Fedora Core 3 crashes when installing on several (Dell) SATA machines

Bruno Eteve bruno.eteve at ej2p.com
Tue Feb 1 16:03:45 UTC 2005


Alfredo Ferrari wrote:
> Hi
> 
> Fedora Core 3 is systematically crashing when installing on various
> models of Dell Precision workstations (270, 470, 670), all featuring
> the following SATA controller:
> 
> 00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) IDE 
> Controller (rev 02)
> 00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801EB (ICH5) SATA Controller (rev 02)
> 
> The kernel gives a bunch of errors when loading the sata driver.
> The bug has been already reported almost one month ago
> 
> https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=144302
> 
> but apparently nobody cares about. Needless to say it is a showstopper,
> any valid suggestion for a workaround (for installing and later for the 
> kernel)?
> 
>                     Thanks
>                  Alfredo Ferrari
> 

I encountered such a problem when I tried to install FC3 on a Dell
PowerEdge SC420 box with SATA drives (ICH6/ICH6R controller).

I've been fooling arround with other distros, installed the OS on
a PATA drive (and could see the SATA drives).

At the end, all the games I played with the SATA drives leaded them
to full format : I used the Dell Tools CD on which the system can boot,
there's a menu item which allows to empty all hard drives.

I was on my way to install FC3 ont the PATA drive I had set in the box
when I saw the SATA drive (which I had left in the box) at the install
time.

I could process all the install on the SATA drive and it's running fine.

What I can't figure yet is :

- does the Dell utilities partition mess the installer up ? (the drives
   are not empty when you get a Dell machine)
- does the fact I had a PATA *AND* a SATA drive impact anything ?

What I suggest is : clean your hard drive(s) with the Dell CD Tools and
try a fresh install.

Hope this help.

-- 
Bruno Eteve - http://www.ej2p.com
On-line, adj.:
         The idea that a human being should always be accessible to a computer.




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