Well, all the kernels in slackware-current give a kernel panic while booting on an amd64 pc with a sata drive. Should I report a bug? If so, where? Can't find any obvious place...

Also, I cant get any 32 bit or 64 bit os to install on this friends system. The system has the Athlon64 2800+ on an Asus K8s-MX motherboard. No fdd, 1 160GB Samsung Sata hdd on sata1 and a samsung dvdr+cdrw combo drive on primary ide master. He got this pc with windows 98 preinstalled on it.

I had huge hopes from slack 10.1 beta but all I got was a kernel panic!

Any pointers, help, anyone??

It's not the SATA drive, it's the 64-bit processor. Slackware 10.0 doesn't have support for 64-bit processors in the install kernel. Your guess is as good as mine as to whether 10.1 will have it, but off-hand, I would say that some people are working on it and I wouldn't be surprised if it does make the next release.

Well, consider these then:

• amd64 is capable of running a 32 bit os... I am currently running a windows 98 on it.
• Slackware 10.0 bare.i live cd boots up without a kernel panic, but of course does not pick up the sata.
• Slackware 10.1 beta gives kernel panic on the same setup on which Slackware 10.0 does not.

Does that not qualify as a bug? Specialy, since the third point... I am not asking for a 64 bit slack os right now... that will take time, as you say. But the 32 bit os should be able to handle amd64... why not?

Where may I report this bug, if at all.

Does anyone even know, where to file slack bugs? amd64 is a valid x86 platform.

Another observation or two:
- Knoppix boots and runs fine from my IDE CDRW/Combo drive, but does not see the SATA
- Debian Sarge starts its install but also doesn't see the SATA drive (an 80GB WD drive)

Fedora Forum suggests what we know: the mobo is a little too new yet. See:

http://www.fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?t=32585

Thanks a ton for that link uncleop.

Let me add that
-gentoo-amd64-rc1 used to hang on boot when u asked it to load scsi drivers and when you did not, it booted fine but did not pick up any hard drive.
- Mepis like Knoppix boots fine but does not pick up any hdd. Even the new hoary-whatever release!
- gentoo hackers opined that gentoo-2004.2-x86 might just work, but I havent tried!

Unfortunately, the comp in question is not mine and its owner is now a windows user! I do not have the time, energy or motivation to create a custom kernel for him.

I am considering buying the same system in a month or so, though! The performance that combo achieves at such a low cost simply amazes me! If I do buy it, I will create a few custom slack 2.6.10 kernels and burn them to a disc and see if I can get slack make it through...

De nada.

But help me now: where does a Linux developer go to "properly" add support for a motherboard? Or, more likely, a new feature on an otherwise "known" motherboard? I'm not dumb, so it's not impossible that I could finesse a "patch" or other form of fix myself. But the problem is finding the best place to start...

Kerneltrap, my friend. If I were you I did take some extra care, collect my thoughts and make a nice post on a well chosen forum on kerneltrap.org and then well, pray!

By the way, if you figure out how to write patches and contribute, please-oh-please tell me! Oh heck, if you can find anyway to get started on anything interesting, tell me! I too believe that I have some untested potential. I keep crapping about my comp but dont know where to start to contribute usefully to anything useful. I know some stuff and am ready to read and learn anything if needed.

If you figure out what needs to be done to patch up for this board, I am your man! I am i.am.no.where_AT_gmail

PS: Whats "De Nada"?

"De Nada" is spanish for "of nothing", or, more colloquially, "no problem".

Off to kerneltrap.org...

Buena Suerte, then!