First off, here is my hardware:

ABit F190-HD Motherboard (Phoenix BIOS v6.00 PG)
Intel Q6600 Core 2-Quad CPU @ 2.4 GHz
(2) Corsair CM2X1024-6400 RAM (5-5-5-12 | 800 mHz | 1.90v)
(2) LG GSA-H62N DVD-RW +/- SATA Drives
NEC IDE DVD-RW +/- Drive (80-pin IDE Cable)
Seagate ST3500630AS SATA 500GB HDD
Seagate ST3250620A IDE 250GB HDD (80-pin IDE Cable)
Belkin F8T001 USB Bluetooth Dongle
ViewSonic 22" VX2245wm ViewDock LCD Widescreen Monitor (Connected via HDMI-to-DVI Cable)

Second, I have attempted to install from a bootable ISO download of 7.04 Desktop, 8.04 Desktop, 8.10 Studio, 9.04 Desktop, for both x86 and amd64, both Live, Desktop, Alternate, and Studio versions all with same results/error. After successfully selecting keyboard and language it cannot mount/find/see CD-ROM (even though it booted on it from a reboot).

Third, I downloaded 9.04 Live CD and attempted to run from CD-ROM to see if newer version would work. Logo appears with progress bar, after several minutes I get a "initramfs" prompt.

I have also attempted to install with all USB devices except for mouse and all SATA devices unplugged with same outcome/errors.

All checksums were correct after download.

I have also tried the following boot options as follows:

noacpi nolapic nodma all_generic_ide pnpbios=off pci=noacpi ide=nodma

Any ideas? Please help!!! I've consulted every message board, website, tutorial, how-to, and manual. Practically everything and everyone but the local witch doctor. I'd really like to install Ubuntu but I can't figure out why it doesn't like my system even in spite of the fact that I have newer, nice hardware that should work.


-John

This sounds almost exactly like the problem I had with a newer board with SATA drives that also booted, had me select keyboard, and then failed with a no-cd available error - AFTER booting off the CD! This was with FC6.

However, for me, all-generic-ide did fix the problem...

I suspect that your hardware / motherboard is simply too new to be used with even a recent Linux distro. Most likely it has a SATA infrastructure or controller chip that has not yet been integrated into even the newest Ubuntu kernel. Horror of horrors, it might be your motherboard has a chipset that is so new it is not supported -anywhere- by even the newest kernel... this once happened to a friend of mine who asked me to put Linux on his system - I simply couldn't because no Linux drivers existed for his motherboard SATA infrastructure.

Basically, you have two alternatives:

1. Try distros other than Ubuntu. Maybe you have some incompatibility with Ubuntu specifically, though I doubt it. However, I did once try Ubuntu, and it totally failed to work on my hardware, but plain-vanilla FC6 worked 100%... must have been something with the installer.

2. Do not use Linux on your new hardware (GASP!)

At least, until someone finds it worthwile to code up some southbridge / SATA drivers that can drive your SATA substructure / chipset.

This is why, when buying a new system, I always try to check -exactly- what hardware and chipsets I'll be getting on the board, and also this is the reason why I always buy "behind the curve" technology wise, to be sure my hardware will be able to run on a reasonably new kernel. I've got an arrangement with a local PC shop where I've been buying for years as well, that if something seems "Linux incompatible" I can bring it back for exchange.

Sorry, you seem to have really hot metal, but Linux may not be ready to run on that hardware. (I could be wrong though - please do try OTHER distros as well before giving up entirely.)

Hi

I have come across this problem before some time ago.

In my case I think the cd drive I was using was not the master on the ide channel so when it came time for the installer to find the cdrom it couldn't.

The system I was installing on had 2 cdroms, I just changed the cdrom to the other drive and all was good.

Perhaps in your case the jumpers on the drive is not set correctly, or you are on cable select and the drive is plugged into the slave connector.

Cheers

Vince

Vinnie,


As I have SATA drives the jumpers aren't an issue. This is controlled by the slot in which I plug in the SATA cable to on the motherboard. But, with my one IDE DVD drive and one IDE HDD I have the HDD as the master and the DVD as the slave, and they appear that way in the bios and even on winblows. But thanks for contributing, all help is greatly appreciated. I actually agree with rylan76, I think I'm going to try SuSE 11.0 DVD, as I have already d/l'ed it and burned it on to DVD. I'll keep ya'll posted.


Cheers,

John

If you wait 6 days, SuSE 11.1 will be released.

Hi

I thought mixing hard drives and cdrom drives on the same ide channel isn't a good idea because the drives will only perform as fast as the slowest drive, in the case the cdrom.

I would suggest as an experiment at least, remove the hard drive, set up the cdrom as master and give that a go. If that works, (and i'm sure it will) then maybe, put the hard drive back as a slave.

Vince