SuSE 9.0 Install Crash
 

I have SuSE 9.0 installed on my computer and have been enjoying it; I recently lent a friend my net installation boot disk and he's been having some problems on the install. The disk boots fine, he selects "install", and the kernel loads to 100%, but then it just goes to a blank black display.

We tried the text install option and it displays a number of lines concluding with:

"CPU clock speed is 1200.4991 MHz
Host bus clock speed is 0.000 MHz
CPU: 0, clocks: 0, slice: 0"

And then freezes.

He has a SuSE 9.1 Live CD and it works perfectly. Does anyone have any idea what this problem could be? If you have any questions regarding his system, feel free to ask.

"a friend my net installation boot disk and "

You mean the cd recorded with a 49MB boot iso image? Or a floppy?

The net install uses ftp to get packages, right? It is necessary that the loaded kernel use the correct ethernet drivers for it to function.

Isn't the system freezing during eth card probing? Try to figure what driver the eth card use and pass it to the kernel.

Did you try passing arguments to the kernel? Try disabling everything unnecessary: noapm, nousb, noscsi, noacpi, etc....

Post again, if it fails.

Sorry for not being clear, I mean the CD recorded with the 49MB boot iso.

Also, we have not been able to make it to the point where it attempts to detect the ethernet card. It freezes DIRECTLY after he chooses "install". They also have, as you mentioned, several install options (Such as "Install - no acpi" and "Install - safe mode") which automatically pass arguments to the kernel. We have tried all of the included install modes with the same effect; while I can't pretend that we have exhausted the possible kernal arguments, I don't think its even making it that far.

One thought we had was that he is using an LCD monitor. He was originally using the DVI inputs and we figured that perhaps the kernel did not support those, so we switched to the traditional analog cable. However, that did not solve the problem.

Any other suggestions?

Hmmm.... that's odd.
If you have a broadband access, try downloading the live eval cd of suse 9.0 and see if the problem is suse-related. You might try to start the ftp install floppy-based, too. I know it's a pain, but you don't have to complete to whole stuff. Just to isolate the problem.

Try to test your 49mb cd on another drive/pc. Can't it be scratched or something?
Also, post the pc configuration here.

As I mentioned in the original post, we tried a SuSE 9.1 live CD and it worked perfectly.

We tried the boot CD in my computer and we were able to succesfully get past the installation dialogue (though it later froze on the detecting hardware part... but thats another issue altogether). Just in case though, we burned a second copy of the install CD and had the exact same problem.

We haven't tried the floppy-based install yet; I was hoping someone could help us with the CD installation, but if we don't get that working we may resort to the floppy.

My friend is asleep now, so I'll try and get details of his computer configuration tomorrow.

I have the exact same problem! I just burned the install cd and get the following text before it freezes:
..... CPU clock speed is 1534.0539 MHz
..... host bus clock speed is 0.0000 MHz
cpu: 0, clocks: 0, slice: 0
I previously installed 8.2 (once using the network installation and once using the cd version) which went perfectly well. Apparently 9.0 doesn't feel the same way. I really don't know why it doesn't work. Please let me know if you find a solution.

Here's my config:
Abit KX7-333
AMD XP1800+
512Mb RAM
nVIDIA GF4 Ti4400
SB Live! 5.1
2 ethernet adapters (3com and accton)

Greetings,

Ed.

PS Is it possible to install the 8.2 version and do an upgrade to 9.0 from there? Probably not, but in case you didn't notice, I'm a total :newbie: when it comes to Linux.

PS2 I just tried the cd on my girlfriend's computer and it works fine. Why, oh why, doesn't linux like my system? It probably prefers her Intel over my AMD? Pfffff. Total discrimination :rolleyes:.

Hey, alright, I'm the guy who had the problem in the first place. I eventually got it working, here's what I did...

I had to first go in the BIOS and enable the APIC (it was disabled by default...) then go back and reinstall in text mode. Make sure you use the normal install, the safe settings froze my computer.... wierd eh? When mine booted up, it'd give me tons of APIC timer errors, but it'd eventually make it all the way to X.

But I realize that sucks, my recommendation for you is to try Suse 9.1. Even though it's not out yet, I hear it works perfectly. I know this one guy who had the exact same problem as us on Suse 9.0... but it worked perfectly with the legetimately purchased copy of Suse 9.1. I even hear you can download it from bittorrent, but I don't know if it's true since i'd never download pirated software.... EVER. (would I liiiieeeeee?)

Hope that helps
-Stephan

I enabled APIC and the installation no longer gave a problem. However, when installing it suddenly stopped at 33% and kept on showing the sand timer thingie (don't know the English word for it). I noticed that the modem was no longer downloading anything. I pressed Ctrl+Alt+Backspace to get out of it, and I couldn't reconnect through DHCP. After rebooting I was able to install it again, but this time it stopped downloading even earlier. The connection is lost for one reason or another.
Is it possible to download the cd version of 9.0 or simply copy all the files to my HD and install it that way? At least that way I properly install the thing :).

Thanks,
Ed.

***Edit***
I just installed it using only text-mode. Although it says 'APIC error on CPU02(02)' a LOT, there doesn't seem to be any problem whatsoever. It works... it really works... :).