Here is the skinny,

I'm trying to get RedHat 9 on a system built from parts, but the CD test utility keeps failing.
-Gigabyte GA-5AX mainboard
-AMD K6-2 500
-ATI Rage 128pro
-384M PC133 RAM
-and the usual HD floppy and CDROM

I was able to get RH9 on this system after skipping the test utility out of pure frustration. I got a few errors when I got to the partitioning stage of the install, but after being rather persistent the installation finally took.

I boot into run level 3 and when I try to go to X the system locks up and I have no choice but to reach around and press the reset button. My thinking this is the result of a bad installation so I am starting over. I have RH9 unleashed by sams as my reference and it tells me to use a Pentium class CPU, though I understand the AMD K6-2 CPU's should work as well.

This system was running another O/S so I am under the impression the hardware is okay.

What has been done so far:
-new IDE cables all around
-rechecked MB jumper settings (set for AMD K6-2 500 2.2v)
-tested CD's on intel based systems and passed
-swapped the CDROM from the soon-to-be Linux box with one from the intel based. CD still passes on the intel and not on the AMD.
-cleaned the CDROM
-flashed BIOS
-put in an AMD K6-2 400 and reset MB jumpers accordingly
-re-downloaded RH9 and verified MD5
-re-burnt CD 1 for testing purposes at 4x

The CD test utility did pass once after I put the 500 back in and reset the jumpers. Then the second CD failed so I retested the first CD and it failed.

I have thought about trying a new MB but it is rather difficult to find a socket7 MB.

I thank you for taking the time to read this rather wordy post, if you have any suggestions please do post them.

So is the question:

1. If you test the CD's you burned, the fail, and you can't install
2. You can install RH, but when you start X, the screen goes black.
3. Something else

The RH9 system comprises 3 ISO's. Once you d/l them from RH, you should immediately run the MD5SUM on your local copies (on your hard drives). Then, after you burn each one to a CD, run MD5SUM on the CD again. Note that each image has its own checksum, so be sure you're referring to the appropriate one. To reiterate, you need to run the MD5SUM on each of the 3 CD's you burn, and confirm the results are correct.

If all this checks out, then you should be able to start the install. RH first asks if you want to verify the install CD's, and the safe answer is Yes. Verify all 3 disks. Based on what you've described, it sounds like your first disk is OK but your second one has problems. (I'm also guessing that if the test failed on disk 2, and then you put disk 1 in again, you got a failure message because it was expecting disk 2, not 1.)

Anyway, if you can successfully install RH, but then the screen goes dark when you try to start X, my expectation would be you've got a video configuration problem. Resolving that is a different thread though, and a Search on existing posts will likely turn up the info you need.

I'll be the first to admit I'm not the expert on RH, but hopefully some of this may be helpful. -- J.W.