[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux won't load on a Compaq?

[Rick Matthews]

It can be done. I ran the router/firewall for my home LAN on a
Compaq Prolinea 486 on Redhat 5.2 through 6.2 (over 3 years!).
(Moved up to a P200 and RH 7.1 last fall!)

You didn't mention which Presario, or desktop vs laptop. Either way,
here's a link that will probably provide you with good information
(scroll down and check out the Presarios):
<http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/compaq.html>

I had to change the OS specification in CMOS from Windows to Other.
I also think I had to turn PNP off (remember, that was early PNP and
those versions of RH had little or no PNP support). (CMOS - on
bootup, hit <f10> during the COMPAQ screen when you get a block
cursor in the upper right hand corner.)

I think you can forget about dual boot.

My Compaq had a small boot partition with their diagnostics stuff in
it. Their boot manager handled the boot. If you went to the CMOS
menu and selected diagnostics it would boot again into the
diagnostics partition. I updated the diagnostics stuff with a
service pack from the compaq site, then found an option to create a
bootable diskette that contained the same diagnostics software.
After I verified that I could boot on that diskette and run
diagnostics I removed the extra partition and gave Linux the entire
disk.

I can't match any of this up with your freeze at the "Checking hlt
instruction". ;-)

Rick Matthews


-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-admin at ntlug.org [mailto:discuss-admin at ntlug.org]On
Behalf
Of Minh Duong
Sent: Saturday, March 09, 2002 11:10 PM
To: discuss at ntlug.org
Subject: [NTLUG:Discuss] Linux won't load on a Compaq?


I'm trying to make an old AMD-266 Compaq Presario into
a router.  The problem is that I'm having problems
with Linux loading properly.  I've tried using the LRP
2.9.8 disk, Redhat 6.2, 7.0, 7.2, and SUSE 6.4.  They
all seem to stall in the middle.  I think that all
freeze in the same place.  Right after:

Checking 386/387 Coupling:  FPU Exception 16 . . .
Checking 'hlt' instructions

Then it freezes.  Has anybody ever tried to install
Linux on an old Compaq?  Is linux too advanced even
for a Compaq?  Are they better served in target
practice?   I got it for free because the previous
owner couldn't use it for anything any more (Was that
a hint?)  I just wanted to see if I could build a
firewall/router for cheap.  I encourage comments but
keep the snickering to a minimum.

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