i just newly installed redhat linux 9 a few days ago cos i thought its gonna be cool. But this really sucks.
everytime my kernel reaches this line:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
apm: BIOS version 1.2 Flags 0x03 (Driver version 1.16)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
my computer freezes rock dead. I have 3 questions:
1. is it the apm thats causing the problem?
2. is it the next line (kswap) thats causing the problem?
3. how do i fix it

thanks for reading this...

additional information:
after entering rescue mode, and typing "apm" my computer says no apm support in kernel
but typing in displayapm in "command line" at grub my computer returns sever array of numbers...
my computer is a tower, compaq presario, pentium 4,

well the rescue mode kernel probably does not provide apm support as its a rescue kernel... meaning bare minimum. Similiar to Windows Safe Mode w/ no drivers. To trouble shoot the normal kernel you can pass a kernel parameter (I don't know the specific one yet) that should be able to turn apm off so you can get pass that phase and see if kswapd is what's messing you up.

double checked against apm.c... its apm=off

hope that helps,
jbarto

thanks jpbarto, I searched your solution on the internet and it confused me because there were some mixed views on apm= off.
So I have 2 questions

the linux manual says that the command looks like this:
boot: apm=off
-----------------
question 1: how do you get the "boot: " to come up? is it by using the linux startup floppy?
-----------------

other people mentioned about the grub kernel command line. they say that I should modify it like this:

kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-3 ro root=/dev/hda1 hdd=ide-scsi apm=off

------------------
question 2: which option is the best? I'm looking for a permanent fix to this bug.
-------------------

again thanks a bunch for helping out here...

well a permanent fix would be to download the kernel source and compile it yourself minus the apm.

as for the boot up I'm only familiar with lilo.

are you running grub or lilo?

You should get a small prompt at startup, or a graphical menu etc. It may only be there for a few seconds, so watch carefully.

Another solution may to switch off APM in the BIOS. It's not critical for a desktop machine, APM == Advanced Power Management.

I'm using grub, because most people seem to prefer it to lilo.
I think I'll just go to edit kernel arguments in the startup screen and type in apm=off. I think that's what you mean by "BIOS" mike.

as for making my own kernel... I'll do it another day

what he meant by bios is the bios setup, like where you
hit delete when you computer is in coming on, but that
depends on the brand a little, lliek f10 for compaq.
but anyway, most computers that you could hit delete
to enter startup, you go to power management and
turn apm off.

you can also enter rescue mode and edit your
/etc/grub/grub.conf and add apm=off to append line.

a wise indian once told me that "a man cannot truly call himself a man, until he builds his own kernel".

one step at a time... a wise engineer once told me "the lower you start, the higher you get to be. A sky scraper could not have got so high if the fundation did not start so low"-- I hope I'm starting low enough on linux

anyway. I'll have time this weekend to reinstall linux. THanks for all the information, I think I can get this apm thing solved this time.

If it works, I'll post again so that other linux starters who encounter the same problem will know that it works.

If it fails, I'll post again with more questions!

either way let us know. best of luck to you.

yes...yes...YES, and yes.

here's what I did, when grub boots up press p for bootloader password.
Now, choose the option "edit kernel arguments", Now at the end of the line add: apm=off
now press enter, it should load now.
Thanks a plethora for all the help, linuxs looks so cool.