Linux on a Sony Vaio PCG-FXA32
 

I just bought a Sony laptop, and it has a blank drive other than the Windows XP kernel. I tried installing Redhat 7 on it and all went fine until it said "click next to begin installing packages". i clicked next and the laptop shut down immediately. What gives?

Stick with Mdk
 

Mandrake seems to support more devices than RH.
Did you format the drive? I have noticed that the Compaq laptops have a chunk of harddrive set aside for "Compaq" crap. Can't get rid of it without reformatting.

The problem is I can't get to XP at all to format!

Do you want to format all of the hd.................wipe out XP?

Disregard the last post
 

Mdk or RH both offer partioning options....................when you boot up from the disk.

Yep
 

I got the unit for a great deal, and I have no use for XP. When I start it up, all I get is basically the splash screen and then nothing.

Boot up
 

oot up with the linux disk of choice and follow the prompts......................can even go with the recommended install with Mdk.

Actually I elected to format and all that jazz, but it agreed with me until I started installing, at which point the unit powered down. Now it shuts down automatically if I have the Linux disc in the cd rom. I am lost!