Howdy all, I’ve decided I’d like to learn linux and after some research have decided to go with openSUSE. I downloaded and burned the DVD iso fine, and verified the md5, but whenever I boot to the DVD to install, it freezes shortly after choosing the install type I want. I downloaded and booted to a fedora DVD to see if I would get the same issue, and I did, during “Waiting for Hardware to Initialize…”, so I can only assume that openSUSE is freezing at the same point, since all I see is the GUI.
I can’t for the life of me think of what hardware would be causing a lockup, so I figured I’d post up my system specs and see if anyone had an idea.
So here goes:
Gateway GT5678
Motherboard: Unknown, but uses nForce 630i chipset
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4 Ghz, no overclocking done
Memory: 4GB DDR2 running at 667 Mhz
Hard Drive: 750 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA II hard drive
Video: Nvidia Geforce 8600 GT OC2 PCI-E w/ 512MB Memory
Would openSUSE 11 have issues loading any of this? The comp also has a 15-in-1 card reader if that might be the issue. Also, I’m installing the x86_64 version if that helps.
On the menu, press F3 and choose “text”. And then in the “Boot Option” box type this:
acpi=off noapic nolapic
And then hit Enter. You will see text scrolling. The options you entered may solve the problem. Or, if the boot locks up again, you’ll see where it was that the kernel choked. Carefully write down the preceding text lines - about a half-dozen - and post that back here.
Thanks! That worked beautifully, typing this from openSUSE 11 now :D. Out of curiosity, could you explain what th eline I typed in did so I’ll better understand it in the future?
Just go google those phrases and you should understand.
[The explanations already out there are no doubt as
good as any of us could do repeating it.:)]
Sure. And some follow-up may be needed. First question though is, once installed, can you re-boot normally? That is, do you possibly need one or more of these commands to be used every time you boot? On the regular boot menu, you’ll see a Boot Options box just like on the install menu. You can enter commands there (called “kernel arguments”) just as you did before. You should try to boot without any of these commands. If it fails, try just adding the “acpi-off” command. If it still fails, try the “noapic nolapic” commands instead. And if it fails yet again, use all three. Now you know whether you need any of these commands.
If you do . . . when a special parameter (argument) needs to be used consistently, it should be added to the file where the kernel pulls other parameters (such as your display resolution). The easiest way to do this is go to YaST/System/Boot Loader. You’ll see a Sections list that corresponds to your boot menu entries. Highlight your main entry and click Edit. In the “Optional Kernel Command” box, add the required command(s) from above to what’s already on that line. Click OK and Finish. (Check that the Boot Installation specifics under that tab are what you want.)
acpi=off turns off the power management. Sometimes power management is implemented very flakey, often it’s an issue in the bios.
noapic and noalpic refer to the interrupt controller (sorry you asked yet?). Again, sometimes there is a consistency issue with the hardware or the bios. These commands tell the kernel to control this function by itself.
Not that unusual, not really a problem if these commands are required.
