I am having serious trouble with linux and I need big help.

I am trying to install redhat 9 linux on my computer. I inesert my cdrom and reboot my computer. Once i pass the welcome screen my monitor starts flashing. I've been all over the net trying to address this one and so far no luck. I've tried the following ideas unsuccessfully at the boot prompt.

linux text
linux lowres
linux skipddc
linux noprobe
linux bf24 video=vga16ff
linux idepci video=vga16ff

None of this made any difference. about 2 seconds after i hit the enter key the monitor starts flashing. The program seems like it would still run, but flashing linux isn't what i had in mind.

These are my system specs:
P4 2.8C (Asus p4c 800 deluxe motherboard)
1 gig ram
geforce fx5200 vid card (17" compaq v75 monitor)
2 hard drives (i was hoping to use linux exclusively on one)

Can somebody help me!?!?!?

Are you sure the CD you're installing from is OK? Can you check it with any other machine?

The CD is ok. Any other thoughts on what could be happening here?

does it work from a different machine?

I can't do a full install on another machine because i only own one. I ran the cd on a friends computer. There was no flashing screen and i aborted the install. Any suggestions on how i can get this up and running on my pc?

try a different graphix card?

eh..my red hat installation went fine - try it on someones computer that you don't like, just in case it does work and you dont want it to mess anything of yours up...

and wow- 1gb of ram- good god

I WOULD say...reformat the drive you wanna erase, and boot from CD rom...but thats just my opinion

Ok, I don't want to come off as rude here. But really, it is very frustrating when you post a thread, see someone has made a reply, and find this sort of reply. Citrus, i know you are a newbie like myself and that you mean well. But this falls under the category of non-help. I am only a poor student, and i don't have extra vid cards lying around. Also being a newbie, the thought of stripping out and disconnecting my vid card is daunting to say the least, and then there are warranty issues since my computer was purchased in the last three months. And finally, that would be a whole lot of trouble just to put a 2nd OS on my computer. I know linux and the fx 5200 don't get along, and honestly it probably would hav e resulted in a different choice when i made my original purchase but it is too late to go back now.

Please, if anybody has a solution i would like to know. Please do not post anything else like that citrus. I don't have the expertise/resources to dive into my machine so anything along these lines is not an option.

well exuse me you are rude and let me just say there are people on here that have helped me out and i am just trying my best to help too

so if my posts don't help you at all then just disregard them....

i am sure it just chapped your ass to be able to say
" no i don't have any other gfx cards. thanks tho"

My apologies... I am frustrated because i have been trying to install linux for quite some time now and have hit a wall quite early in. You see each install effort lasts about 3 seconds before the same annoying problem starts up. My speech wasn't intended to offend, i simply wanted explain what my options are at this point. Again...apologies.

Just got advised that maybe by changing my refresh rates i can get things up and running. Can i do this at the boot prompt? If so what is the command?

Ok there's no blinking!!

At the boot prompt simply type

linux nofb

This will stop the blinking and allow you to run the installation program. Much thanks to everybody who took time to make suggestions, and help me out. Again apologies for my snippy post.