Problem making dual-boot Optiplex GX620

[Kevin Raber]

Thomas Walter wrote:
> I recently received 25 Dell Optiplex GX620s with two 160GB SATA hard 
> drives (DC115 HARD DRIVE, 160G, S2, 7.2K, 8M, LEAD FREE, WD-HAWK) and 
> WinXP installed. I want to make the machines dual-boot and first tried to 
> install RHEL 3. The install did not see the hard drives. My search on the 
> web indicated spotty Linux support for SATA hard drives so I downloaded 
> RHEL 4 ES update 2 and tried to install. The Optiplex boots off the first 
> install CD, passes the CD media test, begins running annaconda, probes and 
> sees video card, monitor and mouse, etc but then hangs when going into X 
> leaving a white screen.
> 
> We don't have a Redhat support contract so they're no help and the Dell 
> rep spent 10 days "researching" an answer and only referred me to a web 
> site I found in a nanosecond. I have to return the 25 computers by 1/13 if 
> I can't find a solution. Dell sells the Precision workstation with the 
> same 160GB SATA drives with RHEL installed so I don't know where the 
> problem might lie.
> 
> Any help will, of course, be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Tom
> 
> ==================================================================================
> 
> Thomas Walter

Tom,

    Kernel support for the GX620 starts after the latest kernel for 
RHEL4.  We were able to install FC4 on ours, or you can try building a 
RHEL4 kernel with the driver on RH4 compatible machine, then use that 
kernel on the GX620.

Kevin Raber
MTU