Hello,

I am a new user on this forum. I purchased the 8.1 powerpack when it first came out, but had so many problems I gave up. Perhaps it was because of my computer, which self-destructed later.

I recently downloaded Mandrake 9.2 (the three cd set), burned the cd's and tried to install. It told me that some files were missing from cd#3, then ended up dying. After some web searches I learned it was safe to just hit cancel when asked to insert the third cd. I also found out most of the "goodies" and documentation seem to be on that cd.

I checked the md5sums of the three .iso files and they are fine. I have a 52x burner but tend to burn cds slower and have had no problems whatsoever. I have read that lots of people have this problem so I am not too worried that it is a problem with my system.

I have been told that when (if?) I ever get things working correctly I can use one (which) of the software update choices in KDE or Gnome and it will get the missing files from the internet. Do I have to somehow figure out what _wasn't_ installed or will Mandrake know and get them automatically?

But that isn't my real problem. Or I guess now that I think about it it could be since I'm not sure what files are on cd#3. Anyway...

I have (for now, possibly also in Feb.) a 1mBit (ok, 348mBit but I am paying for 1mBit) a cable internet connection. I have a Motorola SurfBoard 4200 modem. I can't get it to work in Linux, but it seems to work fine in WinXP. Here are the particulars and what I've done, perhaps someone has similar hardware?

Abit NF-7 Motherboard with recent bios
AMD AthlonXP 2200+
512 meg 400mHz DDR ram
80 gig ide hard drive
nVidia Fx5200 128 meg video card
Motorola SB 4200 cable modem with Charter Pipeline internet
*Microsoft Internet Keyboard in k/b port
*Microsoft Intellimouse Optical in usb port (I lost the ps/2 adaptor)

*I don't care much for their software but the hardware is pretty good!

The motherboard is an nVidia nForce2. It has built-in sound (6 channel? I just have two speakers) and an Ethernet port (problems).

It came with WinXP preinstalled which means I can never wipe and reinstall because I only have a "Recovery disk" which I assume won't recover from a format. (Gee thanks Bill!)

Like I said, I downloaded 9.2 and installed it, picking just about every package that didn't deal with a language other than English (mind-crippled American). I didn't consciously pick any server choices.

My cable modem, while having both ethernet and usb connections, is hooked up through a usb port. When they came to install it they couldn't get it to work through 10/100. I have tried and I can't either. I get the message in Windows that a network cable is unplugged, the same as I do with nothing hooked to the port. It won't work in Linux either (thought it might be an os problem but no). Yes this was with the port enabled in the bios. The installer thought it might be a bad cable, so he got a new one. Still no dice. So he said, "I'd rather hook it to your ethernet port but I'll hook it up to usb." and he did and it worked in WindowsXP. Which is all they are concerned with.

I couldn't get it to work in Linux. Mandrake's detection program lists it under Unknown Device.

I tried a couple of things I read on the 'net, no luck. Then I read to add a line to /etc/modules that reads:
CDCEther

I rebooted and ran a browser and was online! Then about 10 seconds later I had a hard lockup that I couldn't get out of by trying {CTRL}{ALT}{BACKSPACE} or the series of {ALT}{SYSRQ} commands listed in the 8.1 reference manual. I had to hit the reset button. Upon reboot it offered to do a file systems check. Thinking it was a good idea I hit "y" which was a mistake because it was unable to reconcile things. My system was "hosed" so I reinstalled. This time it again locked up when I went online. Upon reboot I ignored the file systems check option and it managed to boot. When I got online the same thing happened. After a few times of this (hitting the reset button each time) My system seems to be screwy. I can click on Konquer and it appears on the bar at the bottom of the screen with the hourglass but the program never loads. Sometimes this happens and I give up and click log off. Then a long time after that the konquerer loads. Then a little while after that the logoff screen comes up. Hmm...

A couple more times of resetting after hard lockups and I had to reinstall. A couple more reinstalls and I am at my wits end.

At one point I remember that what I thought was a lockup was just my mouse freezing up. Odd, never had any trouble with WinXP. Anyway I hit the menu button on my keyboard (I covered the windows logo with one of the stickers I had left over from the 8.1 powerpack, btw ) and was going to logoff when I realized I could work without the mouse so I tried to run a browser again. Then it did lockup.

I have tried most of the browsers that came with 9.2- Konquerer, Mozilla, the one in Gnome.

I have numerous other questions but if I can get my system online (stable?) I can begin to figure them out (software updates, getting the rest of the packages the installer couldn't install because I had to skip disc #3, nVidia video driver install, etc.).

I think there may be a log of some kind that I can write down and give to someone if they can make sense out of it?

Thanks in advance,
Wes Gregg
wes_catfish@yahoo.com