My laptop's specifications are:
SiS 672 Chipset
2 GB RAM
120 GB HDD
Intel Pentium Dual Core T2310, (1.46 GHz, 533 MHz FSB, 1 MB Cache)
I have tried installing various distro's (although I am pursuing Kubuntu). It boots into the DVD's menu, but when I select the install option the installer loads around half-way and just crashes. I have tried boot options just as noacpi acpi=force and irqpoll but to no effect. My BIOS is PhoenixBIOS, I had a look around inside it and everything seemed to be okay, I turned off the only power saving option which was for the LCD screen, this too did nothing. My BIOS version is 1.07. EC Version is 1.06. I did see one BIOS option called "Execute Disable Bit" which was enabled, I have no idea what this means, I have not tried disabling it in fear of damaging my system. I cannot boot from live CDs at all except for PuppyLinux (which is not what I am after). I also attempted to install FreeBSD 7, it gets past setting up the filesystem (after creating partitions and such) then complains about being unable to load the CD. I have searched for people with similar problems, one thread on this forum (
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...e-disc-621305/) suggested checking IRQ tables, I have no idea how to do this and even if I did I would be clueless on what to do after this. Does anyone know of any way around this? I remember seeing an option in the Kubuntu menu that would allow installation of Command Line system, I have not tried this. Would it be possible to install the command line and install the rest of the system from there? I am rather frustrated about paying £500 for a laptop that is vegetablised to most *nix operating systems.
Any help is appreciated.
-update: tried installing the command line system, crashed again, tried running in "Safe Graphics Mode", crashed again. going to boot into puppy and try running HW info, i'll post the results here incase that helps at all.
-update: hwinfo wasn't recognised by puppy, does anyone know of a windows equivilant?
-tried installing FreeBSD again, got past the file system part and got this error:
"Error mounting /dev/acd0 on /dist: Input/Output error (5)"