I hope someone can help me with my problem because I'm at my wits end trying to solve it! I'll try to give as much information as possible.

I have been attempting to install Red Hat 7.3 from the CDs. I have booted from my DVD drive, and have got to the selection screen for the different install options. First off, I selected enter to do the standard graphical installation. It did a couple of tests (init, vmlinuz) and then went to a blank screen, hung and did nothing. I searched around for this problem, and it seemed to be a vga problem, so I tried the lowres option, and this got the install a bit further. It ran the 2 tests, and then hung at the "Ok, booting the Kernel" line and did nothing. I have searched around on the net for the past few nights trying to find solutions to my problem. Each solution i have found for my problem does not solve it, hence why I'm going insane at the moment!

I've tried passing
- ide=nodma
- idebus=50
- idebus-66
- vga=2
- nousb

to kernel and I still get the same problem, hanging at "Ok, booting the kernel". I am new to Linux, so I don't know to much about potential problems during installations. I have also tried running the text installation option and I STILL get the same problem.

I'll give a run down of my system, if it helps. I have a Toshiba Satellite 2430 (It's about 4 months old) with the following:

P4 2.53Ghz
256MB RAM
60GB HDD
32MB NVidia GeForce4 420
Matshita DVD-RAM Drive (DVD-RAM, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW)
USB External Floppy
PCMCIA Slot
SD Card Slot
InfraRed

I am doing a subject at University that teaches Red Hat 7.3, so I need to use it. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Michael

Have you tried doing a bog standard text install, gui installs suck any way

Yeah, still get the same thing happening. I've tried everything from the installation options screen (nofb, no probe, etc)

I really need to get RH 7.3 working on this machine. Because I'm new to Linux, I'm not really sure what is causing the problem. It would help if I knew some more causes of the problem.

"I am doing a subject at University that teaches Red Hat 7.3, so I need to use it. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!"

Have you spoke to course colleagues and professers??

Now, the only time i have ever seen this is when i have recompiled a new kernel and not set the processor type correctly.
So i can only assume that rh 7.3 default kernel is too old for your system (though i will not swear to this).

I would suggest trying rh 8 or 9 as under the glossy vineer (spelling?) its all the same

I am now wondering if there is a way to get a nice uptodate kernel to install 7.3 with.

GOOGLE, i'm coming baby just sit tight

Hi sidey,

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I've spoken to my lecturer, and a few collegues, but most are new to Linux and don't have that in-depth knowledge of these types of problems and their solutions.

I would like to install RH 9 because I've heard it's a bit easier to get running on newer laptops. I had a look on www.linux-on-laptops.com and I saw someone who installed RH 9 on my exact laptop with not too many problems. My only problem is that the tests and assignments for the subject are based on RH 7.3, and KDE and GNOME are different in RH 9. My lecturer said to me that if I wish to use RH 9 to do my assignments and learning, I have to re-write all the RH 7.3 lab and assignment guides for RH 9 based on my experiences with it, so it's a bit of extra work. Hence why I want to get 7.3 up and running on my laptop!

Please let me know how you go finding out about an up-to-date kernel, I would be forever grateful Would it be difficult to do? I don't know enough about Linux to know where to look how to do it

Thanks heaps!


Michael

As a quick solution, here is *A* way of doing, its not really what i wanted to do, but it'll work and give us some time to see if there is another way of doing it, you'll need a 2.5" to 3.5" converter, this will allow you to plug the laptop hard drive into you desktop computer.

Then proceed with the linux install making sure you write everything to the laptop hdd, then once that is done, boot the system and download an upto date kernel source and compile it, makin sure that the processor type is set correctly to p4, Once that has compiled install the kernel (i'll leave instructions at the end just incase) Then reboot and make sure it works, if it does yo should *THEN* be able to stick it back in the laptop and rejoice many many times as you will not have to redo your work


drop into /boot/

and rename vmlinuz to vmlinuz2
then vi /etc/lilo.conf

copy what underneath that but change vmlinuz to vmlinuz2

then cp kernelfilename.tar.gz /usr/src then tar xvfz kernelfilename.tar.gz

then

make menuconfig
(set all you options) save the config file then drop back to the shell

then make dep ; make bzImage ; make modules ; make modules_install ; cp System.map /boot

then cp bzImage /boot/vmlinuz (dont know where exactly it is but its under arch/i386 ls will help you find it)

then run lilo -v
then you can stick the hdd back in your lappy and be happy

Thanks for that Sidey!

At the moment, it all seems like jargon to me, but hopefully it'll make sense as I go through it I'll see how I go

Thanks Again!

heh good luck