On Sun, 18 Apr 1999, Robert Pope wrote:
>
> I finally managed to get Linux installed on my laptop (Compaq
> Contura 420C) by using the Slackware distribution. Red Hat wouldn't
> install at ALL.
>
> I had Slackware running well for a couple of days when I
decided
> to start messing with the XF11 config. Well, I did something stupid
and
> the machine hung. And hung. And just sat there and stared at me.
>
> Couldn't get the dang thing to do anything so I hit the power
> button. Now, of course, it won't boot.
>
> It goes through a lot of the boot stuff (most of which scrolls
off
> the screen so fast I can't read it) and always just stops at the
following
> line:
>
> ide-tape: Strange, packet command initiated yet DRQ isn't asserted.
>
> I tried booting to the original boot disk (used for
installation)
> and the LILO bootdisk that was created when the installation was almost
> over. Still hangs at the same message.
>
> Is there any way around this or am I going to have to
reinstall?
How are you going to do that if the install boot also hangs? :-).
It looks like your ide-tape device is misbehaving, possibly because you
don't have one, but something in the hardware or BIOS is making the
ide-tape driver think you do. Possibly, though, this is just fallout
from an earlier error.
If you are lucky, there are other error messages nearby to
associate ide-tape with a device name, and you can stop the driver
trying to use it with a boot parameter of the form
"hdx=none", or you can try the shotgun approach: your main hd is
_probably_ hda, so hdb=none hdc=none hdd=none _might_ let you get enough
of a system going to start trying to figure out what is wrong.
HTH
Lawson
> Eternally grateful in advance,
> Bob
>
>
______________________________________________________________________________
> Robert W. Pope Internet:
> BCPL [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 320 York Rd. (410) 887-6166
> Towson, MD 21204 Fax: (410) 887-2091
>
> For a good time try:
> http://www.bcpl.net/~rpope/worldfun.html
>
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