PCMCIA locks computer during boot

[timothykaine]

I just got a new laptop, an HP ze4610, and installed a dual-boot of Win2kpro and Mandrake 92. Installations went great, and Windows works, but when I boot into Linux everything goes fine until starting PCMCIA, and it locks up instantly.

How can I fix this?

[mdwatts]

You can temporarily disable pcmcia at boot by adding

nopcmcia

at the bootloader prompt.

After you have successfully booted, have a look through your system logfiles in /var/log to see if you can spot any pcmcia problems.

Any pcmcia options in the system bios you can enable/disable/modify?

[Uranus]

Maybe if you recompile your kernel w/out PCMCIA support, it won't crash anymore - though you won't be able to use it anymore (d'oh).
I'm experiencing this little problem with PCMCIA, at boot it says it can't load it or something - but here it's not fatal. I just recompiled my kernel and don't want to do it again for such a small problem
Good luck
Sam

[timothykaine]

Originally posted by mdwatts
You can temporarily disable pcmcia at boot by adding

nopcmcia

at the bootloader prompt.


I use LILO, where is the prompt?

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by timothykaine
I use LILO, where is the prompt?

I haven't used Lilo in years. Can you select to manually edit at the Lilo prompt as you can do with Grub? If not, boot using your installation cd in rescue mode, edit /etc/lilo.conf and add nopcmcia to the append statement.

i.e.

append="hdc=ide-scsi nopcmcia"

and then run /sbin/lilo to write the changes.

All as root of course.

[leonpmu]

I am not sure, maybe HC or MDWATTS could correct me, but perhaps when you get to lilo, you coulld do a linux -nopcmcia for the first boot, so that you can access the box and mod the lilo for that, or you could go to your services and stop PCMCIA from loading at boot.

Hope it helps

L

[akuira]

I had this same problem when I ran Mandrake 9.2, it's fixed now but all I had to do was install the newest kernel (2.6.*.*) and it works perfect now...

If you have the older kernel 2.4 then try installing it. You can find the RPM through "Install Software" in the Configure your computer control panel...

If you don't see the 2.6.*.* Kernel in the list try adding a new media source other than your installation CD's. I added an FTP download website provided from www.mandrakelinux.com. If you don't know howto add a new source it's called "Software Media Manager".

[jackois]

The easy way to get going with this is to go interactive during a verbose start up. This is achieved by pressing I at the prompt about a third of the way through the boot.
After this you are prompted for each command with a yes/no prompt.
At the Start PCMCIA prompt say no and you should boot up the rest of the way.
Once up and running you have to decide whether or not you need this function. If not, go to mandrakecentre and disable it from the start up sequence.
I had the same problem with a fujitsu amilo d under Mandrake 9.2 and worked round it using USB (netgear MA111 wireless), as I'd 'googled' it to death and never found a solution for this particular machine. I do have hopes of getting the PC card (Netgear MA401 - functions perfectly under the dreaded XP) working with Mandrake 10, but this will just be playing around due to the MA 111 working fine.

Jackois.

[timothykaine]

Switched to SuSE and now everything works great.

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by timothykaine
Switched to SuSE and now everything works great.

So does my Compaq laptop (pcmcia) with SuSE 9.0 Pro. :)