Lo ppl!

I am trying to install Red Hat 8.0 on a new Compaq Presario 920EA laptop. The laptop is an AMD Athlon XP 2000+ and has 256 meg RAM and a 30 gigabyte hard disk drive. The CD-ROM drive is a "Thoshiba DVD-ROM SD-r2312".

I have successfully used the same CDs to install RH 8.0 on other computer. (AMD athlon 1600+ etc...)

The computer seems to boot successfully from the CD; and the
installation dialog moves along through the first few screens in
which one selects language and keyboard type. Then the "...Red Hat
Linux CD was not found..." message comes up and I can get no
further.

The alt-F3 log shows:
* module(s) usb-ohci not found
* inserted /tmp/mii.o
/tmp/8139too.o: init_module
Hint: insmod errors can be caused b incorrect module parameters,
including invalid IO or IRQ parameters.
You may find more information in syslog or the output from dmesg
* failed to insert /tmp/8139too.o
* load module set done
* probing buses
* finished bus probing
* modules to insert 8139too usb-ohci
* module(s) usb--ohci not found
/tmp/8139too.o: init_module
Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters,
including invalid IO or IRQ parameters.
You may find more information in syslog or the output from dmesg
* failed to insert /tmp/8139too.o
* load module set done
* trying to mound device hdc

The alt-F4 log shows:
<4>hdc: status error: status=0x00 { }
<4>hdc: ATAPI reset complete
<4>end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 64
<4>isofs_read_super: bread failed, dev=16:00, iso_blknm=16, block=32

I was thinking that perhaps I need a special CD-ROM driver...

Thanks for any help.

That would be my guess, but you could always just copy the Redhat files onto your hard drive and then boot up off of a floppy and install it from the HD.

BTW, I did a google on your "Thoshiba DVD-ROM SD-r2312" (well, Toshiba...) and came up with nada. Do you have the correct part number?


John

Agout the install from HD well i have XP in an NTFS system in a partition and i have some space whithout any system yet so can i install it from there? or do i have to create a diferent partition so that i can make the instalation... but in the end i will have that partition to delete right?

I saw the especifications of my DVD-ROM in "System properties" so my guess is that windows dont's see the correct part number... but that don't realy matter because i have talked to some friends of mine and they told me that they have the same kind of problem in theyr laptop COMPAQ that is... even in diferent models of COMPAQ laptop... so diferent DVD-CDROM models also...
the problem is in the pcmcia instalation it self...

I don't think that you are going to have much luck installing off of NTFS. I would recommend the extra partition formatted as plain old FAT32.


Well Dave Hinds is the PCMCIA guy and the last time I checked he had a forum.

http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net/
http://sourceforge.net/forum/?group_id=2405


And of course Redhat runs bugzilla (http://www.redhat.com/bugzilla/) and does a good job of fixing bugs. But I would try installing off of the extra partition (or from the network if that is available to you).

And keep in mind that you can hit <CONTROL><ALT><F2> during the install to get into a tty and try to install modules for your CDROM from there (Warning: PITA alert).


John

I have also the Compaq Presario 920EA laptop and I have already experienced the same problems that you do. I finally managed to install Linux Mandrake 9.0 to this laptop by using (in the installation screen) the command

linux noauto nomce nousb

This will prevent the kernel from detecting the hardware that crushes the installation. But know that you will have certain problems afterwards such as no sound-card and others. I have also managed to install RedHat Linux 8.0 Personal, using the same parameters above, but you will probably have problems in logging into Linux! (At least this is what I've experienced). By using the above parameters you will be able to see the cd-rom and hard-drive media (I had exactly the same problem), but be weary that you will certainly have problems. I have also tried SuSE Linux 8.1 Professional but I couldn't be able to install it properly (I haven't used the nousb parameter, though).

It is actually worth the try. I hope you have a good installation with no problems. If you have any suggestions, I am open to it.

Good luck

kzarog

From what I could gather, the compaq 900 series laptops have issues when it comes to the ide controller and onboard sound. You may find this site of some use http://www.bisente.com/documentos/pr.../index.en.html Also, a good site for laptops in generally is http://www.linux-laptop.net The ide controller issue is only present in the 2.4.19 and 2.4.20 kernels. I was able to overcome the problems i had with my hardisk on my 905 by passing pci=biosirq and ide0=ata66 at the boot prompt. You may have to pass something like ide1=ata33 to get the cdrom functioning correctly, I haven't played with that yet as I installed slackware 8.1(2.4.18 kernel) and only recently upgraded my kernel to 2.4.20. I'm not exactly positive these issues are what your problem stems from but I hope that helps.

On another note, this is my first post to this forum although I've been reading it for about a year now.

well thanks u guys!! it's working... at least i can install it on the laptop... if i get more problems i'll report back thanks for the links they are real great .

Spooky OuT

Ok new problem !! I'v instaled with no problems but now i can't even get into the the linux by boot disk!
when he is running the kernel in the disk it gives this msg:
...
isapnp: scanning for pnp cards...
CPU 0: Machine check Exception:000000...07
Bank 3: b4000..0083b at 0...01fc0003bb
kernel panic: unable to continue

is there a problem with my CPU and RH ?


oh by the way i can't make lilo to work from the instalation
hda1- windows
hda2- /boot
(...)

this can be a problem right?

As I said the last time, you must pass through the options

noauto nomce nousb

to the LiLO argument that boots linux. At the initial lilo
boot screen, press d (or e) to edit the command, and
at the second line add the arguments above. Then press
b to boot the set of commands. You can do that by the
boot disk as well. If you experience the same problem
that I had with RedHat (not being able to login graphicaly)
please let us know, so that maybe someone has an idea
of what to do. The text login must work ok.

kzarog

But the problem is that i can't even see LILO! it goes directly to XP and don't pass true LILO .
The boot disk gives me that error... with those commands it works but now i have to make lilo work...

here is Lilo.conf
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prompt
Timeout = 50
Default = WindowsXP
boot =/dev/hda2
map =/boot/map
install =/boot/boot.b
message =/boot/message
Linear

Image =/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-14
Label = Linux
initrd =/boot/initrd-2.4.18-14.img
Read-only
Append ="hdc=ide-scsi root=LABEL=/"
Other =/dev/hda1
optional
LABEL= WindowsXP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I still have a hard time booting from instalation cd rescue mode ... i had to make this command to get into linux....

Linux rescue noauto nomce nousb

Spooky OuT

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prompt
Timeout = 50
Default = WindowsXP
boot =/dev/hda2
map =/boot/map
install =/boot/boot.b
message =/boot/message
Linear

Image =/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-14
Label = Linux
initrd =/boot/initrd-2.4.18-14.img
Read-only
Append ="hdc=ide-scsi root=LABEL=/ noauto nomce nousb"
Other =/dev/hda1
optional
LABEL= WindowsXP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remember to re-run lilo

I got a boot disk from other instalation and it worked with the command Linux noauto nomce nousb but it crashes:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mounting root filesystem
mount: error 6 mounting ext3
pivotroot: pivot_root(/sysroot,/sysroot/initrd) failed: 2
umount /initrd/proc failed: 2
Freeing unused kernel memory:212k freed
Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

is this because my boot disk is from another instalation? or is something else?

updating lilo it gives this error :
Warning: device 0x0302 exceeds 1024 cylinder limit
Fatal: sector 47127479 too large for linear mode(try lba32 instead)

shall i change for lba32?

Yep
Use the install disk's rescue mode.

and then? i have to use the disk always?

lba32 works...

then modify lilo.conf as i said,... and re-run lilo from the rescue mode,...

Sould work when you reboot.