Installation Problem

[fenixrisingxl]

Just purchased Mandrake 7.2 two days ago, but I can't get it to install properly (or at all, for that matter). When it gets to the "in second stage install" part, it craps out, and installation doesn't go any further. The sad thing is it installs fine on my father's Pentium II 233 mHz just fine, but of course being used to Windows, he doesn't want it on his hard drive at all. I'm listing my configuration down below. If anyone has any ideas as to how to work this out, please let me know, and pretend I'm stupid and try to walk me through it as much as possible. I'm really interested in using this OS, but unfortunately, there's no technical support number I can call Mandrake at, and I'd really like to start using it as soon as possible. Thank you for your time.

My configuration is:
AMD Duron 700 mHz
Quantum Fireball 20 GB ATA Hard Drive
128 MB RAM
3D Prophet II MX AGP card, w/32 MB RAM
Soundblaster Live X-Gamer 5.1
Two ATAPI CDROM Drives

Thank you for at least taking the time to read this.

[FoBoT]

this is after the install program had you partition the drive, right?
tell us how you selected the partitions/how did you partition the drive? one big with a swap? or did mandrake pick the whole thing?



------------------
FoBoT
Fixer Of Broken Things
Use the right tool for the right job!

[fenixrisingxl]

I haven't even gotten to the partition selection screen. When I installed Linux onto my father's computer, it detected the hardware, ran past that "in second stage install" message, and subsequently asked me how I wanted to partition the drive. On my computer, it can't even get that far. It stops at the "in second stage install" message. Any ideas, or are you just as confused as I am? Do you think I should try to partition the drive before trying to install, or am I still okay if I let it do it by itself?

[siris777]

Could be a possible memory issue, or a partition issue when it goes to display the information.I would repartition first if I was you.

[This message has been edited by siris777 (edited 25 January 2001).]

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by fenixrisingxl:
Do you think I should try to partition the drive before trying to install, or am I still okay if I let it do it by itself?

if there is nothing on the pc that you want and are doing a straight linux box, no other operating systems, my rule of thumb is to blow all the old partitions away first, then give your installer a fresh slate to work from.

with the problem you describe, i have no idea if this would help, but another rule of thumb is "if you don't try anything, it won't fix itself"

go for it and let us know if it doesn the same thing or not http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by FoBoT (edited 25 January 2001).]

[fenixrisingxl]

I tried installing it off of my freshly formatted drive yesterday, and that's where I first encountered the problem. Is there anything else anyone else can think of? I've also been reading about some kind of problem Linux has reading 8GB+ drives. Do you think I may be having this same problem? Should I partition my drive to about 7GB, and then see if it works? I am desperately trying to get this bad boy installed, and none of my emails have been returned by Mandrake/McMillan. Oh, the humanity...

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by fenixrisingxl:
I've also been reading about some kind of problem Linux has reading 8GB+ drives.

this shouldn't matter with mandrake 7.2, it is brand new and that shouldn't be a problem

here are some links to some related info
http://judi.greens.org/lilo/
http://www.mandrakeuser.org/install/kupgrade4.html
http://www.mandrakeuser.org/troubles/index.html