Linux HATES my hard drive (or I dont know what im doing)

[Evan Platt]

I have a Pavilion ze5000 with 30gb hard drive and P4 2.2GHz. I'm relatively new to linux, but I've done installations of Debian and SuSE on a desktop a few times before. I can not get Linux to load on this laptop.
Over the past two weeks I have tried to install SuSE 7.3 and 8.0, Debian, Redhat and even PhatLinux. I can't get any to load succesfully. If I can manage to get the drive partitioned without errors like "invaled partition table" or something similar (on a newly formated drive). In Red Hat, I can get about half way through the install before being thrown out on installation. SuSE I can get through the 1st CD and then thrown out (with occasional "xxxx package reported errors" messages. Debian will load but as soon as I restart I freeze on boot with "read-only filesystem" error, or "something not synching" error. Phat Linux won't load because it has errors accessing the drive and eventually has a kernel panic and stops.

Is there a setting I need to change here or something? I have the latest BIOS, I've tried installing with and without Windows XP on a different partition, before and after the linux partition. I've tried FAT32 and NTFS filesystems for the Windows XP style. I always have less than 4 primary partitions, I've Used fdisk, cfdisk and disk druid. Once in a while something will look promising but I'm getting REALLY frustrated.

Any help appreciated...

Thanks,
Evan

[Dirk Wiedemann]

Hello Evan,

please try the following:

set boot parameter idebus=66
(http://bizforums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x2bf6227a4bc6d611abdb0090277a778c,00.html)

maybe this works...good luck
Dirk

[Dirk Wiedemann]

Huu? Anyway my browser was confused...
here is the link:
http://bizforums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x2bf6227a4bc6d611abdb0090277a778c,00.html

regards Dirk

[Ron Kinner]

You should not be having problems with the partitioning regardless of the operating system. Find out who makes your disk drive and go to their site. Every HD maker offers a free program which runs a full diagnostic on their hard drive. Get that and verify that the drive is healthy before you waste any more time. You may have nothing more than a mismatch between the BIOS and the drive but the program should find it and flag it for you.

Ron

[Kodjo Agbenu]

Try to get your hard disk replaced. It may be faulty.

Good luck.

Kodjo

[bastard42]

The IDE controller chip in your laptop is too new to work with release linux kernel to support without the IDEBUS= parameter.

For simple newbie instructions about how to fix this, please see my page:
http://www.net42.co.uk/linux-on-xe4500.shtml

I think some of the Compaq Pavilion and HP XE4100 / 4500 machines are actually identical - not sure which models though. If you find that RedHat autodetects the ATI Radeon Mobility M6 video card, then I guess it's the same one. In that case, you want to use GENERIC VESA as your initial video card selection if you want X to work. See my web page for full instructions.

This web page will soon be updated to cover how to install a newer kernel that lets the hard disk run at full speed without the IDEBUS= parameter.

Really, it's shameful that HP offer no pointers whatever for Linux from their laptop "tech support" (what tech support?) pages. Not even a link to www.linux-on-laptops.com !