Something is wrong... install Fedora 6 on my Dell OptiPlex Desktop
 

Hey members,

Recently, I've tried to install Fedora brother (6 & 8) on my Desktop but failed several times.

My computer system:

(1) Computer - ACPI Multiprocessor PC
(2) Disk drivers - Maxtor 7Y250MO
(3) Display adapters - Intel (R) 82915G/GV/910GL Express Chipset Family
(4) DVD/CD-ROM drivers - Philips CDRW/DVD CDD5263
(5) IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers - Intel(R) 82801FB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers
(6) Network adapters - Broadcom NetXtreme57xx Gigabit Controller
(7) Porcessors - Intel(R) Pentium(R)4 CPU 2.80GHz

My desktop has only one hard disk (250GB) with one partition (C:) where WinXP pro pre-installed as OS. I formatted the hard disk and made two drivers (C:(30GB)and D:(200GB)) with an intention of dualbooting. I re-installed WinXP on C driver and left D driver for a Fedora Linux system.
I referred two or three web materials include personal Linux installation experiences. I checked that CD ROM booting was designated as the first booting measure on the BIOS system. I downloaded Fedora 8 ISO file and made DVD. But, the DVD was not read by 'Philips CDRW/DVD CDD 5263,' so I decided to install Fedora 6. I burned 6 ISO CDs (#1-#6). After putting the first CD (#1) into CD room and tried to install Fedora 6. Whenever I restart my computer, it directly start with Window XP. Do I have to use a special CD? If so, could you let me know which one is for the linux installation?
Frankly, I don't understand how I can boot my computer with Fedora CD and can set a linux system. I don't know what is wrong with my trial. If you have experienced a similar case and resolved it, please teach me.

Thank you!

luckystone21c

There's probably something wrong with the CD you burned, or didn't burn the ISO image correctly. Can you read the CD from within Windows? See files on it?

Also, don't format the D: drive on your Windows box. Fedora is going to want to see free and unused space to install itself on. If the partition is formatted and in use, you won't have any space available, which could cause a problem. The installer might give you an option, though, of using that partition and formatting it for Linux on the fly.

It sounds as if something may have gone wrong with the measures to make the CD Drive to be the first drive to be checked for bootability. When you boot the computer, is the DVD drive (with either the DVD or the first of the CDs already in it at boot time) get accessed, or is it just ignored? You should be able to tell by the noise and the light on the drive.

If the drive is being accessed and then it just goes on to boot windows, as usual, the chances are that your disk is not bootable.

If on the other hand, no access of the optical drive takes place at all, there is something wrong in the bios department; your bios is buggy, or the settings have not been remembered or it is only trying to boot from another optical drive (one that you don't have - maybe SATA vs PATA, or a different PATA channel or something).

Yes, I can read CD from windows. I just downloaded individual image files and burned them separately. Is there a specific way to check every component is exactly placed in the burned CD? Oops! I formatted D: drive. I might to let the D: without formatting. Thanks TB0ne for letting me know that.

Thanks salasi!

The Boot Sequence of the BIOS devices for my Desktop is:

1. Onboard or USB CD-ROM Drive
2. Onboard SATA Hard Drive
3. Onboard IDE Hard Drive (not present)
4. Onboard or USB Floppy Drive
5. Onboard Network Controller
6. USB Device (not present)

The Drves group and individual settings of the BIOS devices are:

#Diskette Drive (Floppy) ---> Internal
#Drive 0: SATA-0 ---> On
Controller = Serial ATA, Port=SATA-0
Drive ID = Maxtor 7Y250M0
#Drive 1: SATA-2 ---> Off
Controller = Serial ATA, Port = SATA-2
#Drive 2: PATA-0 ---> On
Controller = Parallel ATA
Port = PATA-0 (PRI IDE Master)
Drive ID = PHILIPS CD-RW/DVD-ROM CDD5263
#Drive 3: PATA-1 ---> Off
Controller = Parallel ATA
Port = PATA-1 (PRI IDE Slave)
#SATA Operation ---> Combination
#SMART Reporting ---> On

Do I have to modulate something for CD room booting?

So, given that 2 is your standard hard drive, everything in the list below that is irrelevant as it should find something bootable in position 2 and so never do anything with the items lower down the list.

You would think that 1 would be what you want, but, even if the disk is 'bad' (e.g., a valid, but unbootable disk) the system ought to be accessing "Onboard or USB CD-ROM Drive" before deciding that it is unbootable and moving on to the next item: Does it actually do that?

If it is accessing the optical drive and then moving on to item 2, the disk itself would seem to be the problem. You might want to try a live CD that someone else has made, and that you know really works (for example, a Knoppix CD).