LinuxQuestions.org - Weird hardware problems.

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Weird hardware problems.

I'm having various what I can only assume are hardware problems trying to install linux on a new build:

Asus V3-M2A690G AM2 Mobo.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ CPU.
Crucial 2GB kit RAM.
ATI X1250 integrated graphics.
Western Digital 500GB Sata hard drive.
NEC Sata DVDRW.

My first problem was that it didn't matter what flavour of linux I tried to install all of them booted then said that I needed to insert the cd to boot from. For some distros (ubuntu, pclinuxos) this was solved by using an IDE dvd drive though some like fedora still asked for a cd to boot from.

The second problem is that once I've managed to boot to the livecd and try to install I either get told to use the whole hard drive or that there is no room on the hard drive. The thing is vista is on half of the hard drive and the other half is unallocated so free to use.

I then used the gparted livecd to format the other half with ext3 incase it might help and I managed to do this with no problems, it saw vista and the unallocated space and formatted it with ext3.

So I booted up ubuntu and it still doesn't see the hard drive as partitioned. I've updated all the firmware and the bios all to no avail.

I know the first answer will be to format of vista but I can't the missus would kill me. And I really dont want to have to buy an IDE hard drive to see if this works. So I am stuck, can anyone shed some light onto this situation??

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by asininity (Post 2990805)

For problem 1,Can you quote the exact error message after linux loaded and reached the desktop.
Problem 2, you normally get a choice to custom partition. This is where you'd choose to partition and direct installation to your free space.
HTH

Quote:

For problem 1,Can you quote the exact error message after linux loaded and reached the desktop.

I doesn't ever get to the desktop it crashes before with this message I've shortened it for space but this is what I get:

Code:

ata1.00: revalidation failed (error=-5)

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device sda, logical block 0

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device sda, logical block 1

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device sda, logical block 2

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device sda, logical block 3

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device sda, logical block 0

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device Sr0, logical block 0

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device Sr0, logical block 1

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device Sr0, logical block 2

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device Sr0, logical block 3

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device Sr0, logical block 0

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device fd0, logical block 0

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device fd0, logical block 1

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device fd0, logical block 2

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device fd0, logical block 3

[(random number)] Buffer I/O on device fd0, logical block 0

Then after repeating a little while longer I get:

Code:

atta2.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 action 0x2 frozen

ata2.00: cmd a0/00:00:00:00:20/00:00:00:00/a0 tag 0 cab 0x0 data 0

It then repeats itself again until at the end I get this:

Code:

/bin/sh: cant access tty: job control turned off

(initramfs)

I distros like fedora and debian I simply get asked to insert the disc the files it needs on it.

Quote:

Problem 2, you normally get a choice to custom partition. This is where you'd choose to partition and direct installation to your free space.

My problem is that vista is already installed on the drive but what ever option I choose ubuntu doesn't see it, instead the only option is to either use the whole drive or to partition it from scratch.

Just managed to install Ubuntu using the "irqpoll" option in the boot options and have used it in the grub menu list as well with no problems. Just need to work out how to get my ati x1250 to work now. Cheers guys.