Please help me get linux (fedora) working on my new pc (Intel dq965gf board).

Hi all, in my quest to become a linux geek I purchased a new system I planned to dedicate to fedora 6 and subsetquent releases. the specs are....250gb sata drive 4 gb memory with integrated graphics network and sound on a dq965gf intel mother board. my cpu is a dual core 6400. I specifically got this cpu/motherboard as the cpu says it has virtualization built in and since I planned on running xen to learn linux networking better and vmware server for windows I figured the 4 gigs or ram would be great. well it has not been happening for me with the new computer. here is what has transpired between yesterday and today.

1) initially the setup could not recognize the dvd drive and I could not continue. thanks the this forum I changed my bios setting to ahci (whatever that is) and entered all-generic-ide during install and the intatll went fine...then I discovered once setup was done that many thing were not working.

2) no sound at all (soundcard is detected but does not make any sound

3) even though the dvd is shown in the bios and was used to setup fedora once actually using the os there is no cd/dvd drive detected at all. or if there is I don't know how to specify/access it.

4) video has a max resolution of 1024 by 768. the system-config-display shows many other resolutions but when I set them and log off and back on I am still at 1024/768.

5) finally I installed the xen kernel (2.6.19-1.2895.fc6) since using xen was the entire reason I got this processor and ram config...to my dismay the system boots to a screen that says INTEL BROADWATER-G PCI ACCELERATED SVGA BIOS BUILD 1317 PC 14118 08/11/2006

the system using xen just hangs at this screen and does not let me go any further (I have to manually reboot).

---anyway I thought that perhaps updating the bios would take care of these issues...so I burnt an ISO image from intel's site http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scr...Linux*&lang=eng

and booted with the disk and installed the new bios. there were other specific downloads on the site for other linux's but none for fedora so I took the one that simply said "linux". anyway after installing the new bios nothing has changed. Please help me as I have a few days to get this worked out...or return the computer. I really don't want to get stuck with this if linux doesn't work as then windows will go on...and escaping windows was the entire reason for getting the pc in the first place...any help is greatly appreciated.

what I don't get is what did the bios uprade do? anything? anything at all? if not why does Intel have it on there site?

anyone with a similar issue? any suggestions? hate to be pushy but I have a time frame in which I can return the system....

If you have a look in "Hardware",just a few posts away from this one,you will see another thread called:
"Need hardware advice-Building a New System".

It does not look promising for your board, I am afraid, with a definite "Do not Buy" recommendation.

Why does it have to be fedora? Try e.g. SuSE or Knoppix...

Originally Posted by JZL240I-U Why does it have to be fedora? Try e.g. SuSE or Knoppix...

very good question...my intent...way in the future...was to go for the rhce so I thought that fedora the free version would be a good place to start...ok I just picked up an open suse 10.2 dvd so I guess I will try that one next...I mean as long as some linux will work I can really start learning and then I can only assume later releases of the fedora software will be able to work with this mother board. question for yall...I see on intels website they have a bios update for "suse 10 enterprise desktop 10". I have (from the latest linux pro mag)a copy of opensuse 10.2. I must say I really don't want to go through a complete reinstall of both bios and os if opensuse and enterprise desktop are not compatable...any thoughts here? thanks.

Annoying as it is, I suggest that you have discovered an important lesson about using Linux: since a lot of hardware vendors don't try very hard (or at all) to support Linux, it's a good idea to check compatibility on things before you buy them. The last computer I bought wouldn't boot Linux for a year until someone reverse-engineered drivers for the motherboard. Frustrating but there you go.

Originally Posted by Gethyn Annoying as it is, I suggest that you have discovered an important lesson about using Linux: since a lot of hardware vendors don't try very hard (or at all) to support Linux, it's a good idea to check compatibility on things before you buy them. The last computer I bought wouldn't boot Linux for a year until someone reverse-engineered drivers for the motherboard. Frustrating but there you go.

Ok I get the stick now give me the carrot...should the bios I listed work with opensuse?

I don't really know about that BIOS issue. Suggestion: Try installing a minimal SuSE system (with GUI though). If it works you can always install the rest of the packages you need, if not, well, then you know that there is still something unresolved, maybe with the BIOS.

Try the newest Knoppix next, it has a pretty far advanced hardware detection capability ... good luck.

Try looking here:

http://www.suseforums.net/index.php?showtopic=30533

I have just realised that it is the same post on another forum!

Originally Posted by beachboy2 Try looking here: http://www.suseforums.net/index.php?showtopic=30533 I have just realised that it is the same post on another forum!

ha, anyway I do have suse 10.2 installed now so there is your answer. really wanted so learn on fedora but perhaps I can use that through xen...who knows...certainly not me...

Originally Posted by beachboy2 ... I have just realised that it is the same post on another forum!

Better late than never he's even using the same nick .