I finally got the installation of Mandrake 9.2 on my Acer Travelmate 240.

How I did? I simply selected 'alt1' in installation boot; now the problem is that once it's installed when I launch it from the boot menu it freezes like happened before. How can I edit the launch sequence on the boot manager of Mandrake? So I can launch it with 'alt1' kernel?

Thanx.

Are you running Lilo, or grub. YOu will have to edit one of the config files to change which is the default boot.

Oh I don't know. I suppose it's LILO, but how can I edit their conf file if I can't access LINUX?

boot a rescue disk. THeir common enough, or knoppix can do it too.

config file should be /etc/lilo.conf

good luck

Absolutely NO WAY.

I installed again Mandrake, with GRUB that lets me edit the command line; now way I can have Mandrake 9.2 run! Damn! I install it by typing 'alt1' in the installation prompt, but once it's installed it doesnt' RUN!

Why it sucks?

I'm still confused as to whats happening.... you install mandrake, but then it doesnt boot. Why do you do alt1, is it something special for your hardware? I know nothing of MDK, having only installed it once about 2 years ago... not even on my computer. Please, we really need alot more info to help you.

Ok, let's give these infos:

- I boot up from CD #1
- in the graphical menu I press F1, because if I hit Enter to begin installation it freezes up
- when in console mode, I type: "alt1" because I read that it uses an alternative kernel to boot up
- the installation process begins correctly and terminates correctly too
- I reboot
- I get the LILO/GRUB menu
- I select "linux" then I press Enter
- it freezes up simply...

Damn...

Probably I have to find a way to boot it up with an alternative kernel like I did in the installation process...bah...I don't know really what to do...

My hardware? Acer Travelmate 240...find it on the net to get a list of its hardware...

THANX MEN!

cant have lilo and grub trying to be in the mbr at the same time, disable the boot loader that you do not need, if you want mandrake then use the bootloader that it installs with, and configure it to boot either distro. or vice versa.

sounds like you installed one distro over the other, common for windows, unhealthy for linux, inneffective for either.
linux does not need to be reinstalled, just maintained.

No no, wait.

I didn't have LILO and GRUB together, I wrote LILO/GRUB because I tried installing 2 times Mandrake and one time with LILO, the other with GRUB. I never had an overlapping of distros...I had always ONE distro...but that's not the problem...

I think now that Mandrake hates Travelmate...

OK. This thread on the knoppix forums says that the acer has a problem with acpi and it thinking the kerenel is smp. passing the options noacpi noapm nosmp to the kernel and then booting.

http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5773

there are init parameters that need to be passed to lilo or grub, depending on which one you are using, grub has a key press that you need to press, then you can enter "init" settings before it boots it's default setting.
Lilo needs to have its lilo config edited and proper settings made.
a boot disk will get you started in the right direction, as well as finding info on lilo, and grub init commands, find info on master boot record also.