kernel panic on ze4101

[John Kohler]

I will just summarize my experience. With my ze4101 I could neither install Red Hat 7.3 or 8.0 with all defaults out of the box.

To the installer boot loader I had to add:

boot: linux nopcmcia

To the hard disk boot loader I had to add :

boot: linux nomce

Red Hat Incident Help Desk (@$39 per incident) instructed me how to remove the pcmcia option permanently from the "I" interactive part of the installation routine, and to add the "nomce" option to the file that starts the boot process (append="nomce" in the lilo.conf file with the "vi" editor.

I still have an ethernet card (NIC) issue with the National Semiconductor DP83815, in that it will not ping my router correctly and any outside IP address at all.

The internal modem in the ze4101 is a software driven modem that will operate under Windows.(called a WinModem and unusuable with linux) I got a used external modem and serial cable to the ze4101 and could configure it under Linux.

I am planning to return the ze4101 to Staples Office supply tomorrow.

John Kohler

[ne he]

Hi,

My experience is that RH 7.1 is pretty good. I met several cases when RH7.3 can not be installed correctly, but 7.1 can.

why don't you guys try RH 7.1
? When I installed it, there was no kernel panic(But 7.3 or 8.0 had). And it went very smoothly. While the problem is that the X-win did not work well. I was lazy and did not figure out how to configure it.

The big problem for me is that I the sound card is not driven corretly. When I mis-operate the keyboard, it beeps too lound. And the fan is always on high pitch.

So I delete all the RH stuff.

Do you guys also have this problem?

[Mike Kelland]

The issue with the built in NIC (the Nat Semi one) is easily fixable using the mii-tool program that should come with the natsemi driver (or from www.scyld.com). And I had good results with the trident sound driver. However the PCMCIA problem seems to be the real kicker on this laptop and so I hope that can be fixed and soon :)

[Dick Miller]

I'm trying to install Mandrake 9.0 and/or Red Hat 8.0 Linux on a Compaq Presario 906US laptop, and am experiencing the same "kernel panic" problem at the PCMCIA install point.

I also wonder whether I should bail out of this computer, or await some total solution.

This has been the best-fit search hit to date. Further clues much appreciated!

FWIW, Mandrake 9.0 on a prior Compaq Presario 700US was a generally automatic install. (Still not working: Belkin wireless PC LAN Card, and dual-boot restart into WinXP. But the built-in wired LAN runs fine, and I can power down, then restart into WinXP without problem.)

--Dick Miller

[Jacek Pliszka]

Correction to my earlier post:
1400x1050 works great. Hints:
http://www.fuw.edu.pl/~pliszka/hints/notebooks/ZE4100.html

[Martin Tzanov]

Hi,

For those of you who still have ze4101.

I was able to install RedHat 8.0.

One has to install it in the same way as 7.3 installation, with a small addition "nousb" (Don't worry!!! after installation USB works just fine). So at boot one needs to start the installation with "linux nopcmcia nousb". It will tell later on that it doesn't recognize the mouse(touchpad) and gives an option to be configured. I chose MS IntelliMouse(PS/2). Then one needs the option "nomce" as in the case with 7.3.
You will probably need a USB mouse handy, because after all files are copied and before or during X setup the touchpad and the keyboard might freeze. Plug in the USB mouse to be able to complete the installation.

Even modem works under Linux. Go to Conexant website and follow the links, then choose the appropriate driver rpm.

PC Card is still the problem, but that is most probably faulty BIOS.

Best,

Martin

[Dennis Poehls]

Well, everyone...in one of the older postings there was a comment made about "if this is a BIOS problem, whay are we not seeing it on Win XP machines??". I happen to have a ze4115 running WinXP and I have a SIMILAR problem with the 02Micro Cardbus. 16 bit PCMCIA cards work OK (although I have a heck of a time maintaining a connection to my wireless access point). 32bit CardBus cards, however will not allow installation because they freeze the computer or bring the speed to a crawl...very slow crawl at that. If the card is removed, the computer recovers and goes back to full speed (unless you slip the card BACk in and then it simply freezes and you have to do a hard re-boot). Obviously, it seems there is something wrong with the BIOS or HP's implementation of 02Micro's Cardbus subsystem.

[Thomas Bell_1]

I have an hp pavilion ze4125 and got the answer 'linux is not support'. after reading this string of comments about the cardbus, im pissed my return policy has already run out. i am going to try the http://www.knopper.net/knoppix distro running in readonly mode, how fun. its sad, maybe an upcoming distro from some flava might correct all the problems with this.

-Tom

[Thomas Bell_1]

I just downloaded and loaded that cd readable version of debian i posted before, it detected my cardbus without pc cards in there, detected my cdrw/dvd, sound and everything. I'm wondering if mandrake 9.0 will work fine if i just dont keep any pcmcia cards in there. hrm, maybe i'll just install it onto my hard drive? :) lil more happy now

-Tom

[John Kohler]

I have solved the problem with my ze4101. I sold it and bought a Dell Inspiron 4150 which does not provoke a "Kernel Panic" so does not require any boot loader commands to bypass:

boot: linux nomce.

John Kohler