[Leaplist] Continuing Install Troubles

[patrick]

Robin (Bartow FL) wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: patrick pberry2 at cfl.rr.com
> To: bruce.metcalf at figzu.com, This is the Leap Main List leaplist at leap-cf.org
> Sent: 6/26/07 1:36 AM
> Subject: Re: [Leaplist] Continuing Install Troubles
> 
>> 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
>>> _______________________________________________
> 
>> 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!
> ...
>> Patrick,
> 
>  
>  Ditto on Patrick's advice.
>  Check those drive jumpers!
>  
>  Once the jumpers are set, I suggest letting the BIOS auto detect size and parameters. Just watch on the boot up to ensure the numbers match what is printed on hard drive. This will verify that no hard drive overlay exist. Note also that controller cards offer expansion and one more thing that can break your OS.
>  
>  "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."
>  
>  Big red flag here!
>  Install scripts are often slim on error diagnostics.
>  As your install progresses, your available RAM decreases.
>  When you run out of RAM, what does any OS do?
>  
>  You may want to try...
>  Increasing RAM by cannibalizing from another machine if possible.
>  and/or
>  Choose a lower video resolution and less color at install.
>  and/or
>  If you can borrow/slip a video card in that has more on-board RAM you will tax the CPU and mainboard RAM less.
>  and/or
>  Install from am optical device on your secondary IDE port to a harddrive on your primary IDE port.
>  
>  Compare percentage of install completion.
>  
>  /robin
> 
> 
> 
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Regrets... If I knew then, at the install fest with your machine, what I
know now...  and this might not be enough knowledge to fix your systems...

But, the weird problem I most recently had was that very new 80Gb WD
drive (normal IDE type) that I had put the jumper over to Single Master,
when it would only work if the two jumpers for FACTORY have to be
installed for the BIOS to actually read the thing!

Any progress to report?