Failed FC4-T1 install: kernel spin_lock something locks up hard

[Rodolfo J. Paiz]

Hey:

I am failing to install FC4-T1 on a Dell Optiplex GXpro with a Pentium
Pro @ 200 MHz, 64MB of ECC RAM, 4.3GB drive, slow non-IDE non-bootable
CD-ROM, and built-in 3c905 Ethernet adapter. This machine is known as
Gemini on the LAN.

Gemini is my main test machine and gets reinstalled constantly. It
successfully installed FC1, FC2, and FC3 but barfs quickly on the
installer for FC1-T4. Before I go off half-cocked to Bugzilla, let me
ask you guys whether there's a known workaround and, if not, what
information I should supply to Bugzilla. Here's what I do:

  1. Download and check with sha1sum all the ISO files. All pass.

  2. Expand them into an install tree.

  3. Copy .../3.90/i386/os/isolinux/vmlinuz and initrd.img into
Gemini's /boot. Modify /boot/grub/grub.conf to boot them.

  4. Boot into the FC4-T1 installer.

  5. Am prompted for language, keyboard, and install method. Select
"English," "us" or "us-acentos," and "FTP."

  6. Get IP address via DHCP fine, then point to correct FTP directory
for network install. Download begins. If I leave everything alone, in
about 15 seconds I get the following error repeated a few dozen times
and then a hard lockup (after about one second of repeating errors):

" <0>Kernel panic - not syncing: kernel/sched.c:313: spin_lock
(kernel/sched.c:c04501c0) already locked by kernel/sched.c/313. (Not
tainted)"

  7. In an effort to troubleshoot, I press Alt-F3 to get some sort of
progress indications. Stuff pages by quickly, but I'm able to see the
"ext3" and "xfs" modules being loaded just before a LOT of stuff gets
quickly thrown on-screen and these errors get repeated. Once the box
locks I get nothing at all from it.

So... can I work around this? Nothing found in Google, nothing found in
Bugzilla, no clue here. Or should I post to Bugzilla as a new bug? If
so, is there any additional diagnostic step to take so the bug filed is
more useful?

Help... :-)

Thanks,

-- 
Rodolfo J. Paiz <rpaiz at simpaticus.com>