Well, I've got my laptop working under 9.2 better than I ever expected to. As you can see from my sig, it all works.... with a slight exception. Here's the situation:

When I install Mandrake 9.2 onto my laptop, I have to install with the command: 'linux noauto' or else it detects my firewire, and freezes. However, it also doesn't ever detect my usb. Everything else works fine though. I found a work around, if I install with a USB mouse, I can get it to like usb after some playing, and install fine, however, it doesn't read my touchpad. THEN, I have to fight with it to make it like my touchpad. However, when I do that, it stops liking my USB mouse (but every other usb bdevice works fine). It appears that never the twain shall meet.

I guess my question is, are there other options I can't seem to find to make mandrake ignore the fireiwre while I install, or, more to the point, can I make Mandrake like both my usb mouse, and my touchpad after I've done the installation? I like using a USB mouse for games, and graphics stuff... and I use my laptop mobile alot of the time where I need the touchpad. Any ideas?

i had the same problem as you.
i had to reinstall mdk 9.2 for other big hd issues.
anyway. when reinstalling i didnt attach the usb mouse and let mdk detect the touchpad.
install went fine. after everything was ok, i then installed usb mouse with harddrake.
now both mice work at the same time just like under windows. and if i unplug usb mouse, touchpad padl stil works.

Hmm... whenever I installed without the USB mouse, it never detected the USB as being loaded. I tried installing manually, but that seemed to fail miserably. (I could never get it to work right.) What kind of laptop do you have?

i have a compaq presario 2700, touchpad is ps/2, works great. sorry if i cant help more!

Well, I found by using "nofirewire nousb" on my kernel line that I can load RH9, however, when I try to go into the hardware browser from the GUI, it freezes and won't let me in.

I'm new to Linux, but have a great deal of experience in all platforms of MSWindows. I'm sure all I need to do is rem out the firewire and usb in the /etc directory, but which file do I need to look for???? Any ideas?

By the way, I'm installing on an HP-ZT5477WM 2.8 GH Laptop, partitioned for Win2000 Pro, WinXP Pro, Win2003Server, and now RH9 (80 GB HD)

Thanks in advance!
Michael

try to check kernel and modules, if necesary compile a custom kernel.
i had to clean usb options quite a bit...

Actually, it's simpler than you think. I'm not sure which bootloader you're using.. I'll asume grub, since it's RH 9.0

edit /etc/grub.conf with whatever editor you like. You'll see alot of stuff in there, but what you're looking for is the line with the kernel parameters. Chances are you'll see things something like:

kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.22-1.2115.nptl ro root=LABEL=/ hdc=ide-scsi

On the end of that, (in my example, right after the scsi) put a space, and then those options you used to install. ("nofirewire nousb") So it would look like:

kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.22-1.2115.nptl ro root=LABEL=/ hdc=ide-scsi nofirewire nousb

It's that simple.

Well, I'm about ready to dump Red Hat 9. I have loaded and reloaded and reloaded and reloaded the software some more. I have read all kinds of threads as to what needs to be done so that I can get into the hardware browser. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the replies, but even with your suggestion MAC, I get a permission error. How can I get a permission error when I am the only one on the system and it never asked me to add others??? That should make me an administrator I would think..... maybe I've been in windows environment to long... Since 3.1 version. I know windows like the back of my hand, but this is Greek to me. <scratching head> I really wanted to add a Linux partition to my laptop since I hear how stable it is with other Unix platforms. But so far, the only thing I've seen stable is the loss of boot partitions and hanging on the hardware browser.

Changing login name to frustrated!