Hi I'm new (wont to be) user of Linux .I'm trying to install RH8 on my old machine it is 166 pentium on ASUS SP97 board. 160Mb RAM(4 is shared for on board video SiS 5598 chipset). Two HD Primary Maxtor 2.1 Gb with Windows and slave Quantum 4.3 Gb for Linux.Monitor is Acer View 14 .I'm booting form RH CD and after first screen giving me options for starting installation after choice (no mater which one standard.Low res .text, noprobe) i get boot screen like this

boot
Loading vnliuz...........
Loading initrd.img..................


Part of boot screen going really fast and I can not pause it



Linux NET4.0 for Linux 2.4
Based upon Swansen University Computer Society NET3.039
Initializing RT netlink socket
Starting kswapd
pty: 256 Unix98 ptys configured
Serial driver version 5.05c (2001-07-08) with MANY_PORTS SHARE_IRQ SERIAL_PCI enabled
ttyS0 at 0x03f8 (irq=4) is a 16550A
ttyS1 at 0x02f8 (irq=3) is a 16550A
block: 288 slots per quene , batch=72
Uniform Multi-Platform E-IDE driver Revision:6.31
ide: Assuming 33MHz system bus speed for PIO modes override with idebus=xx
SIS5513: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev09
PCI: Assigned IRQ 14 for device 00:01.1
SIS5513: Chipset revision 208
SIS5513: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
SIS5597: ATA 33 controller
ide0: BM-DMA at 0xd000-0xd007, BIOS settings: hdaMA, hdbMA
ide1: BM-DMA at 0xd008-0xd00f, BIOS settings: hdcMA, hdd:PIO
hda: Maxtor 82560A4, ATA disk drive
hdb: QUANTUM FIREBALL SE4.3, ATA disk drive
hdc: NEC CD-ROM DRIVE:28D, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive
ide0 at dx1f0-ox1f7, 0x3f6 on irq 14
ide1 at 0x170-ox177, 0x376 on irq 15

than is stops I wait 30min
I have no idea what could be wrong.RH documentation says that my chipset (and video on board is supported) Any help will be appreciated.Thank you.
Tom

Did you try to disable DMA? I have run into problems with having DMA enabled. Has the boot ever finished? If DMA is enabled it may take some time to time out.

Darkstar

Thanks Boot never finished and yes, for try I did set IDE to 0/0 for DMA/PIO setting in BIOS.Still stoped in the same moment.
Tom

I'm having the *exact* same problem. The setup is an Asus SP97 motherboard, P-200, I've been attempting to install Redhat 7.2 and 7.3 and I get the exact same problem. I've switched hard drives (from a Seagate Medalist to a newer Fujitsu, don't know the model), tried all combinations of nodma, noprobe, etc. and nothing seems to work.

I installed Redhat 5.0 on the same setup without a problem. I'm going to try and attempt Debian or some other distributions if I can get them....

I've done a lot of searching on the web and someone else also had a similar problem, and they said it was their hard drive BIOS. I'm led to believe it might have something to with the SP97's hard drive controller. Any hints/tips?

I did Debian but config questions are so deep into hardware that after that it always boot into CLI and I just do not know what to do with it.But install go without a problems.
Hints? I did (I think) any combinations with drives and ATA controller and it goes to same problems every time.From info on screen it looks like IDE controller and drives were setup fine, IRQs asssigned fine too,but something after this is hanging it.I have no idea what.
Tom

This may or may not help, but here's a thread that describes a similar problem:

https://listman.redhat.com/pipermail...ne/003710.html

FWIW, I swapped the same hard drive into a different machine with a different motherboard (ASUS KT7A/Duron 600) and tried installing and didn't have problems.

I know my HDs are fine.Perhaps some diferent setting in BIOS are holding it .I actually think drives and IDE setup is ok.It hangs after this( but what do I know). From that message it looks like his both IDE controlles were set to PIO mode.
Tom

I finally did find a problem.It is little jumper on board left next to memory modules setting IRQ for VGA on board.It has to be set to assigne IRQ by CHipset .Low res in 16 colors install mode has to be set durring installation, because VGA on board support only 480X640 in 16 colors without additional drivers.
Tom