problems with AMD64 FX-51 SK8V NVIDIA-FX

[Rick Stevens]

Aleksandar Stefanovski wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> I am having hard time installing RedHat Enterprise Linux WS v3.0.
> 
> At the end of the email you can find the specifications of the 64-bit
> AMD computer specifications.
> 
> I have installed IA-32 RedHat Enterprise Linux WS v3.0 and RedHat 9.0,
> and both work like a charm on an IDE Hard Disk, but they do not
> recognize the Ethernet Adapter, nor they find the SATA drives.

The IA64 (which is what I think you meant) is specifically for the
Itanium processor, NOT for AMD64.

> After speaking with RedHat Tech-Support, I was told I was using the
> wrong version of Linux, and I was to be downloading the RedHat
> Enterprise Linux WS v3.0 for AMD64 (x86_64).

Well, the 32-bit version will also work on an AMD 64, but you won't get
the 64-bit performance.

> Of course followed the suggestions, however the "correct version" does
> not recognize the Ethernet, nor the Graphics card nor any of the two
> SATA hard disks, so I can't even install it? (I am not even trying to
> install it on IDE, because I am focusing on SATAs.) I had exact problems
> with Fedora (which was the reason I purchased an educational licence.)

This is a driver problem that is quite well known.  Out of the box, 
neither RedHat Linux (neither 32- or 64-bit) nor Fedora grok SATA
controllers.  You can install Red Hat 9 or ES (32-bit or 64-bit) to the
IDE drive first and don't forget to install the kernel source RPM.  Then
go to Promise's web site and download the appropriate driver.  Build
a new kernel with that new driver and you should be able to access the
SATA drives.  Granted this won't give you a root filesystem on SATA, but
you can create one by copying your ENTIRE root filesystem to it,
changing labels (or changing /etc/fstab) and trying a reboot.

I'm expecting a new AMD64 and motherboard RSN (real soon now).  It's
an Asus K8V-DX (very similar to yours).  I'll be installing FC1 on it.
If you're patient, I'll get it installed and give you a note on exactly
how to do it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
- VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
-                                                                    -
-      I won't rise to the occasion, but I'll slide over to it.      -
----------------------------------------------------------------------