives, and are not intended to be used with DVD or
CDroms.  (On Chaintech and FIC boards with Promise ATA 66, 100, and 133
controller cards).

Sorry to go all the way back to the basics here...

I have run and installed everything on your list except SAM 2006-3 and
I've been able to do so, after fixing the above troubles, and perhaps
some others I can't remember this instant.

Spent the day going to Skycraft and finding my Air Conditioner dual
capacitor 4/30 uf 370 VAC... and getting a leaky shrader valve core
changed out, Now we have AC again in our home!  Hard to concentrate,
without!

The convicted felon idiot on the cross street, whose home is in Seminole
County, has decided to invade our Easement!  What a concept!  Steal
neighbor property, by building a fence out to the paved street!

So, while 'extending his yard' ten feet into the edge of our private
street, some of his post holes  caused three hours of power outages, as
he dumped the 4 X 4 posts on top of the underground 2700 VAC mains, at
10:30 and again, at 11:50.  Each time, just after Progress Energy had
restored power to 27 homes on that feed.  Naw, he did NOT call for a
Sunshine ticket!  (Forget the $10,000 fine, when my HOA and Casselberry
Code Enforcement get through, we'll own his home!)

So, when I did get the computer back up, my switchhub wouldn't power up!
Capacitor plague has struck the little power bricks of the main and the
spare 8 port units!

Now, finally, am up on a spare 5 port switch hub...

I live way up North of Aloma behind Holler Chevrolet on Semoran, and
watch neighbor youngsters all week, so can't come to you.

If we can't work it out on the lists, perhaps you can attend an
Installfest, and bring a couple boxen?  I love a challenge and might
find a solution!

---------------------
Patrick,
Linux User #65,411 http://counter.li.org
All I desire is an empty computer, and a Linux Distro to steer 'er by!