Gentoo: installation CD locks up my system
 

I'm trying to install Gentoo onto my laptop, a Dell Inspiron 3200. After I pop the live installer CD in, it boots ok, but after I hit enter to get goin, the first thing that it verboses is "ACPI: Unable to locate RSDP" Then it scans for all this stuff, like data, firewire, etc, and loads everything (when almost nothing is relavant to my system). (I'm not sure if that's bad or not, I just thought I'd mention it.) Then it finally starts to mount the CD, where it gives me this message ...

Attempting to mount CD:- /dev/hda
Attempting to mount CD:- /dev/hda1
Attempting to mount CD:- /dev/hda4
Attempting to mount CD:- /dev/hdc

... then the CD spins up, and ... it locks. The CD read light is on and the drive is up to speed, but nothing is happening. I've let it sit for a bit too, around 10 minutes or so, and it doesn't do anything. What should I do?

Thanks everyone!

Check the Gentoo boot options and use it so it disables that ACPI. That might be worth trying. Can't help too much as I have never had a laptop, yet.

Install from Knoppix. Knoppix has excellent hardware support.

Good ideas, thanks! I booted Knoppix on it and everything works great, so I'm gonna see what I can do from there. I think I'll be able to get something good going from that.

Gentoo actually has a guide for installing from Knoppix.

fab! I'm on it right now, workin out great!