Problem installing SuSE 9.1 on PENTIUM-S

**norin** · 02-22-2005, 12:33 PM

i have tried and tried with this pathetic machine. and have failed and do not know what to do with this box.

the original machine had win98SE on it. the settings and alot of things were soo messed up and jarbled it was crazy. i have posted twice about this machine in the windows forums and now have decided that i just cannot install windows. atleast not off of the CD. i have tried win98 bootable install disks, win2k bootable install disks. [the diskettes not the cds. well yea even tried them but the Bios couldn't read the cd don't know why]

i have SuSE 9.1 PE [Personal Edition] on CD and i can boot off of the CD however if i try to run install process, whether it be installation, installation - ACPI - disabled, or installation - safe options. nothing works i keep getting the following message at the bottom of the install screen [essentially the black and grey text you get at bootup or in a DOS box]

Quote:

~/~ [there is lots of text above this but only from the below line and onto the last line is where the error began]

Mounting into tmpfs...Out of Memory: Killed process 180(linuxrc).
VFS: Cannot open root device "< NULL >" or unknown-block(8,5)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,5)

i tried setting "root=" to both "0" and "1" and if i do the the "unknown-block(x,x)" variables then become "(0,1)"

[note: i ran the memory test 5 times. passed every time. no errors at all]

is there any way that i can make or find a distro of linux that can be installed thru a set of floppies, and then after that be run from the HDD. like in win95 or win3.1 or win2k you have a set of floppies that installs the files is there any way i can do this? and if so can someone tell me where to aquire such a distro?

batty_professor · 02-25-2005, 03:53 PM

Sorry I didn't catch this thread earlier, I try to keep closer tabs on the Linux section than that. I read what I could easily find in the windows section about this machine. It appears to me, there likely isn't enough ram in this computer to support a SUSE 9.1 installation. I'll look and see if I can find you a smallet distribution that might fit. Also could you look on the bios boot page to see how much ram is actually found on the machine?

**norin** · 02-26-2005, 10:10 PM

well i finally threw on win2k. and that seems to be good. i just need to find out why it won't see a mouse. tho the PS/2 mouse i have is connected thru a PS/2 to SERIAL adapter. i even tried a SERIAL mouse. and still got nuthin. what could be wrong now?

RAM: 32MB

batty_professor · 02-27-2005, 11:38 AM

Is that serial port set to comm1 or 3? I think if it's comm2 or 4 it may not see it.

**norin** · 02-27-2005, 07:23 PM

not sure actually... how can i check this. and more importantly how can i change this to comm 1 or 3 without using a mouse or a windows key....

such a mess this computer is causing.

- EDIT -

keep in mind it now has windows 2000 and no windows key and also CTRL+ALT+ESC does not work

batty_professor · 02-27-2005, 09:19 PM

The serial port/com settings I'm thinking of is a bios setting. Sorry to be vague, it's been a long time since I've had to deal with such.

**norin** · 02-28-2005, 04:16 PM

ok. well is there any one who may be able to help me out with this BIOS issue now?

batty_professor · 02-28-2005, 10:40 PM

Could you tell, when you get the boot splash, what bios is used? American Megatrends, Phoenix, Award, ?? When it appears, you should be able to freeze it using the pause/break key, so you have a good chance to read. If I know what you have, perhaps I can better assist.

**norin** · 03-01-2005, 08:17 AM

next time i connect it to a monitor i will check for the BIOS. i think it is pheonix.

02-25-2005, 03:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
batty_professor Asst. Manager, Alternative Computing Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Hooterville Il 45 mi. east of St. Louis mo Posts: 2,608 OS: Fedora Core 5 for now	Sorry I didn't catch this thread earlier, I try to keep closer tabs on the Linux section than that. I read what I could easily find in the windows section about this machine. It appears to me, there likely isn't enough ram in this computer to support a SUSE 9.1 installation. I'll look and see if I can find you a smallet distribution that might fit. Also could you look on the bios boot page to see how much ram is actually found on the machine? __________________ It's better to know me and not need me than to need me and not know me. B. While users are never under any obligation, if you feel the urge please feel free to visit our donation page. Every little bit helps. And we thank you for your support. Microsoft free Registered Linux user 397458

02-26-2005, 10:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
norin TSF Veteran Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: L-Town, Maine Posts: 1,748 OS: WinXP Pro SP3 My System	well i finally threw on win2k. and that seems to be good. i just need to find out why it won't see a mouse. tho the PS/2 mouse i have is connected thru a PS/2 to SERIAL adapter. i even tried a SERIAL mouse. and still got nuthin. what could be wrong now? RAM: 32MB __________________

02-27-2005, 11:38 AM	#4 (permalink)
batty_professor Asst. Manager, Alternative Computing Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Hooterville Il 45 mi. east of St. Louis mo Posts: 2,608 OS: Fedora Core 5 for now	Is that serial port set to comm1 or 3? I think if it's comm2 or 4 it may not see it. __________________ It's better to know me and not need me than to need me and not know me. B. While users are never under any obligation, if you feel the urge please feel free to visit our donation page. Every little bit helps. And we thank you for your support. Microsoft free Registered Linux user 397458

02-27-2005, 07:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
norin TSF Veteran Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: L-Town, Maine Posts: 1,748 OS: WinXP Pro SP3 My System	not sure actually... how can i check this. and more importantly how can i change this to comm 1 or 3 without using a mouse or a windows key.... such a mess this computer is causing. - EDIT - keep in mind it now has windows 2000 and no windows key and also CTRL+ALT+ESC does not work __________________

02-27-2005, 09:19 PM	#6 (permalink)
batty_professor Asst. Manager, Alternative Computing Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Hooterville Il 45 mi. east of St. Louis mo Posts: 2,608 OS: Fedora Core 5 for now	The serial port/com settings I'm thinking of is a bios setting. Sorry to be vague, it's been a long time since I've had to deal with such. __________________ It's better to know me and not need me than to need me and not know me. B. While users are never under any obligation, if you feel the urge please feel free to visit our donation page. Every little bit helps. And we thank you for your support. Microsoft free Registered Linux user 397458

02-28-2005, 04:16 PM	#7 (permalink)
norin TSF Veteran Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: L-Town, Maine Posts: 1,748 OS: WinXP Pro SP3 My System	ok. well is there any one who may be able to help me out with this BIOS issue now? __________________

02-28-2005, 10:40 PM	#8 (permalink)
batty_professor Asst. Manager, Alternative Computing Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Hooterville Il 45 mi. east of St. Louis mo Posts: 2,608 OS: Fedora Core 5 for now	Could you tell, when you get the boot splash, what bios is used? American Megatrends, Phoenix, Award, ?? When it appears, you should be able to freeze it using the pause/break key, so you have a good chance to read. If I know what you have, perhaps I can better assist. __________________ It's better to know me and not need me than to need me and not know me. B. While users are never under any obligation, if you feel the urge please feel free to visit our donation page. Every little bit helps. And we thank you for your support. Microsoft free Registered Linux user 397458

03-01-2005, 08:17 AM	#9 (permalink)
norin TSF Veteran Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: L-Town, Maine Posts: 1,748 OS: WinXP Pro SP3 My System	next time i connect it to a monitor i will check for the BIOS. i think it is pheonix. __________________