My computer boots from the mandrake and redhat cds but not from the slackware one.

KrazyKid · 08-05-2002, 04:25 PM

My computer will boot from the mandrake and redhat cds that I have but will not boot from the slackware cds. My other comp does boot from the slackware cd though. Someone please help me.

Thymox · 08-05-2002, 06:19 PM

Does cleaning the lens help at all? I have a really poor 2nd hand DVD drive that occasionally read the Mandy bootable DVD (Linux Format cover DVD), and normally didn't. Cleaning the lens made all the difference.

Excalibur · 08-05-2002, 06:33 PM

Probably a BIOS compatibilty problem. You might want to try Smart Boot Manager:

http://btmgr.sourceforge.net

Install to a floppy and boot it. You can then select the CDROM drive to boot from. Works great, especially on older notebooks that don't support bootable CD's, install to the hard disk.

KrazyKid · 08-05-2002, 08:07 PM

Thanks guys but I don't know if I want to compile boot manager and do all that other stuff, do you think that if I put in a different cd drive it may work.

Excalibur · 08-05-2002, 09:16 PM

You could try another CD drive or just a CD reader (might mount the CD quicker), but I suspect BIOS problem. You could make the six floppy disks and boot them. But, you do not have to compile Smart Boot Manager. Just download sbminst-static and then

./sbminst-static -d /dev/fd0

to install on the floppy disk in the drive. The only problem I have experienced with it are with my HP DVD+RW drives, doesn't even see them.

KrazyKid · 08-05-2002, 09:20 PM

Excalibur, but im trying to make the floppy from a windoze computer isn't sbminst-static a Linux file????

Excalibur · 08-05-2002, 09:26 PM

Yes, the sbminst-static is a Linux binary. Since you mentioned RH and MDK I thought you were operating under Linux. Sorry.

KrazyKid · 08-05-2002, 09:29 PM

Its ok my bad.

KrazyKid · 08-05-2002, 10:39 PM

I have Slackware up and running thanks for all of your help guys!!!