I'm a pretty novice linux user, longtime windows user. I've used Suse, Red Hat, Fedora, Centos on and off for a couple years but not extensively what so ever. I primarily don't use linux, but I got a idea to run a dedicated server for computer game hosting. So I bought two slightly used dual AMD 1.7Ghz Opertons on a Tyan server Motherboard with a gig of RAM. I installed centos 4(32 bit) about a week or two ago, it ran fine for a couple days, and one day I booted it up I got some "gdm user not found in /etc/X11/gdm/gdm.conf" error, or something similar to that. So i ran a live cd of centos, and copied over the orginal gdm.conf from the cd to the hard drive and that didn't fix it, So i decided to just wipe the Hard drive, a couple month old Sata 36.7GB 10k RPM WD Raptor, and installed fedora 6 (64 bit). It ran for maybe a week and then one day I rebooted it after having a friend ssh into it to check my ftp configuration in vftpd cause I was having ftp issues, and my computer wouldn't show the SATA controller I use for my SATA Hard drive cause I can't get the onboard sata to work in Ultra or RAID mode. The sata card uses the silicon image 3112 chipset or something like that. My onboard sata(which i have disabled in bios) is actually uses the same chipset as the sata controller card. No where in bios could i find information that my SATA controller card was being recongized. I would get a 10 second countdown (hit esc to boot) after POST and my computer would just sit there at a black screen with a underscore character flashing at me. I ran the rescue CD, and during rescue mode my computer mounted my hd into the default 'mnt' folder, and it worked, I could see access the hard drive and see all the files on it, yet my computer won't detect my controller card on boot up. I don't know what caused my issues with Fedora 6 or Centos 4, but whatever the cause seems mysterious. If someone could please tell me how to fix my current problem with Fedora 6, or how get my computer to recongized my SATA controller card again on boot, or tell me how to get my onboard SATA to work, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Sam

Doesn't sound like a problem with Linux.. it sounds like a Hardware problem. There is something wrong with your systems hardware that is causing it to corrupt the OS, and cause you other grief.

I would start by testing all the components in your system to find out what's wrong..

Check the memory - memtest86+ - http://www.memtest.org/ download the bootable iso.

Monitor the voltage levels from the power supply.. If the supply is underpowered for the system the voltages could drop below the levels they need to be at for the system to operate properly. Swap out the power supply if you have a spare..

If the system doesn't detect the add on HD Controller, it could be defective.. Remove or replace it.

Remove any additional peripheral add in cards that are not entirely necessary.

standard troubleshooting procedures, whittle away at it until you eliminate all the possibilities.

1) running a live cd....is not the same as booting a hard drive for real....and I think you are on the right track as sata and drivers can be an issue.

2) you have mentioned you installed 64 bit as well....altho I am sure others have no probs with you choosing how to run your software any way you like....it can complicate troubleshooting ok?

3) so I will waffle on about the kernel.

I notice you mention you are a novice so I assume you have never compiled a kernel....but if we agree that drivers may be an issue...you need to have either a distro that has your hardware built into the kernel and or built into a initrd.

if you use that live cd again you can copy your
/boot/config...file....this file tells us what drivers are built into your kernel or are modules.

4) but let me side track you slightly.

I have a WD sata drive...one.. no hardware or software raid...but I HAVE to have sata and raid enabled in my bios so the drive is detected by the bios...yep..love it.
Then my Mandriva (rebuilt kernel for chipset called via) can boot.
b4 that I needed a mandriva initrd and a standard kernel.

are you catching my drift?....troubleshooting may mean enable sata stuff even if you do not want it....and then see what your kernel or initrd does.

5) You can read what an initrd ...initial ram disk image...does but to be blunt it acts like a mini kernel to load the drivers you need as they (maybe) are not compiled into your chosen kernel.

The initrd loads then the kernel loads....unless you have compiled your stuff into the kernel in which case ...you do not need an initrd....and in the long run....I suggest this is your ultimate goal.

btw....to run a server and be a novice may not be the smart way of doing things...can i suggest you stop all services until you can show more skills? I am not suggesting I am any better than you.

I assume eg that you disabled ssh rootlogin?


6) now for some action

run that live cd again.

I assume you know how to issue a su command in a console?

a) enable the sata in bios
b) run the cd and record the output of
lspci

7) reboot...disable the sata and redo the command to see if any difference

I'm going to agree with farslayer this is not a Linux problem I have been having the exact same issues with the exact same chipset but was installing Windows

you may want to check the BIOS version, you said this was an older system so maybe an upgrade is available, that fixed this issue for me