Hi,

I have completely failed to install Mandrake 8.1 on my old home PC. The problem appears to be memory-related (see below). However, the real killer for me is that MS Windows is quite happy installing and running on this hardware, but Linux isn't. Why? Memory is memory - right?

Anyway, the long description:

The install usually fails during package install. Usually, garbage is written to part of the screen and the system either hangs or reboots.

Once (in text install) I got the message:

Segmentation Fault 'seems like memory is missing as the install crashes'

Someone else had this problem in another post in this forum (frazz - " Me again!win98+m8 dual boot moreinfo"). The reason was said to be memory not fast enough for the motherboard/cpu.

My system is as follows:
166MHz Cyrix cpu
TX Pro motherboard running at 66MHz
4 x 8MB 72pin SIMMs (60ns)
1 x 64MB 168pin SDRAM (66MHz)
total memory 96MB
Video: generic PCI, Cirrus Logic 5436 chipset (2MB)

This hardware happily runs Win98 and WinNT4. Why is this PC a problem for Linux, but not Windows?

I have tried every combination of memory:
* with only the SIMMs (32MB total) the install complains of not enough resource and fails to install packages.
* with only the 64MB SDRAM it has the same problem as with all 96MB installed.

Other relevant info:
I tried installing Red Hat 7.0, which I already use at work. The RH7 install on the home PC "worked", but wouldn't configure X - no resolution worked.

So I have run out of ideas and am about to give up. Shame, because I was looking forward to using Linux at home.

Any ideas?
Is this a memory problem?
Anything I can do?
And why-o-why does Linux have a problem when Windows doesn't (this is the embarrassing question I will have to face with my Linux-bashing colleagues).

Thanks for any help,
Colin

you might try going back to RedHat but try 7.2 this time.
If you still have 7.0 try it again.

You can normally work out an X problem, install problems may not be near as easy to work out.

However X is going to be a bit slow on a 166 MHz

You might want to try WindowMaker for a gui.

Sometimes if there are hardware problems (like faulty memory), etc. an install craps out. Try the install with minimal memory and then add the extra stuff later on (after the install).

Rajan.

I have given up mandrake8.1 since it gave me severe problems on 3 different computers (two of them gave severe i/o problems). But, mandrake8.0 works fine on them all.

I have also good experience with redhat7.2. (But not with a socket A + thundbird 1000 mhz cpu).

Flemming