Long search for a owrkable Linux

Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX N2469R caf at omen.com
Sat Sep 30 17:55:25 UTC 2006


I recently upgraded my office computer tp a Asus P5B-E and
Core Duo.  The inability of any Linux I've tried to load
from the CDROM has already been mentioned.  This is apparently
an endemic problem with the P965 chipset.

Then I decided to use my older A8N-E with AMD 3200+ on
the omen.com server.  Omen.com was running FC5 with
updates.  Unfortunately, FC5 paniced after running for
a few minutes.  This happened several times.

I tried x86_64 versions of FC5 and FC6T3.  They spontaneously
rebooted during install or on first boot.

SLED 10 eval (32 bit) loaded and ran, but I was not able to
get NAT working.

Slamd64 loaded and worked, but I was not able to get VNC
compiled.  I did save the xorg.conf.vesa file that came with
it.

I was able to do a text install of the Red Hat 64 beta.
It lacked the Evolution client, something  need to
have on the omen.com machine.

I was about to put the old slow motherboard back in but
I decided to try CentOS first.  Graphics install scrambled
my screen but text install worked.  Well almost - the
installed didn't see the second ethernet.  Strangely enough,
the text install resulted in a Linux that insisted on booting
in graphics mode.  I had to use a live Linux in text mode
to set the run level to 3.  

 I think Anaconda needs an option to use the vesa or some other
safe driver for the install as well as the default for Linux.
The Suse installer didn't seem to scramble the display during
a graphical install.

Fortunately, I did get a working, stable Linux to install
on the omen.com box.  But it took a lot more work than I
expected.

It will be interesting to see if FC6T4 will load and run
on my office machine.


-- 
Chuck Forsberg    caf at omen.com   www.omen.com   503-614-0430
Developer of Industrial ZMODEM(Tm) for Embedded Applications
  Omen Technology Inc      "The High Reliability Software"
10255 NW Old Cornelius Pass Portland OR 97231   FAX 629-0665




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