Re: Linux Doesnt Install ---plzz help.

["Adrian D'Costa" <adrian pcsadvt com>]

Hi Veena

On Thu, 29 Nov 2001, Veena Gudi wrote:

|> 	I these questions might sound very naive... But plzz help.. I am
|> stuck up with my installation..
|> 	Plz have the patience to go thru my story...

Ok

|> 
|> 	1. I had installed RedHat Linux 6.1 GNUWorkstaion on my secondary
|> master hard disk of my machine.. It got installed properly on hdc drive..

What is your system type, hardware.  Does the BIOS detect the harddisk
correctly?

|> 	2. Next day i tried to boot my system.. it gave me a kernel panic
|> error with some stack dump.. So i decided re-install by booting from my
|> CDRom.. it gave kernel 		panic again?
|> 	3. . Then i made my hard disk my primary master... and i Booted my
|> system with the Linux installed harddisk as my Primary master (hda) .. It
|> gave "LI" and 		stopped.

First, kernal panic is basically the MBR is not correct.  Usually this is
the is the problem with the /etc/lilo.conf.  

Second, according the the Lilo Manual, if the "LI" appears and hangs is
becuase of media failure or disk geometry mismatch.  

These can be resolved by 

1.  putting the word "linear" in the /etc/lilo.conf.  The RH 5, 6.0, 6.1
and 6.2 does not do this by default.  You have to specify it when
installing.

2.  Making a small boot partition with the 1024 cylinders (10MB). 

But you need format the harddisk and install from scratch.  This is what I
did.  I took option 2 as I am using ancient hardware where the BIOS sees
528MB only.

Hope this helps

Adrian