Hello:

I've downloaded the iso's from Redhat and verified all of the Checksums to make sure the iso are properly downloaded. They checksums match.

I extracted the image to the CDs and there weren't any problems.

When I boot from the CD, anaconda starts up properly. However, when it gets to the media check, it fails. I try skipping the media check, but the check abruptly terminates with the message:

error 2 reading header cpio bad magic.

I have used 18 CDs, trying to make good CDs, but it always ends up with the same problem.

Any ideas on what the problem is?

Thanks so much.

Can you install from the hard drive?

Installing from a Hard Drive

I've never performed a hard drive installation before. (Windows user, Linux newbie) Do I just copy the iso's (*.iso) files onto a partition in the hard drive, or do I extract them onto CDS, and copy the Cd files onto the hard drive?

Another problem is booting for the HD installation. Do I boot from the CD? The anaconda installer doesn't reach the point where I can select the type of installation or where to get the files from. I've made a floppy boot disk, but I still get the same problem.


If you have step by step instructions on how to do this, i would greatly appreciate it.

Herbert

Please try clicking the link I kindly provided with those instructions.

If you're using windows to burn these, and *if* you're using EZ cd creator, the software that's usually bundled with cd burners, here's a tip: do not open cd creator and choose "data cd" then add the iso to your "layout", you will get a copy of the .iso on the cd, which is not what you want. If you put the cd in the drive and bring it up in file manager (windows explorer) and it shows one file on the cd named "shrike....iso", it's not going to work, rather when you bring the cd up in file manager, you should see a directory tree with redhat being one of the directories, on all 3 cd's. Your md5sums can all be right and your burner sfwe can still screw up the cd.

To get cd creator to do it right the easiest way is to bring up windows explorer, navigate to the directory containing the iso's and right-click the first iso, then choose "burn to cd" or "write to cd", for all 3 cd's, ie: when you finish one, you close cd creator, find the next iso in windows explorer, right-click it, etc...

hope this helps, just installed rh9, my first redhat installation, it looks pretty good.

I'm using Nero Burning Rom and I chose the option - Create CD from CD image. I think I burned it properly, otherwise it wouldn't boot. The resulting CD boots properly but anaconda terminates abruptly with the "bad magic error".

I've given up on the cd's/isos and tried to do an ftp install.

I get the exact same result, with the anaconder installer giving the same message:

install exited abnormally --> received signal 11


This came up with the CD drive install as well. What does this mean? Bad Memory?

Is plug-'n-pray disabled in the BIOS?

That box does meet the minimum hardware requirements for Red Hat 9, I presume?

Red Hat Hardware Compatibility List

That is always my first suspect when strange things happen in Linux (but not Microsoft)....

http://www.memtest86.com/

Have you tried redownloading the iso from where you originally downloaded red hat??..i had to do so and so i downlaoded the 3 isos and made the discs again after that i had no problems installing...

Check your computers Memory.

If you watch the boot msgs, you will see that the last "Thing" done before the error, is loading (then reading) the .img file from memory. This will fail if your memory is improperly recognized by your PC.

Know how much memory you have installed and make sure your PC is "seeing" it all.
Sometimes mixing memory types or brands will screw you up, usually mixing brands is OK, as long as they have the same specs.

You may be able to adjust your BIOS to accept the type of mem you are using but UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE DOING before tweaking your BIOS.

Matt

I had this problem when I used CDR-W's, rather than cd-r's. Reburned with cd-r's and the install went fine. (Dell Latitude)

I had the same problem and made a bunch of coasters.

I switched to 4x recording and voila, it worked the first time.