Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Thu, 25 Nov 2004, Sheldon Isaac wrote:

> Hello, Sindi:
>
> Much of what you do is more complex than I can follow.
I can't really follow either.


> > I have two computers, a DFI and an ASUS P5A-B (both PI socket7, Intel and
> > AMD-K6-2).
>
> > Any suggestions
>
> No, just a little info:
>
> This computer is an ASUS P5A (board rev 1.03) from 1998. The BIOS had been
> updated with the AFLASH utility to the latest, I think 1.09? Socket 7, AMD
> K6-2-300

Yours and mine use the same BIOS, I think.  I was considering updating it 
but I think they suggest that only for using larger hard drives.

> A couple of weeks ago I finally removed BL2 from the ext2 partition of this
> computer, and did the install-to-hd of the existing loop type ver 3.32
> Basic Linux.
>
> (Not sure what was going on, nor why that might be better than the kind
> where it's in fs.img)
>
> However, it works fine, boots whenever I ask it to.
>
> Using LOADLIN from the DOS that comes with Windows 98.

Would this loadlin be on the Win98 CD?  It is not installed as part of 
Win98.
> Thanks,
>
> Sheldon Isaac


My DFI about 80% of the time boots any linux but zipslack, the rest of the 
time 'not an image file' and it crashes.  But it boots ALL the time if you 
first boot with Win98 DOS and then use loadlin from DR-DOS.  OR, if you 
boot from DR-DOS and then put zimage on a floppy disk formatted with Win98 
DOS and use that zimage to boot.  Are you saying that WIN98 DOS loadlin 
works to boot linux on your board after you boot into some DOS other than 
Win98 DOS?

It would not boot zipslack at all without Win98 DOS (even 1/6 of the 
time).  Once it got past the kernel image, it would boot fine.

I have three DFIs with this problem, nearly identical motherboards.

I moved over my two drives from the DFI (4 DOS partitions on master, 2 
linux ext2 partitions on slave) to the ASUS.  It had no trouble finding 
the kernel image that day, and I could boot to RAMdisk BL2, loop BL3, or 
zipslack.  But not to ext2 linux - it would get stuck at the same line 
every time.  I could Alt-Ctrl-Del to reboot.  (Could not in 'not a kernel 
image' cases).

So I figured the ASUS had some odd problem and was learning how to chroot.

Then for a lark I put the drives back into the DFI.  The DFI booted 
RAMdisk linux ten times in a row without problems.  (But later it did do 
'not a kernel image' once in a while) . But not it will NOT boot to ext 2 
linux, same as on the ASUS.

Using two more drives and a third motherboard, I think I have determined 
that the no-boot-to-ext2 problem is related to the hard drive, where it 
seems to have developed the instant I moved it from DFI to ASUS>

I then put these two drives back again into the ASUS.  Now every time I 
boot any linux I get 'not a kernel image'.  I would suspect a virus but 
linux does not get viruses, and these drives worked in a third board. 
Somehow the ASUS went from 100% good (for RAMdisk linux, anyway) to 100% 
bad (for any linux) unless I first boot with Win98 DOS in which case I get 
past the first problem to the second.  This new problem developed the 
instant I put the two original drives in for the SECOND time.

As I said, my computers have gone crazy.  I am seriously considering 
putting Win98 DOS on the ASUS.  I think I need Win98 as well in order to 
defrag.  Only 200MB wasted space.

I hope copying the linux drive to a new drive fixes it.  It replaced one 
that went bad in the DFI, and now it went bad in the ASUS, I think.

Tried another motherboard and it will not work with MGA card.

This is all on the topic of linux on old computers.  Old computers have 
hardware problems.

Will your ASUS boot linux from DR-DOS or MS-DOS or Free-DOS with loadlin 
from Steven or even with loadlin from Win98 DOS (but booting with some 
other DOS before using loadlin)?  I am curious if some models always act 
like this.  Except mine was fine one day and bad the next.  Same for the 
drive.

We could not find loadlin in Win98 installation or on the CD.  SE.

Thanks for your input.

Sindi Keesan