Re: amd k6 support

[Raja Subramanian <rsubr@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

rajeshbalan@xxxxxxxxxx wrote (rajeshbalan@xxxxxxxxxx):

> I've a AMD K6 processor. 64MB RAM. I tried installing linux (red hat 6.2,
> dual boot with win98). I was not able to install. this is the problem i
> faced:
> 
>  1)when i tried to allocate partition for /boot (16MB) - it said    
>    PARTITION TOO BIG. I tried allocating 1MB (little weird)it said the same
> thing.
> 

The boot partition must be within the first 1024 cylinders of your primary
hdd. This is due to (ugly) PC bios limitations.

The troublesome solution is to create the boot partition at the begining of
the disk. You will have to move your win98 partitions accordingly.

The lazy solution is not to touch your win98 partitions and *not* create a
/boot partition for RH. Just skip creating a /boot partition, it will just be
a part of the root partition. This means that you cannot boot linux using
lilo, and you should not install lilo. Boot to the win98 dos prompt and use
loadlin to boot linux from dos. This is explained pretty well in -
http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/Loadlin+Win95.html

The second method is really nice because it does not play with the partition
table/MBR nor does it need a "small boot partition". Other nice features are
that you can start linux from windows without rebooting. Also, you never get
caught out with a broken lilo setup after a kernel upgrade.

If you are brave, try using `grub' as your boot loader. It offers several
advantages over lilo, esp if you want to multiboot several OSes. 

>  2) I tried to do a partitionless installation by giving a DOS partition as
> / (root) mountpoint. The installation guide said, u will be getting a screen
> to choose root(/) space and swap space(twice as the size of main memory). I
> didnt get that.

I urge you not to try these automated install options. They usually end up
clobbering your HDD. Read the documentation or ask for help, try do understand
what you are exactly doing and do it in a manner that best suits your needs.

As for the comment about the K6 being not supported, I have not heard about
such problems.

- Raja
---
Visit our home page at: www.chennailug.org
Send e-mail to 'ilugc-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' with 'unsubscribe' 
in either the subject or the body to unsubscribe from this list.