LinuxQuestions.org
Welcome to the most active Linux Forum on the web.
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Newbie
User Name
Password
Linux - Newbie This Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question? If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place!

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 11-30-2003, 09:51 AM   #1
Mockbird
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Nov 2003
Posts: 3

Rep: Reputation: 0
**HELP** Self Professed Newbie in Dire Straights! **HELP**


Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is my problem. I am attempting to install Mandrake 9.2 on a brand new dual processor gigabyte board with Promise ATA 133 Raid Chipset.
Everytime I try to boot from CD I receive the current bane of my existence, it reads as such:

Could not uncompress second stage ramdisk. This is probably an hardware error while reading the data. (this may be caused by a hardware failure or a Linux kernel bug)

GRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

K - It is BOTH! The hardware (drives: two 80 gig) is not being recognized! And the Kernel can't find it! (*^(&^@(*

Anyway, the hdc is being auto id'd as my ATAPI CD ROM. So when the OS attempts to unpack (to the hdc - imagine that?!?!) the second stage to my CD ROM it fails.

Please tell me there is a patch out there!?????

At this point I am ready to either switch distros, or go back to the man!

Second question - if I switch distros which would be best? I will be web and game hosting off of this machine ... it will be used soley for that purpose! Let me know. ANY HELP WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Viva La Revolucion!
Viva Linux!
Gracias.
 
Old 11-30-2003, 10:21 AM   #2
kaplan71
Member
 
Registered: Nov 2003
Posts: 809

Rep: Reputation: 39
Hi there --

Mandrake Linux is similar to Red Hat Linux. The biggest difference is Red Hat's use of the Bluetooth desktop as opposed to the classic KDE and Gnome desktops in its OS versions eight and nine.

Red Hat is normally very 'lenient' about the hardware it detects. If you having a problem with Mandrake, Red Hat may be a viable alternative.

FYI: Red Hat announced that within the next year, support and patches for all OS releases will stop with the exception of its commercial Red Hat Enterpise OS. After that, its Fedora OS, or Red Hat Linux 10, will be the only 'free' version by Red Hat that will have some form of support.
 
Old 11-30-2003, 11:51 AM   #3
Mockbird
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Nov 2003
Posts: 3

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 0
Redhat has a patch for the driver in its 7.2 version

So are you saying that the Red Hat patch would probably work with Mandrake?
 
Old 11-30-2003, 04:02 PM   #4
mac_phil
Member
 
Registered: Sep 2003
Distribution: Mandrake 10.0
Posts: 200

Rep: Reputation: 30
Since you're a newbie I'll give you some friendly advice. The topic of this thread actually reduces your chances of getting help.

You want your topic to state what the problem is; that way the people who can help you will read it.

Welcome to Linux!
 
Old 11-30-2003, 04:25 PM   #5
silverbullet
Member
 
Registered: Nov 2003
Posts: 74

Rep: Reputation: 15
We are all new. So take your time. First off... Do you have just a single hard drive you can use as like a boot disk instead of using your raid for a little while? I suggest that as you have to realize you are getting ready to actually start computing instead of just being dumb and double clicking an icon to get stuff to work. Just slow down. Dont get mad. This is probably going to be the biggest challenge to your brain that it has and ever will have. Imagine teaching yourself to forget how to ride a bike... that is what you are doing. Linux is teaching you a different way... the right way.
Now, as for raid. I would think that if you try to seperate them... then install an iso on each then you will know you dont have a hardware problem. Isolate that first. I think that is best. But I am a linux noob. Then, and only then can you go after linux.
The best thing I can really tell you to do is to use the hell out of google. You will find people with the same problems. They are out there. Just because it is a new OS doesnt mean you cant beat it. You can. Just take what you know about a pc... and apply it.
In windows.... all of this stuff is done automatically for you. Now you have to do it manually.
How are you running the raid? 0 or 1 or what? Second question, are you using the onboard raid? How are you doing your raid? Do you have a primary disk and then two raid disks or just two raid disks? If only two raid disks... did you install the drivers to the raid controller prior to starting this? Just minor questions to ask yourself as you do this. Remember, Linux is difficult. So you have everything against you until you figure it out or someone takes their time to help you with it.
Like I said in the beginning... Take your time dog.... its all good. Your learning again. That is always good.
 
Old 11-30-2003, 04:35 PM   #6
silverbullet
Member
 
Registered: Nov 2003
Posts: 74

Rep: Reputation: 15
Ok. I think i know what is the problem. Is your bios seeing the hard drives? Probably so. Linux isnt. But only because it is not being told to. You know when you installed it in windows it asks you in the beginning to install a raid controller after the bios loads... well. I think linux is probably looking for the same thing. Only thing is i dont know how to tell it you have raid. Can you boot from a floppy? Maybe you need to get a linux copy of the raid controller drivers for linux and boot from that floppy. I would bet that is the problem. You havent told it you have raid. Sound right? That would be my best guess. I just read this.... check it out... Maybe a hint..http://forums.devshed.com/archive/33/2003/9/4/44079
 
  


Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
in dire need of help with ICU and linuxcanda software... Lleb_KCir Linux - Software 16 10-17-2005 01:14 PM
In dire need for some space :-) l2g Slackware 7 05-11-2004 07:14 PM
In dire need of help bobs987 Linux - Hardware 0 03-20-2004 02:23 PM
need dire help! well not really... DIRE. Peingune Linux - Hardware 4 11-03-2002 02:59 PM
In dire need of DNS help! katana Linux - General 5 06-19-2001 12:37 AM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Newbie

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:31 PM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration