[KLUG Members] Problems installing Fedora Core 4 (Red Hat Linux)

[Todd Pillars]

Don R. Budd wrote:
> I hope this is the right place to post this message.  Sorry, if this is 
> the wrong place.  I am new to this group.
>  
> Hello,
>  
> I have recently purchased a PC to install Fedora Core 4.  It has a P-4 
> with 3 MHz, 2GB DDM2 RAM, on a Intel Desktop Board D915PBL, Graphics is 
> a VGA MSI Geforce6600GT PCI-E with RAM 128MB DDR#, PCI Express Dynamic 
> Overclocking Technology, SoundBlaster Live! 24-bit with 24-bit Advanced 
> HD and EAX Advanced HD, 16X DVD+/-R/ +/- RW Drive / DVD +/- R Double 
> Layer (speeds 16x DVD +/- R, 8x DVD+/- RW, and 4x DVD +/- R Double 
> Layer, and an Acer 17" LCD Monitor.
>  
> I am building a prototype system and I can't do Computer Science on a 
> Windows based system.  This is the first time I had someone build a 
> system for me.  I have limited use of my right arm and cannot do the 
> building myself.  The Project needs a lot of graphics power.
>  
> Fedora Core 1 works fine, except it won't read the 24-bit soundcard.  
> The programming is better in FC1 than FC4 from what I can read.  I don't 
> use any development enviroments, only straight coding, which avoids the 
> bloat in programs.
>  
The FC1 sound problems may be addressed here
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/archive/index.php/t-32933.html

> The problem I am having is that FC4 starts to load and asks for the mode 
> to use, but no matter which mode I choose, the system crashes with a 
> *<0> Kernel Panic!  cannot sync* and a list of errors that make no 
> sense.  I have tried noprobe, text mode, and all the system checks and 
> no errors are found.  So, I try to load FC4 again and I get the same 
> error, <0> Kernel Panic!  The only thing I can think of is the DDR2's 
> are causing the problem.  I have nothing here to replace them with to 
> test the theory.
>  
> Do you have any suggestions?  This is a special made system from a 
> barebones system since that's the only way I could get a system to put 
> FC on these days.  All others now use a Proprietary Code that can't be 
> changed. 
>  
I have had luck with (at the install boot prompt)

linux noapic skipddc nousb mem= (whatever your ram size is)

and then backing out the kernel command line params after successful 
install.

Hope this helps

Todd