installation problems ...................... debian

[jjjj]

Im trying to put debian on my system. I already have it dual booted with windows and mandrake. So a little while ago someone on here told me debian during the install should just wipe out mandrake so I dont need to get rid of it, debian will do it. So I make my debain boot disk. I boot into the install, choose color for install. Selected a keyboard. Then the book that I have says next I should Select a disk drive. Well I dont get that screen I get this one.

No hard Disk could be found. You're installing the system on a diskless workstation, therefore you need to configure the network before mounting your linux root filesystem from a nfs server. Please select "next" to configure the network.

Next: Configure the Network

Configure the keyboard
Partition a hard disk
Initialize and Activate a swap Partition
Activate a Previously-initialized swap partiton
Do without a swap Partition
Initialize a Linux Partition
Mount a previously-initialized partition
Un-mount a partition
Install operating kernel and modules
Install the base system
Configure device driver modules
Configure the base system
configure the network
make linux bootable directly form the hard disk
make a boot floppy
view partition table
execute a shell
configure pcmcia support
restart installation system.

Those are all of the options I was giving. How the hell can my computer be diskless??? Do I have incompatible hardware???
Should I choose network or some other option??? Should I erase mandrake myself???


Well I was all happy after I made the boot disk, and restarted, and the debian install came up. I had a big smile on my face. Then I got that screen, flipped off my computer yelled a couple of swear words. And I hit reboot the system so that I could get back into windows to post this question.

Thanks for any help. Sorry for the length.

[bdl]

What type HDD / Controller are you using? If it's an ATA66/100 on an 'offboard' controller, you'll have to either use the ATA66 version of the install boot/root disks or pass parms to the kernel on startup. Please post a little more info on your hardware....

[jjjj]

Under device manager and under hard disk controllers it says.

Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus master IDE controller
Primary IDE controller
Secondary IDE controller

is that what you needed if not tell me??

thanks.

[vvx]

I'm not familiar with that hdd controller, is that an ata66 or ata100 controller? That could be why, you can probably get around it by using the ide2=0xXXXXX,0xXXXXX ide3=0xXXXXX,0xXXXXX trick found in the udma/ata 66 NHF if it is ata66/100, if it isn't, then I'm just not sure why it isn't finding the hd.

[jjjj]

How excatly would I find out if it was an ata66 or ata100??

thanks

[bdl]

Originally posted by jjjj:
<STRONG>Under device manager and under hard disk controllers it says.

Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus master IDE controller
Primary IDE controller
Secondary IDE controller

is that what you needed if not tell me??

thanks.</STRONG>


Well, this is somewhat useful. At least we know your PC is using IDE. Not familiar with that exact controller, about the only thing I can find on it with google (http://www.google.com) is the fact that it's a UDMA device. You might take the time to d/l and create the ATA66 boot/root combo, at least if you did that you'd be one step closer to figuring it out.

[Unruly]

no promises, but I think I found a relavant page for you, that may just help. If it is true that you have a PCI controled UltraATA card, then go here and try it out...
http://www.geocities.com/ender7007/

[jjjj]

Thanks for the help everybody. I will try as soon as I have the time.