FC3 install fails

Rick Stevens rstevens at vitalstream.com
Sat Apr 30 00:37:01 UTC 2005


Scott A. Zanke wrote:
> Hello,
> I can't get FC3 to install. I am currently running FC1 on this box and
> have run RH7.3, 8 and 9 on it.
> Athlon 1Ghz, 768MB ram, TNT2 graphics card, Linksys LNE 100TX V5 nic,
> FC1 on HDB and Windows 2000 Pro on HDA using GRUB.
> I tried linux ide-nodma and the media check runs fine.
> Once Anaconda starts things get ugly. Tons of fast scrolling text most
> of which I believe says Bad Page State then it ends with..
> VFS: cannot open root device "(null)" on unknown-block(8,3)
> Please append a correct "root=" boot option
> Kernel Panic - not syncing: VFS: unable to mount root fs on
> unknown-block(8,3)
> I've been digging through the archives but haven't found anything that
> relates.
> Any ideas?

Well, I'd suggest the first thing is to open your box and reseat your
RAM and all of your PCI cards (pop them out and stick them back in).
I suggest this because bad page errors are often caused by questionable
RAM or cards that are freaking the PCI bus out.  Reseating the cards
ensure it's not just grungy connectors causing problems.  I've fixed
many a system just by doing that.

Next, boot the first CD and run memtest86 to test the RAM you have.
Windows doesn't flog RAM the way Linux does, and the 2.4 kernel in FC1
is easier on it than the 2.6 kernel in FC2/3.   If the RAM passes, then
try to do the install again.

If none of that does the trick, try a "noapic" option.  If that fails,
try a "noapic" text install.
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- Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
- VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
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-         The world is coming to an end ... SAVE YOUR FILES!!!       -
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