Help!..."error loading ramdisk"..

[Hoss]

I have a problem....I'm attempting to install a dual-boot Redhat Linux<br>
v6.0. I want to make the primary boot drive Win98 on my primary<br>
master hd, make the linux on the primary slave. I'm doing a harddrive<br>
install, and I do fine, until I get to the prompt asking me which hd<br>
the Redhat install files are located. After I press enter there, it<br>
comes up saying "loading second stage ramdisk", then immediately after<br>
that, a message appears saying "error loading ramdisk". I am using<br>
the directory on the install disk called "Redhat", as instructed.<br>
<br>
My system:<br>
<br>
Home built, AMD K6-2 333 w 128 mb of SDram, Motherboard is an FIC<br>
VA-503+ using the 1.15JE33 version BIOS (Award) dated November of<br>
1998. Harddrives--Primary: Samsung UDMA 8.4 gb, Slave: Seagate<br>
Medalist 2.1gb (not UDMA). Peripherals-- Modem: USRobotics v.90<br>
Voice/Fax modem (internal), Vidcard: STB Velocity 8mb w/tv out (PCI),<br>
Soundblaster AWE64 soundcard.<br>
<br>
I was wondering if anyone knew of any problems with the aforementioned<br>
MB. I did an install on a system similar to this except for the MB,<br>
and had no problems. At first I thought it might be the processor,<br>
but I don't think that now. I've checked thru Dejanews, Remarq, and<br>
couldn't find any mention of this specific error. Am finally at my<br>
wits end!<br>
<br>
Thanks to all in advance!<br>
<br>
--Mark Brummett

 

[robherc]

Not sure about an _answer_ for RedHat v6.0; but if you contact me I have just spent over $50.00 on _several_ linux installations & apps; will gladly share some with you for near-my cost (as in: near $1.00/CD-R; NOT $50+) All but 1 of my CDs (an apps CD) are LEGALLY redistributable; I WILL NOT send you a copy of that one. contact me if you think trying a diff. version of Linux might solve your problem.<br>
(I have: freeBSD2.2.8, RH6.0 & 5.2; Slakware 4.0, Caldera 2.2, S.u.S.E. 6.1, Mandrake 5.3and Linux Pro 5.4)<br>
<br>
If nothing else, the Slackware Linux has an installation called "ZipSlack" that can be booted from a DOS/WIN formatted HDD partition, by a DOS file.<br>
<br>
<br>
-Robherc<br>
robherc@netzero.net<br>
<br>
P.O.I. I will direct you to other sources if I am not able to get my CD-RW drive working again before you want and CDs; have one spare Slackware that i can sent immediately though.

 

[rycamor]

Mark,<br>
<br>
1. When you say you are doing a HD install, are you using the boot diskette? If so, then basically your install is running from the diskette and the minute Linux tries to get the files on disk, it can't. I've gotten "error loading ramdisk" a few times. I would say disk error, or you are calling the wrong directory somehow. A couple of times though, I have been stumped by this, and just moved my install files to another directory or disk, after which the install worked fine.<br>
<br>
2. Did you download the files for this distribution, or get them from CD? Most of the abitrary problems I have had installing Linux were because among my downloads I was missing some necessary files. You see, I had to first download through Windows, which doesn't do good bookkeeping with FTP. When I scanned through my downloads, I found missing files or files of zero K, which I just downloaded again to fix the problem.<br>
<br>
Hope this helps. We will get you up and running somehow .)

 

[robherc]

Also;<br>
<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If you're booting from a diskette to do the install, try booting from the CD to install; MOST Linux CDs (including RedHat 5.2 & 6.0) ARE bootable & will work on MOST systems; this might help.<br>
<br>
<br>
-Robherc

 

[Hoss]

Thanks to all. Before I saw these, I went ahead and ordered the 2 dollar CD from Cheapbytes, and it seemed to fix my problem. I noticed that the boot.img file and initrd were newer than the files on my boot floppy I was using, so I made a new boot disk with the image files supplied on the CD. After I booted from floppy, I just did the install from CDRom, and all went well. I now have Linux set up on my PC as my second OS, and am quite happy with it.<br>
<br>
Thanks for everyone's response, it is truly appreciated.

 

[robherc]

Hoss-<br>
<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I _very_ glad to hear that it worked for you; please let us know if you have any more problems!<br>
<br>
<br>
All-<br>
<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Please feel free to continue this conversation if you have any other suggestions, or a related problem....I'd be glad for the info <br>
<br>
<br>
-Robherc