Dell Dimension 2350 reboot...
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From: Brian K on 3 Jan 2006 14:22 I'm trying to install Mandrake on a dell dimension 2350 with after-market Geforce4 MX4000 PCI video card (for dual monitor support), and I'm not having any luck. The symptoms are the same with both 2005 LE and 2006 Free; install proceeds as normally as can be expected, I reboot, and after the installer reboots the system I get the Lilo selection screen and let it auto-boot the Linux entry. However, once the boot process reaches "Activating swap partitions [ OK ]" it reboots. In 2005, it pauses for a moment or two before rebooting, in 2006 it reboots instantly. I have used the "rescue" option from the install CD and "/var/log/messages" is empty, everything else looks OK to my untrained eye. Where do I proceed from here? Brian K
From: Rob Kemp on 4 Jan 2006 04:24 Brian K wrote: > I'm trying to install Mandrake on a dell dimension 2350 with after-market > Geforce4 MX4000 PCI video card (for dual monitor support), and I'm not > having any luck. > > The symptoms are the same with both 2005 LE and 2006 Free; install > proceeds as normally as can be expected, I reboot, and after the installer > reboots the system I get the Lilo selection screen and let it auto-boot > the Linux entry. > > However, once the boot process reaches "Activating swap partitions [ OK ]" > it reboots. In 2005, it pauses for a moment or two before rebooting, in > 2006 it reboots instantly. > > I have used the "rescue" option from the install CD and > "/var/log/messages" is empty, everything else looks OK to my untrained > eye. > > Where do I proceed from here? Did you configure both video cards in the initial installation procedure? Rob -- Rob Kemp rpkemp(a)postNOSPAMTOMEmaster.co.uk
From: Brian K on 4 Jan 2006 09:09 On Wed, 04 Jan 2006 09:24:50 +0000, Rob Kemp wrote: > Brian K wrote: > >> I'm trying to install Mandrake on a dell dimension 2350 with after-market >> Geforce4 MX4000 PCI video card (for dual monitor support), and I'm not >> having any luck. >> >> The symptoms are the same with both 2005 LE and 2006 Free; install >> proceeds as normally as can be expected, I reboot, and after the installer >> reboots the system I get the Lilo selection screen and let it auto-boot >> the Linux entry. >> >> However, once the boot process reaches "Activating swap partitions [ OK ]" >> it reboots. In 2005, it pauses for a moment or two before rebooting, in >> 2006 it reboots instantly. >> >> I have used the "rescue" option from the install CD and >> "/var/log/messages" is empty, everything else looks OK to my untrained >> eye. >> >> Where do I proceed from here? > > Did you configure both video cards in the initial installation procedure? > > Rob I recall it asked if I wanted to configure all heads independently, use xinerama, or configure a single card; I told it to configure a single card (the Nvidia card), since I had no use at all for the on-board video device. It obviously has something to do with the nvidia vs. on-board video, because if I remove the Nvidia card from the machine and reboot, it comes up fine. THe nvidia card works great in another machine (a Proliant 1600) but the proliant only boots if I use a 2.4 kernel... Brian K
From: Rob Kemp on 4 Jan 2006 10:54 Brian K wrote: > On Wed, 04 Jan 2006 09:24:50 +0000, Rob Kemp wrote: > >> Brian K wrote: >> >>> I'm trying to install Mandrake on a dell dimension 2350 with >>> after-market Geforce4 MX4000 PCI video card (for dual monitor >>> support), and I'm not having any luck. >>> >>> The symptoms are the same with both 2005 LE and 2006 Free; >>> install proceeds as normally as can be expected, I reboot, and >>> after the installer reboots the system I get the Lilo selection >>> screen and let it auto-boot the Linux entry. >>> >>> However, once the boot process reaches "Activating swap >>> partitions [ OK ]" >>> it reboots. In 2005, it pauses for a moment or two before >>> rebooting, in 2006 it reboots instantly. >>> >>> I have used the "rescue" option from the install CD and >>> "/var/log/messages" is empty, everything else looks OK to my >>> untrained eye. >>> >>> Where do I proceed from here? >> >> Did you configure both video cards in the initial installation >> procedure? >> >> Rob > > I recall it asked if I wanted to configure all heads independently, > use xinerama, or configure a single card; I told it to configure a > single card (the Nvidia card), since I had no use at all for the > on-board video device. > > It obviously has something to do with the nvidia vs. on-board > video, because if I remove the Nvidia card from the machine and > reboot, it comes > up fine. THe nvidia card works great in another machine (a > Proliant 1600) but the proliant only boots if I use a 2.4 kernel... > > Brian K Sounds like a tricky one. It would probably be worth trying to install the Nvidia driver (they have the Linux driver downloadable on their website). Have you tried booting into console mode? If you installed lilo with a text interface (always a good idea!) you could boot using "linux 3". This would boot into console mode (if it finishes booting at all!) from where you could install the Nvidia driver. (You need to be in console mode to do install this anyway. I think you also need to have the kernel-source package installed, if I remember correctly.) Follow the instructions in the Nvidia driver package to edit your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file and try to start X with the command startx. If that works, try rebooting and starting normally. Of course none of this will be possible if you haven't installed lilo in text mode - you can do the same stuff after rebooting from the installation disk, but it would be a bit complex if you're not used to using the chroot command. And of course there's no guarantee that either starting Linux in runlevel 3 (i.e. typing "linux 3" at the lilo prompt) or using the Nvidia driver will prevent the spontaneous reboots. Good luck! Rob -- Rob Kemp rpkemp(a)postNOSPAMTOMEmaster.co.uk
From: Brian K on 4 Jan 2006 11:04
On Wed, 04 Jan 2006 15:54:26 +0000, Rob Kemp wrote: > Brian K wrote: > <snip> >> >> I recall it asked if I wanted to configure all heads independently, >> use xinerama, or configure a single card; I told it to configure a >> single card (the Nvidia card), since I had no use at all for the >> on-board video device. >> >> It obviously has something to do with the nvidia vs. on-board >> video, because if I remove the Nvidia card from the machine and >> reboot, it comes >> up fine. THe nvidia card works great in another machine (a >> Proliant 1600) but the proliant only boots if I use a 2.4 kernel... >> >> Brian K > > Sounds like a tricky one. It would probably be worth trying to > install the Nvidia driver (they have the Linux driver downloadable > on their website). Have you tried booting into console mode? If you > installed lilo with a text interface (always a good idea!) you could > boot using "linux 3". This would boot into console mode (if it > finishes booting at all!) from where you could install the Nvidia > driver. (You need to be in console mode to do install this anyway. I > think you also need to have the kernel-source package installed, if > I remember correctly.) > > Follow the instructions in the Nvidia driver package to edit > your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file and try to start X with the command > startx. If that works, try rebooting and starting normally. > > Of course none of this will be possible if you haven't installed lilo > in text mode - you can do the same stuff after rebooting from the > installation disk, but it would be a bit complex if you're not used > to using the chroot command. > > And of course there's no guarantee that either starting Linux in > runlevel 3 (i.e. typing "linux 3" at the lilo prompt) or using the > Nvidia driver will prevent the spontaneous reboots. > > Good luck! > > Rob I installed Lilo in graphical mode, but hitting "esc" gives me access to a prompt where I can specify the initlevel, but it has no effect. Even the "failsafe" boot entry (which does initlevel 1, right?) reboots at the same spot. What is Mandrake doing after the "activating swap" step? That's where it always reboots, so I assume that's the step causing problems. Brian K |