ASUS A8N/VM CSM: how to (text) install Fedora on SATA drive?

[dillo]

Originally Posted by netllama

If you're seeing video corruption even with a text mode installation, that might be a VBIOS issue, or an SBIOS issue. Are you using the latest SBIOS?

-Lonni

1) If I boot with FC4 x86_64 I get the video corruption. Mediacheck procedure on FC4 x86_64
seems to succeed (see previous post)
2) If I boot with FC4 x86 32 bit IIRC I get to the point where it tells me it sees no hard drives
at all. Not 100% sure of this right now (only have 1 keyboard/monitor, must switch them
to check) but 95% yes
3) If I boot Knoppix 4.02 32 bit it goes through the text boot just fine and then starts in GUI
mode
4) What is the difference between VBIOS and SBIOS? How do I check which BIOS I have, if it goes
so fast I can't read it, and if I press DEL and explore the menus I haven't found it written anywhere
so far?

5) I asked on the ASUS forum and got this:
Are you using the intigrated Graphics? if so you may have to chance a setting in the bios, go to
Chipset>northbridge>nvigpBridge and set onChip VGA Trap Enabled to Enabled, dont know if you
have to but if you have a problem installing the graphics in Linux this might help.
Does it make any sense to you?

TIA,
Dillo

[netllama]

VBIOS is the videocard BIOS, SBIOS is the system (motherboard) BIOS.

I'm afraid I can't answer the rest of your questions.

Thanks,
Lonni

[dillo]

Originally Posted by netllama

VBIOS is the videocard BIOS, SBIOS is the system (motherboard) BIOS.

I'm afraid I can't answer the rest of your questions.

Thanks,
Lonni

But there is no extra video card. I have plugged my VGA monitor into the VGA connector
of the motherboard. So there is no VBIOS to consider, is there?

Dillo

[netllama]

There's always a VBIOS for NVIDIA GPUs. Its printed in the X log when using the nvidia X driver.

However, for integrated graphics, its likely part of the SBIOS image.

Thanks,
Lonni

[dillo]

Originally Posted by sJv

I just installed FC4 on an Asus A8N-VM motherboard with this same chipset. I ran into the same issue. My installation did give me an option to load additional drivers that I had to select from a list. This is cumbersome at best. The NVIDIA SATA driver was almost at the very end of the list. If you see an NVIDIA ethernet driver, add that one, too, or you won't have a working ethernet port when all is done.

-steve

I did do this with FC4 x86 (not x86_64): I added nVidia forcedeth and nVidia nv_sata.
The drive was seen, and I have FC4 x86 installed on this system, but onboard
ethernet is not detected yet: https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedo.../msg04448.html

how can I make it work in the FC4 the install I have now? If I succeed, I can
hook that box to an ADSL modem and download quickly FC5 or any other
distribution...

TIA,
D.

[dillo]

Originally Posted by netllama

If you're seeing video corruption even with a text mode installation, that might be a VBIOS issue, or an SBIOS issue. Are you using the latest SBIOS?

-Lonni

I have installed BIOS 0506 (latest still available from ASUS, why should I trust one that
they themselves removed?) and found something interesting, which I reported here:

https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedo.../msg04448.html

Basically, it seems to me some bug in the FC4 installer for x86_64, but I'd really
appreciate any pointer and comment from you and everybody else in this forum
on how it can be fixed.

TIA,
D.

[netllama]

Specifically which kernel are you using and which driver are you using for the MCP51 NIC?

Also, please elaborate on why you think that the NIC isn't detected.

Thanks,
Lonni

[dillo]

Originally Posted by netllama

Specifically which kernel are you using and which driver are you using for the MCP51 NIC?

Also, please elaborate on why you think that the NIC isn't detected.

Thanks,
Lonni

Whatever kernel is stock with FC4. As far as the NIC is concerned:

*) the bug I'm talking about now is the garbled screen, as that is my real block right now.

*) There are bugs in the installer, or so I'm told on the fedora lists:

>Until very recently, no, it would not work on the builtin ethernet
>of nForce3 or nForce4 chipsets.
>https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla....cgi?id=178557
>
>Claims to be fixed in kudzu 1.2.21-1, 2006-01-24, although I have not
>tested it yet because I downloaded and installed the DVD when HTTP
>did not work. After install, ethernet works fine. See also
>https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla....cgi?id=156688

--

[netllama]

The forcedeth driver in stock FC4 has known bugs which are resolved in later kernel versions. I'd suggest trying the NFORCE-1.0-0310 driver, or a kernel from here to resolve the problem:
http://people.redhat.com/linville/kernels/fc4/

The garbled screen issue would need to be addressed by either Redhat/FC or Asus, since its not an nvidia driver issue.

Thanks,
Lonni

[arodef]

Originally Posted by dillo

Hi,

I have this board with the nforce 430/GeForce 6150 chipset and only one
SATA-II disk, regularly seen from BIOS

1) When I boot from the first CD of Fedora Core 4 x86_64 I get:

initial screen (the one where you can give boot options) displayed
perfectly.
all following screen (do or skip mediacheck, etc...) all messed up. By this
I mean (text) image is very stable, but every 2/3 lines of characters the
columns are shifted, so I see a bunch of disaligned blue or red rectangles.
after two minutes a stable line of white text on black background saying
"anaconda is starting", then black screen. What can it be? Broken ISO? I did
check the checksum before burning. Also, if I boot with FC4 32 bit disc 1
everything on screen is fine. It just doesn't see the SATA drive, which leds
me to the second question

2) How do I install Linux if there is only one SATA drive? I need a driver, nv_sata, right?
how must I use it? Where is it explained in detail how to proceed?

TIA,
Dillo

I suppose you are using the onboard GPU (graphics processing unit)
I used AMIBIOS (version 0403 10/05/05)
Enter your Bios Setup
->Advanced menu
--->Chipset
----->NorthBridge Configuration
-------> NvigpBrige/Geforce Configuration
---------> OnChip VGA Frame Buffer Size [16MB]
---------> OnChip VGA Trap Enable [Enabled]
press F10 and do your install as usual