Cold linux install problem.

[Budfred]

I am trying to install Linux RedHat on a computer that I bought just to play with Linux. It is an old Compaq Deskpro 400 at 266 Mhz and has about 3.5 gig HD. I added memory so that it has about 180meg now. My old monitor died and I got an Envision flat panel for it and general messing around with other computers. I had an old version of Caldera Linux on there, but tried to install the more recent RedHat today. When I first booted up it went through the standard bootup stuff and then the screen started flashing that it couldn't accept the input. The screen was shaky, but fine until that point. This was before actually logging on. I shut it down and tried several times to get in, but it either froze up for some other reason or ended up at the same message.

I used a Win98 startup disk to get in and repartition the majority of the HD for DOS and then tried to install from the CD, but couldn't find what looked like an install program. I tried reading the Readme, but I couldn't understand most of what it said. I am a complete novice with Linux and I don't know anything about Unix programming, so the instructions might as well be in Greek.

At this point I can boot to an A: prompt and can look at the contents of the install CD, but I can't figure out how to load it. I did find something in a folder called Dosutils (or something) called Autoboot and tried that. It seemed to do something and then got stuck.

Any ideas for getting installed would be appreciated. The RedHat version is 7.2 X86

Thanks,
Budfred

[john5211]

Hi Budfred,

If I understand you correctly, you formatted the hard drive using fdisk, and now you want to install Red Hat Linux.

You cannot use a Windows 98 startup disk to start the installation process. Instead, you need to do one of the following:

(1) If the computer supports it, boot the installation CD from the CD Rom drive (you will be able to select this in the bios if it is possible).

(2) If you cannot boot from the CD you need to creat a linux boot disk. Note that if you have another computer, then you can use it to make the boot floppy. Insert the CD Rom in the drive and a blank floppy in the floppy drive. Navigate to the DOSUTILS\RAWRITEWIN folder and double click on rawritewin. This will start a program that will write an image to a floppy disk. The source image should be (from the install CD) image\boot.img, and the target is your floppy drive. If you have an older distro w/o rawritewin, you can still use rawrite from a command line. See here (http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-7.2-Manual/install-guide/s1-steps-install-cdrom.html#S2-STEPS-MAKE-DISKS) for the syntax.

Whether you boot with the floppy or the CD, just hit enter at the 'boot:' prompt to start the installation. For more help, there is a HOWTO (http://www.linux.org/docs/ldp/howto/Installation-HOWTO/index.html) that can help walk you through the installation. The installation manual specific to your release is also downloadable from Red Hat's website.

Good Luck,

John


By the way, if your older distro was set to automatically log in to Linux using a graphical interface, then installing the new monitor quite possibly caused the error that you got when you tried to start up.

[Budfred]

"You cannot use a Windows 98 startup disk to start the installation process."

I only used that because I couldn't do anything the before that. It wouldn't boot from the CD and I couldn't get into the bios for some reason. I still haven't been able to get into the bios.

"If you cannot boot from the CD you need to creat a linux boot disk."

I think I succeeded in doing this and will give it a try. I may be back to ask for more help.


"By the way, if your older distro was set to automatically log in to Linux using a graphical interface, then installing the new monitor quite
possibly caused the error that you got when you tried to start up."

I figured that was probably the case, but I didn't know how to get around it and I didn't think I needed the old Caldera, so I used Fdisk to start over, but...

Thanks,
Budfred

[mjc]

old Compaq Deskpro 400 at 266 Mhz and has about 3.5 gig HD...

I used a Win98 startup disk to get in and repartition the majority of the HD for DOS...

It wouldn't boot from the CD and I couldn't get into the bios for some reason. I still haven't been able to get into the bios.


Hmmm.....

Many older Compaqs kept the setup program for the BIOS on the hard drive, in you partitioning work you could have wiped out where it was stored. You may have to use the Compaq restore disks to get that back (not sure if you can find it on the HP/Compaq site but that would be worth a look too)

[Budfred]

I got it installed and it seems to be working fine in Gnome format. I haven't quite figured out what to do with it yet except to play some games, but the point is to get familiar with Linux so I'll keep playing with it.

I think I can find a bios setup from the Compaq website to replace the setup that I probably did delete. That would explain what happened to my ability to get into setup.

Thanks,
Budfred

[mjc]

Yeah, Compaq was one of the last to get away from having a separate setup program for the BIOS. I know that one of their last machines to do it that way was made in late 98 early 99 (according to some info I found on their site once before)

[Budfred]

Thanks for the info about the bios setup. Now I have another question. I have downloaded what I think are the right versions for my computer, but I can't figure out how to load them. RedHat won't run the program because it is MS DOS based and I can't get Setup to work at all when I boot. Do I have to partition and install a version of Windows to be able to install the bios setup??

Thanks,
Budfred

[mjc]

Probably....or at least set up a DOS partition.

[john5211]

Hi Guys,

I've never done it myself, but I think you can use one of the programs from Compaq's support site to make boot floppies that will allow you to run setup/configure the BIOS options without installing it on a new partition (ie from the floppies).

John

[mjc]

You may be right, IBM used to do it that way...I haven't done it for a Compaq, either.

[Budfred]

"I've never done it myself, but I think you can use one of the programs from Compaq's support site to make boot floppies that will allow
you to run setup/configure the BIOS options without installing it on a new partition (ie from the floppies)."

John, I saw that this is an option on the Compaq web site, but the file they refer to putting on the floppy for this purpose is 2.8 megs and I think that is the compressed version. I downloaded it, but I am not sure how to get it to the other computer. I could put it on a CDR, but I don't think the bios is set to boot from CD and without access to the bios, I can't change that. I seem to be in a loop. I didn't try to run the file because I am afraid it might try to automatically install on my main system. I think I will see if I can create a dos partition and then see if I can access the CD to install from there.

Thanks,
Budfred

[john5211]

Hey Budfred,

I just a took for myself. The file in question should be called SP#.exe (where # is 2186 or something...). Once you download it to a machine running windows, scan it for viruses and execute the program. It will create several subfolders and a batch file called MAKEDISK.BAT. (With 3 floppies in hand,) execute the batch file. It will create the disks for you.

HTH,

John

[Budfred]

"I just a took for myself. The file in question should be called SP#.exe (where # is 2186 or something...). Once you download it to a machine running windows, scan it for viruses and execute the program. It will create several subfolders and a batch file called MAKEDISK.BAT. (With 3 floppies in hand,) execute the batch file. It will create the disks for you."

Thanks for looking, you are a more daring soul than I. I already downloaded the file and I will give that a try.

Thanks,
Budfred