Compaq laptop and Redhat 7.3

**Ashy** · 09-04-2003

I have a Compaq Armada 4220T and am trying to install red hat 7.3 on it. I have an external cd-rom drive which will not even detect the cd.

I have tried the disk on my other computer and it works on that so its not the disk.
Also i have tried other cd's in the drive and they worked so i dont know what the problem is here.

I did a google for my model laptop and got a page with some info on a successful install of redhat 7.2 on the exact model that i have so im thinking that redhat 7.3 should work on mine too.

The cd-rom has written on the front "Pioneer super32x" and thats about all i can tell about wot it is.

**bmxface** · 09-04-2003

Seems that its not getting detected at Bootup....do other bootable cds work on bootup on it also? like windows cds?

**Hellmasker** · 09-04-2003

have u tired making a bootabel floppy to load the cd drivers or whatever it needs to run.

u can prob do it from windoze but tis easier from a linux machine. put the correct image from the boot dir of the cd into a floppy. i think there is a bootdisk making prog if u use windoze

**Ashy** · 09-04-2003

I'm not sure about windows cd's. I have tried to install mandrake 7.2 aswell and that would not boot straight from the cd either. I had to make a floppy boot disk to get that to detect.
I did not install mandrake because it appeared that it had no drivers that my cdrom was compatible with.

Hellmasker: The cd-rom won't even detect the cd when i am booted into windows.
but i could try to make a boot floppy on my other comp (which can detect the cd), except it is not as easy to make one as it is in mandrake.
Can u explain how i can make one for red hat ?

**kpzani** · 09-04-2003

have a google around for a specific install guide for your laptop. I found one to help install RH 9 on my Compaq Evo.

I had to pass parameters to the kernel to boot the installer.

Then change them by trial and error to get all my bits working. now running @ about 90%.

But better than nothing.

**Dolda2000** · 09-04-2003

To create a bootdisk from Windows, run the "rawrite" program in /dosutils on the CD. Then write /images/boot.img using that program.

**Ashy** · 09-04-2003

Ive done a google for it and there's really not a lot there.
All i found was a document on installing 7.2 on it and that only said that it was fairly easy except for a couple of little problems.

I'll try what Dolda2000 said to do and get back to ya's with what happens.

Edit:
I made a boot floppy and it works okay. I press enter to begin the graphical installation and it starts and lists about a page full of different stuff and then it gets to
Partition check:
hda:

and just hangs there with the blinking cursor right after that.

Any ideas what could be causing this?

**kpzani** · 09-05-2003

for my laptop I had to type some options at the boot prompt.

i think it was

linux nomce ide=nodma pci=off

the guide i used is here
http://tooleweb.homelinux.com/EvoN1015v/

**Ashy** · 09-06-2003

I can get it to start installing now but i need a driver disk for my cdrom.
i type in "linux ide=nodma" at the boot screen and that begins the installation alright.
But then it gets to the "what type of cdrom do u have" and i have an external pioneer super 32x. it asks if the cdrom is scsi or other. and when i go to other it asks for a driver disk.
I dont have a driver disk (i got the laptop and cdrom second hand) and ive been googleing for ages but still cant find any that seem like the right ones.
but i am pretty much a n00b and have probably missed something.

Does anyone know where i can get drivers for it or what i am supposed to do (if i am doing something wrong)?

**Dolda2000** · 09-06-2003

What model is it exactly, and how is it connected to the computer?

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