AMD fix and other HUGE problems. Please HELP!!!

[sdausmus]

I am using Mandrake Linux 8.1 (using KDE) as a second OS, along with XP. After installing it, I could not set up my connection to the internet, as the entire system would freeze. The books are of almost no help at all. I think it might have something to do with the AMD bug, though the minimal poking around I've done in Linux since seems not to disturb much. Can someone explain to me, in clear, plain step-by-step instructions, how to add the "mem=nopentium" thing into Linux's boot record? Also, I cannot for the life of me find out how to now set up the net connection in the already-installed Linux, so some help there would be appreciated as well. Also, I have 512MB of RAM, and on the advice of a friend, only set my swap file at 512MB. Should I go for the 1024 swap file, and if so, how am I reconfiguring that?

*update*

I've figured out how to go and set up the internet connection, (it's the "INTERNET" icon...duh) but all it ends up doing is freezing the "network detection" window, and I have to use the "kill" command to, well, kill it. Also, I thought I'd try Gnome, and I get the exact same problem. I then tried logging in as "root" and trying to set it up, and as I've never logged in as root to this point, it went through the "first time" setup, which includes Internet, and then IT froze! What is going on?

My system:

Soltek KT266A motherboard (the one Tom's Hardware raved about)
AMD Athlon XP 1700+
512MB Crucial DDR RAM
40GB Western Digital 7200RPM hard drive
32MB GeForce DDR DVI (backup video card...will be getting a Ti-200 soon)
hard drive has a single NTFS partition for XP, (20GB) an 6GB partition for Linux, and a 512MB swap file, with the rest being free space...<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by sdausmus on 01/27/02 09:08 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Fuzz009]

Is this linux installation from a store bought cd or was it downloaded?

I downloaded mandrake a couple weeks ago. Installed. Had wierd things like yourself. So now i am a believer of the md5 sum deal. Check if your download is correct. Mine wasn't so i am downloading again.

 

[Red_Zealot]

To configure network settings:
Start a console, then type "netconf"

In order to boot with the bug fix, simply add the mem=nopentium to the appropriate place in /etc/lilo.conf ... You will see where to put it!

512M swap file is OK, in my opinion, because you are unlikely to ever use more for simple desktop computing.

Its not the "bug", by the way. The bug is most directly apparent in direct cpu<=>AGP operations, not normal system operations.

Describe in more depth what you are doing when the computer "freezes". Running HardDrake will make your system look like it is freezing. When it does freeze, try to Ctrl-Alt-Backspace out of X.

How do you have your dual-boot set up (in terms of boot managers)?

"If you teach a child to read, then he or her will be able to pass a literacy test" - George W.

 

[sdausmus]

This was a store-bought version. The Mandrake 8.1 PowerPack edition, actually.

To configure network settings:
Start a console, then type "netconf"

As I said, I found that there is simply an "Internet" icon on both KDE's and Gnome's desktops. But clicking it brings up a window called "Network Detection" that just...freezes. I can call up other windows and so on, but the Network Detection window stays frozen. I would assume typing "netconf" into the console calls this window up. If so, it is apparently going to do me no good.

In order to boot with the bug fix, simply add the mem=nopentium to the appropriate place in /etc/lilo.conf ... You will see where to put it!

Apparently, you don't realize how stupid I am.
I have no idea how to get into the boot record at all. If I were to call up a console or something, how do I get there? Like I said: step-by-step, explain it to me like you would a five-year-old.

Describe in more depth what you are doing when the computer "freezes". Running HardDrake will make your system look like it is freezing. When it does freeze, try to Ctrl-Alt-Backspace out of X.

The two times it has frozen both occurred while trying to set up the internet connection. (I have DSL, by the by) The first time, I was logged in as a user for the first time, and it was going through the "first time login" stuff, where you choose your desktop theme and then the net. The second time, I had logged in as root, and it was going through the same process. This last time, I was unable to even type anything on the screen, though I was still able to move the mouse and click buttons. I don't even know what "HardDrake" is, really, but if it makes your system sit frozen for 5 or 10 minutes at a time, maybe I don't want to know.

How do you have your dual-boot set up (in terms of boot managers)?

My system boots into the lilo boot manager, and gives me the options of Linux, another Linux option that I don't know, failsafe, NT, (XP) and Windows, plus perhaps one more. I only use XP and Linux, though. It will boot me into Linux by default, which I'd like to change.

 

[Red_Zealot]

Since it was a store-bought version, you do get *SOME* support, but probably they will tell you no more than I did.

My honest recommendation? Reinstall and reformat the Linux part of your system. If you want to be able to boot XP effectively, I also recommend you follow my advice for dual booting, which can be found by searching this forum.

Before you reinstall, though, make sure that your network card is supported by Linux. I would recommend logging in as a normal user and running the "control center", then going to hardware. See if your network card shows up. Do not try to configure your card...

"HardDrake" is Mandrake's hardware detection system. It causes your mouse to freeze for ~10 seconds.

You say the network window freezes, and doesn't refresh, but the rest of the system works OK? If this is the case, I may be able to help you by using non-GUI instructions.

Good Luck.

"If you teach a child to read, then he or her will be able to pass a literacy test" - George W.

 

[sdausmus]

I have a Linksys LNE-100TX (v5) ethernet card. I do believe it was auto-detected.
If I go through and reinstall Linux, how exactly can I get the AMD fix put into the boot right off the bat? Is there a way to do this?

 

[Red_Zealot]

Start gedit (or whatever).
Open /etc/lilo.conf
In the "Linux" stanza of that file, look for the line "append = ". Add the appropriate "mem=nopentium" to this section. Follow the syntax that Mandrake already has placed.

Make sure the card has been autodetected.

"If you teach a child to read, then he or her will be able to pass a literacy test" - George W.

 

[sdausmus]

Well, my ethernet card is recognized by this install of Linux, since it sees an ethernet card and thinks I have a PPPoE connection; it just won't start the connection.
However, when I opened "gEdit" and opened the file you specified, it came up as being "read only" and wouldn't let me edit it. I then logged out and logged back in as "root" thinking that would help, but when I tried to call the same file up, it told me to double check whether or not the file exists.

 

[Red_Zealot]

You need to be root to access lilo.conf.
Open a terminal.
Type 'su'
Enter root password.
Type 'gedit'
Now try to open /etc/lilo.conf using that gedit window.

If this doen't work, try emacs. Type "emacs /etc/lilo.conf" after su-ing.

Okay, so your ethernet card is recognized. Try running netconf, please. Just try it.

"If you teach a child to read, then he or her will be able to pass a literacy test" - George W.

 

[sdausmus]

Added the nopentium line, but when I run "Netconf" I get a bunch of stuff that means nothing to me. I am not on a network, I am running a single computer on a DSL connection. IPs amd gateways and DNS stuff shouldn't have anything to do with that, I think.

 

[Red_Zealot]

but when I run "Netconf" I get a bunch of stuff that means nothing to me.

netconf and you get nothing?
Try "man netconf" or "netconf /?"

When you installed Mandrake, and you had that part about internet connections, what excatly did you do?

Glad you added the nopentium line.

"If you teach a child to read, then he or her will be able to pass a literacy test" - George W.

 

[sdausmus]

When I first installed, it gave me the option to set up my net connection. It asked me what type of connection it was, my name and password, and then the entire system froze up in the middle of it, necessitating a reboot. This happened twice. Once logged in as user, and once logged in as root.

 

[Red_Zealot]

What did you do when you came to <A HREF="http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/demos/Demo/Mandrake8.1/Install/Reco/pages/reco17.php3" target="_new">this screen</A>?
How about as your type of ADSL? Did you choose PPPoE or DHCP? Did you specify all the options correctly?

When you say that the entire system "froze up in the middle of it" are you talking about the install process or the first-time-login process? If it froze during the install process FOR ANYTHING, you will need to reinstall.


"If you teach a child to read, then he or her will be able to pass a literacy test" - George W.

 

[sdausmus]

I don't recall ever seeing that screen during the installation. The freeze-ups happened during the first-time login phase, both as user and root.

 

[Red_Zealot]

I'm not sure how you didn't see the screen...That is from the Mandrake tutorial on installation for 8.1!

I think you should reinstall.

"If you teach a child to read, then he or her will be able to pass a literacy test" - George W.

 

[sdausmus]

Well, I reinstalled, and went through the setup procedure you had showed the picture of. I then went through it AGAIN in the first time login and everything FROZE. I rebooted into KDE and tried to login, got the same freezing window I told you about before, but it did try to login and the connection failed. I went through the Control Center and tried reconfiguring the connection (adsl, pppoe, and so on) and it still failed.