Help Getting Mandrake Linux to Load/Install

[1mck]

Hello,

I am having problems getting Mandrake to load up.

I have allocated 3 gigs for Mandrake, and the rest of my 10 gig hard drive for my Windoze 98 SE, and I'm pretty sure that I've configured everything right, and before I delve into what is going on, Here is what I have for a computer...I'm sorry for the bad language that will follow;)

Compaq Presario 5360
AMD K6 450mhz with the 3D Now crap thingy
Voodoo 3000 PCI 3D Accelerator/Video card
256 megs of Ram
Ess Solo 1 Sound card
10 gig hard drive

What is happening is it will load up with no problem with the opening screen, but when I press "I" to have the interactive boot up, it ignores that, and then I am taken to black screen, and it has "login:", and even before I get a chance to press anything....the screen goes black, and my monitor shuts down, and my whole computer is locked up to the point that I have to pull the power cord out, and plug it back in to reboot it. I have tried not typing in "I" and it still has the same results.

I should point out that I have had problems with Knoppix Rescue OS (It has a totally working Linux OS all on 1 disk...Kool!), and I wasn't able to get it to load, and it would also lock up my computer. I contacted Knoppix about this, and I was instructed to add this line of instructions at the beginning of boot up sequence: knoppix noapic nousb nopcmcia noscsi noagp nodma It worked, and I haven't fiddled with it to figure out what the problem was/is by eliminating each one by one until it locks up again, but I hope that this might help with identifying my problem(s).

Thanks in advance,
1mck

[sporkme]

did you get the multi-color x-configuration screen during install, and click yes it works?

if so, have you downloaded and installed video driver packages?

if so, try editing x86config-4 and rename the driver indicated to the appropriate driver name, ei change nv (or vesa) to nvidia

you could just reinstall :/

http://linuxnewbie.org/

i should add i am not a linux expert

[ September 01, 2002: Message edited by: sporkme / bob ]

[1mck]

Hey, thanks for replying to my inquiry! I'll try the "old re-install (Windoze fix all)" but I'm almost positive that it's this piece of shit Compaq that's the problem here. Perhaps it's the usb, or something, or it's a rift in the space/time continum;)

1mck

ps
Oh, and as far as you not being a "Linux" expert...you know a hell of a lot more than I probably ever will. Thanks again for the suggestions.

[sporkme]

DO NOT GIVE UP

it becomes simple

[1mck]

You know, until I read your post about not giving up....I was all set to just say the Hell with it! I think that I've narrowed down what might be causing me some problems:

Since Compaq already has a "Supposed 3D Now" video thingy on my computer, and I have installed my Voodoo 3000 PCI, I have to disable it in Windoze in order to not have conflicts, so in a nutshell...this could be the problem.

I cannont seem to configure my ethernet card, which is a Linksys Fast Ethernet 10/100 Model NC100, and I couldn't find any listing when I was asked to configure it. I also was having problems where it asked me about my ISP. It asked for (eg: company.net), and mine, I think, is telus.net . I'm not really sure what else to put in there. Before all of this, it asked if I had ADSL, or LAN, and it seemed that Mandrake could detect the LAN, but I was once again sucked into the, "Hey, pick out your ethernet card!" I have ADSL, and I tried looking at the instructions that I received from my ISP, and they did not relate whatsoever to this. :-(

I also went on the Mandrake Forum, and Mandrake Linux...very confusing, to say the very least, and not very efficient for an actual bulletin board. There was some mention about a Compaq computer not being able to get Mandrake to load after the second stage install...I think. There was a link to have a patch applied to get over the hump, so to speak, for getting it to install. I don't think that it had any bearing on my situation, but I tried to follow the instructions, nonetheless.

I do believe that the instructions from the Knoppix Linux people to have their OS boot up on my computer shows how shitty my computer is. Please dear God...let me win the lottery, so I can buy a really great computer...PLEASE!!!!lol

I'll keep things the way that they are until I can't take it anymore...actually in about 3 days because then I start my courses at university, and I won't have any time dedicate to screwing with it.

1mck

[1mck]

I got a response from someone on my news server, and I posed the same questions as here, and a guy wrote me this (I don't have a clue what he's talking about, so I need someone to translate this into "Newbie-speak", please and thank you):

You are on the right path. I have found sometimes that harddrake or kudzu hardware detection will cause lockups. kudzu more likely causing it but I
have seen instanses where one or the other will lockup the system on boot.

You may need to boot into single user mode and change the name of the Sys V Statup file /etc/rc5.d/S05kudzu to not start up. to do this you type:

mv /etc/rc5.d/S05kudzu /etc/rc5.d/K05kudzu

What this does is tell the init scripst to not run it in runlevel 5 you may have to do this in rc3.d as well if you are not starting in X. this will stop kudzu from probing the hardware. you can do a similar thing for harddrake if it still does not boot.

Cheers,
Max W. Blackmer, Jr a.k.a. Daemon Watcher
The only sovereign I can allow to rule me is reason.
- Quote from Faith of the Fallen by Terry Goodkind

OOOoooohhhKay....Do I reboot my computer, and then put in the Mandrake Disk #1 in my computer, and then type all that stuff in there some place, and do I re-install everything, AGAIN? This is not easy! I went to the Linksys site, and they are talking about re-compiling the kernel, other stuff, and just going completely way over my head!

Any help will be appreciated, otherwise, I have to wipe everything out, and start fresh with Windoze....Noooooooooooo!

1mck