i now have redhat linux 9. i formatted my hd so i could make 3 partitions, 1 for linux, Windblows and last for ftp or storage. i am not familar w/ how to format partition so linux will install. i loaded windblows on first partition already using fat32. i tried to load linux from cdrom in dos afterwards. when i reboot w/ cd1 in drive it boots up the cd. i press enter so it will load but it always get's to the point where it say's "VFS: Cannot open root device "" or 48:05. Please append a correct "root=" boot option. Kernel panic:VFS:Unable to mount root fs on 48:05. i get the feeling that i need to format the drive first but don't understand how to do so.
thx for any help on this.
Paladin

If you are getting this when booting from the CD, then there is either a problem with your CD or a problem with something like your memory. How much memory do you have in this system?

Don't "format" your drive, but run "fdisk" to repartition your drive. Try loading Linux before windows and see what happens.

-K

i am running a AMD athlon XP 2200+ 1.80ghz 480mb ram pc. i used fdisk to partition 60gb hd into 3 parts. i formatted 1 for XP to run on using fat32. i have not formatted the other two yet because i didn't think linux would run on partition if it was formatted using a win98 boot disk. i tried loading linux first and got the same error, so i of course read the info from redhats site and they recomended installing windblows first then linux. i am having trouble setting up partition so linux will install. i have read about formatting drive w/ disk drude but that is where i am running into trouble. i don't know how to get disk drude to run under DOS mode. i know this sounds or is really really basic but unfortunetly i have only used windblows and read about linux. i guess the question is do i need to do something to the partition before i try and load linux or is there a cmd i need to enter at the boot screen like "boot_diskdrude" or "boot_linux rescue" of course this is without the underscore . thx for the response
Paladin

Well, I don't know what you mean by "DOS" mode...
Is the CD booting all the way or not? You don't have to prepare the disk partition.. you just need to boot to the CD and hit "enter".

That should launch the install program and eventually you will get to the part about using disk druid. If you are getting an error before that ever happens, I don't know for sure what could be causing it other than a bad CD.

You might try doing the install in "text" mode. The instructions are on the frront boot screen.

-K

I'm not quite sure what you mean about disk druid running under dos mode or trying to boot into cd 1 in dos mode - could you please clarify what you are doing at this point when trying to install.

ok first i really appretiate the help and want to say that first . first i did a low level from A:\ then i used a 98boot disk to boot up pc without any OS installed--»fdisk-»create partitions-»format C:\ partition to fat32-»upload XP Pro to C:\-»reboot to with Linux CD in rom-»this is where i get the RedHat Linux boot-up options with a "boot_" cursor to input whatever like exp:"boot_linux rescue" or like KevinJ said above "You might try doing the install in "text" mode." you can choose to "boot_linux text". yes this is where the problem occures. i get a whole lotta strings where it is booting but then it comes to the error i posted above and stops. after reading both of your post it may be the CD that is causing the trouble but because it ask me to "Please append a correct "root=" boot option". i thought i needed to do something prior to loading. i even tried making the partition that i wanted to load it to active through fdisk, which is in DOS or before the OS is able to load. what i mean by DOS is when you reboot before it loads a OS you just have a black screen with a cursor after a specified drive letter like "C:\_" or "A:\_" and then you input a command like "A:\fdisk" or "C:\scandisk /all"
thx
Paladin

Thr truth is you could take your hard drive out all together and it should get further than you are getting. The "append root=" thing is occuring because of a problem with the CD I think. It either is having trouble with the initial ramdisk or with the kernel itself. If its not the CD, then its your RAM, but I betting CD.

Did you run and compare the md5 checksum's on the ISO's you downloaded with what they should be? that will tell you if your download is good, if it is, then you might just need to burn another CD.

-K

i was affraid you might say that lol unfortunetly i did not check the .iso after d/ling it and burned it to cd. i then formatted entire HD so i know longer have the .iso except on the cd i burned. i am on a 56krap so it takes a whiillleee to d/l the images lol i will go to RedHats site and get the md5 checksum and see if that will tell me. more then likely i will end up spending another 1½ weeks d/ling the .iso images but if at first you don't succeed try try again lol very much appretiate the help and advice mayhaps i will be able to return the favor in the near future. knowledge is best when it is shared. thx again
Paladin

If you want to save yourself some time, download the first ISO and do a bare minimum install... like a custom install except uncheck every option, that will probably never ask you for the second CD. That will get you tested out anyway.

You can always build it up later.

-K

sorry had to change browser's i hate IE, i kept getting 404 error page lol ok i was going to use md5 checksum thinking it was a exe or something lol i opened it with opera and it was a text file which i am guessing means i need to open it from the C:\ prompt? i am very much still a newbie w/ using these things lol. got a really late start in life but am learning as fast as i can. i tried to open a text page from C:\ and it always opens it w/ notepad lol what is the best way to use the md5 checksum of course i mean what do i need to type at the C:\ ?? prompt to get it to run? again thank you for the help and i can't wait until i no longer have to use windblows hehe i like using my brain and i guess thats what got me interested in linux in the first place.
thx
Paladin

the md5sum file is text.
If you don't still have the ISO's, then it wont do you any good.
You also would need to find a Windows MD5SUM program, I know there is a free one out there if you Google for it.

The way this works is you download the ISO, run md5sum on it and you get a number. Compare that number to what is in the md5sum text file. If the numbers are the same, you know its a good download. If they aren't, its not.

-K

i still have the .iso images but there burned to cd instead of on my HD where i d/led them to at first. i can put them back on HD just to check them if i can't check them from the CDROM. i will search my favorite search engine Google, lol it's what i use for my home page , and see what i can find out. finding a progy is the least of my worries thx to google and all the great places it has pointed me towards thats how i found this site it was one of the first results from my search anywho thx much. have to go to work in the morning so will have to carry on tommorow night when i get home.
thx
Paladin

well i just had to convert them back and see if i could check them just so i would know. according to the checksum progy i used cd1 and cd3 had a different value then the checksum file but cd2 just said it had been updated lol so i will have to d/l cd1 and 3 again so i'll (•¿•) see you all in a couple days thx for all the help and pointing me in the right direction.
thx
Paladin