F8 install failure at xinit

[Gene Heskett]

On Saturday 15 December 2007, David Boles wrote:
[...]
>If this is an official Fedora 8 DVD an 'everything install' does not
>really install everything. Anaconda only 'knows' about what is on the 3+
>GB disk. If you just let Anaconda do a standard install when it is
>complete and the system is up and running in the 'Add/Remove Software'
>menu selection you are shown the same, or a very similar application
>selection screen. And that, since you are know able to install from The
>Internet, really does offer 'everything'. More than what would fit on
>two full DVDs.
>
>Why do it this way? The 'standard install' works because it was tested.
>There could be no way, or enough time, to test every possible package
>selection for installation.
>
>I do my clean installs this way. A basic install and add the missing
>packages later. It works every time. Plus you get the added benefit of
>not having to install a package and then update. You get the updates, if
>any, installed when you make your selections of packages to add.
>
>Enjoy.

That blowup was, I'm now convinced, caused by the newer bios defaulting to a 
400mhz FSB, on a cpu that only supports 333.  It took about 2 hours to find a 
ps2 keyboard so I could get back into the bios after doing a cmos reset cuz 
even that left it running at 400.  And I had to use the expert mode to even 
make that crap visible and changeable. fscking jerks.  But, a nice side 
effect, the cpu is now running about 17F cooler, which tells me the cpu's bus 
drivers aren't working as hard as before, better timing.

Now that I once again have it running at stable settings, I'll install the 
card again & retry it when I'm awake again.  The fixups and e2fsck's by hand 
took till about 5am.

Thanks David.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Please ignore previous fortune.