I just got mandrake 10.1 community off a friend and when I try installing I get an error message

Could not open compressed ramdisk file (/sysroot/tmp/mage/install/stage2/mdkinst_stage2.bz2)

I am installing from CD's

Just had this problem myself!

What i did was make a boot floppy and boot from that, then continue with the install with the cds.

The problem seemed to be that the boot kernel used has problems recognising some hardware. So the workaround is to make a boot floppy with an older boot kernel.

Everything you need to do this is on install disk 1, and the readme files on that disk tells you what to do and how to do it.

To view the first disk and what it has on it just start windows (if you have it) and then put disk one in the drive (it will probably try to autostart, don't worry just close it and right click on the appropriate cd drive in my computer and then click open) You can then see all the contents of the disk . Go through them and you will find some readme files that will tell you what to do.

Once you have made the boot floppy you can then boot from that and the install should run fine from then on.

Cheers

A few problems with that.

1. I don't have a floppy disk drive but If I need one I will get one
2. I don't know whatyour talking about (boot floppy, windows or linux)
3. I have created a boot CD from a boot iso file I found on the CD.

Can you please direct me to where about's the help file is for this and how to put the old kernel on the disk (I have the setup CD's for mandrake 10.0 community if that helps)

OK, hope this clarifies this a bit.

Here is a piece straight from one of the readme files . You can find it on the first install disk on the "INSTALL.txt" file.

Make a boot floppy with Windows

If your computer cannot boot from the CDROM, you must make a
boot floppy under Windows as follows:

* insert the CDROM, then open the icon
"My Computer", right click on the CDROM drive
icon and select "Open"
* go into the "dosutils" directory and
double-click on the "rawwritewin" icon
* insert a blank floppy in the floppy drive
* select "D:\images\cdrom.img" in the "Image
File" field (assuming that your CDROM drive is
"D:", otherwise replace "D:" as needed)
* select "A:" in the "Floppy Drive" field then
click on "Write".

To begin the installation:

* insert the CDROM in the drive, as well as the boot floppy, then
* restart the computer.


Also this. You will find this on the first disk also, under /install/images/README

Alternate installation methods
------------------------------

As non-regression principle doesn't exist in the Linux world :-), you
will maybe have trouble with some particular hardware, with the default
kernel.

You can use an alternate kernel to try and fix that : use the
relevant boot floppy in the `alternatives' subdirectory instead
of default boot floppy. For example using file
`cdrom.img-2.4.24-1mdkBOOT' will end up with a cdrom-based
installation, running with the kernel version 2.4.24-1mdkBOOT.

NB: default images have the freshest kernel version.


The boot image that i used is on the first install disk here: /install/images/alternatives/cdrom.image-2.4.27-0.pre2.1mdkBOOT

This worked fine for me.

If you have any more questions just ask. Sorry it took awhile to reply but i have been away

Cheers

I just tried the CD in another computer and had the same problem. What do I now? Is there a way I can install from within mandrake 10.0 comminity?

If you are having trouble booting from the first Installation CD, try booting from the second CD of the Install set.

If you have a fast Internet connection (ADSL or Cable for example) and a computer which can connect to the Internet, there is another Installation method available to you - Install via the Internet:

1) Using the computer with Internet connection, go to <A HREF="http://www.mandrakelinux.com">the Mandrakelinux WEB site </A>. Click the [Download] link at the top of the window. Click the [Download] link at the top of the window again. Click on the 'Mandrakelinux 10.1 Official/i586' link. Scroll down to the part of the Mirrors list for your Country (Nation), and select a mirror site near you.

2) Write down the URL for the mirror you chose (it will be used later) which ends with '/i586'

3) Navigate from the i586 directory to the 'intall/images' directory (open the intall directory, then open the images directory).

4) Copy the file named 'boot.iso' to your computer, then close the WEB browser.

5) Burn the boot.iso image file to CD (using the Burner softwares function to burn an image to disk). You want the contents of the image on the CD, not the file itself.

6) start the computer on which you wish to install Mandrakelinux, and boot from the CD burned in step 5.

7) When you get to the boot: prompt, press <Enter>. You will be asked what type of install to perform - select ftp. Unless your ISP has specific requirements, you should be able to select DHCP, and not need to bother with a host name or proxy etc. If your connection is ADSL, you will have to provide your user name and password, and select PPPOE (I do not use ADSL here, so I do not know much about it). When the installer requests the URL from which to complete the Installation, you can choose one from the list, or enter the mirror URL you chose in step 2. It may take some time to download the installer, and the Installation process will make you wait while getting data from the server, but you will only download the packages you select, so the entire process takes about the same time a with CD's.

This is the method I use here, and I use a CD-RW to burn the boot.iso file so I do not add too much plastic to my local land fill.

HTH,

I don't have high speed internet. I have burnt the boot.iso file to a CD and booted off that. It then comes up with the error after I insert CD1