Re: gEDA-user: help with linux install please

[ldoolitt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

gene -

On Sat, Mar 04, 2006 at 07:03:16PM -0500, Hal2000 wrote:
> I'm having a hell of time getting out of the starting gate with Debian 
> Linux on my Dell latitude CPxJ laptop.  The machine can boot from the 
> CD, but bombs with the following message:
> Loading isolinux Disk Error 3B, AX=428E Drive82
> boot failed
> After searching for a solution, I'm inclined to believe that my hardware 
> is at fault.  Seems that redhat and mandrake will install out of the 
> box, or so the article says, although people have been able to get 
> Debian to install.  They offered no specific help, however.
> 
> Anyway, can anyone help out? Maybe I should just go with mandrake or fc4

isolinux is used _very_ early in the boot process.
I wouldn't expect very different results from any
other distribution.

Q1: does Knoppix boot?  It tends to boot on just about
anything, and is very useful to find out what hardware
on your machine is supported.

Q2: are you sure you burned the CD without errors?

Comment: it's still hard to get started on Linux without
a local guru who can put hands on the machine, and spot
simple problems quickly.  That was certainly true when
I started (in 1992), and I don't think it will ever disappear
completely.  If you buy from a local shop, which I highly
recommend, by now they should have enough expertise to get
people through initial problems like this.

         - Larry