[svlug] Disabling hardware probling in kickstart

[Marc MERLIN]

On Tue, Aug 13, 2002 at 10:43:12PM -0700, Rafael Skodlar,,, wrote:
> I managed to install RH7.0 on the same kind of box (FullOn 2x2 I
> believe). Yes, SCSI in that box is screwy and installation gets a bit
> tricky since VA Linux is gone.
 
or you have to be friends with people who still work there :-)
(or you have to use your own kernels. I always built my own, and I install
linux with a LNX-BBC, so I never had problems :-)

> I used original floppy disk from VA Linux (RH6.2 I believe) and booted
> from it then selected CD installation. I used newer version of Redhat CD
> instead of VA version. The rest was easy after I compiled the kernel for
> that SCSI. Perhaps you could boot from such a floppy and install the
> rest of the OS from the net.
 
I was talking to Drew who reminded  me that the 440GX had problems with some
versions  of RH,  but remember  that the  problem was  that the  SCSI module
loaded and kind of looped while trying to detect devices.
Here, as soon  as the module gets  loaded, the machine hangs  hard (not even
reboot from the keyboard), so I  was certain the problem was other (hardware
related)
 
Well, I'm going  to have to eat  my words. The problem was with  the Red Hat
install kernel, not the penguin box (well,  you can argue where the line is,
but that's not the point).
Of course, I knew about:
http://www.redhat.com/support/resources/gotchas/7.1/gotchas-71.html
but I didn't know about:
http://www.ellenson.org/net/440GX/

In other words, Red Hat did not put a workaround for that problem and RH 7.3
still fails  to install  (quite miserably  if I  may add)  on a  very common
server board.

Adding "apic" on the boot command line fixes the problem.
 
> When I was looking for newer release of CD from VA Linux over a year ago
> I got a response from Rick Moen who was realy helpful suggesting more or
> less the same method to install RH on that kind of hardware.
 
"apic" should do it.

> If you can wait till tomorrow I can probably dig out additional
> information and possibly give you an image of bootable floppy for a
> starting point if you don't have the originals anymore.

I do :-)

> Anywhere I can buy the silly (special) brackets needed to install
> additional disk drives in those machines?

If you call CDC, they should be able to sell you some (888 linux4u ?) 
http://www.californiadigital.com/

Marc
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