Very Computer

Hi, I have installed Mandrake 8.0 on my machine (PII350, 288M memory).
And ever since I began to install, I have been encountering innumerous
system freezes, and I could hardly use rpmDrake to install anything.

It took me about 12-15 attempts before I actually installed the
system. In other attempts, either the installation halts during the
copying of package, or the system freezes when I tried to log in.

After I finally got it installed, I tried to install some packages. I
copied the packages on my zip disk, and started rpmDrake, tried to add
a source (selected options: "removable", "zip", "/mnt/zip"). After I
clicked "ok" on the "define sources" dialog, it parsed the sources,
and didn't find any RPM on my zip disk! And, when I started the define
source dialog again, it does not have the zip disk source in it!

Then I copied the RPM's to my local disk, and tried to define a
"local" source. I clicked on "ok" again, and the rpmDrake freezed! I
tried to log out of X and come in again, but the system freezed right
away!

I cold booted the system, re-tried to open rpmDrake, and the system at
once freezed again!

Finally I re-booted and tried to install some packages from the
CD-ROMs. But for most of the packages (1 or 2 worked), the system
tries to open rpminst, and soon after it says that "an installation
has occurred" or "software already installed", although I am pretty
sure that none of them has been installed.

So what is the problem over here? I am about to give up and try
another distribution (I do not dare to re-install with the CDs
anymore, as I don't know how many attempts it will take me this time
to get it successfully installed).

Any suggestion is welcome, thanks!

I tried to install Mandrake 8.0 three times.  Everytime, I was able to log
in, and get the KDE desktop, but it was ugly.  Drop down menus were leaving
pixel trails on the open windows.  The distro was not even installed 30
minutes before it was totally screwed up.  It locked up once and I had to
turn the power off.  I turned the power on and it booted ok, and checked the
filesystem and was able to boot.  Again it locked up and I had to do the
same, but this time it found major errors in the filesystem and wouldn't
finish booting and said I needed to start fdisk and fix the errors manually.
Thinking this must have been some fluke, I busted out the CD's once again
and did another clean install.  Within 20 minutes of the completed
installation I was getting out the trusty Mandrake 7.2 CD's.  I have had no
problems with 7.2 other than mounting my USB Zip drive, and that has to do a
little with my inexperience in mounting and umounting filesystems.  Maybe
KDE is the bad guy here and not the distro.  I am going to try installing
the system without KDE and see if that helps at all.

--

SykkN

visit: http://www.lessthan.org

Quote:> Hi, I have installed Mandrake 8.0 on my machine (PII350, 288M memory).
> And ever since I began to install, I have been encountering innumerous
> system freezes, and I could hardly use rpmDrake to install anything.

> It took me about 12-15 attempts before I actually installed the
> system. In other attempts, either the installation halts during the
> copying of package, or the system freezes when I tried to log in.

> After I finally got it installed, I tried to install some packages. I
> copied the packages on my zip disk, and started rpmDrake, tried to add
> a source (selected options: "removable", "zip", "/mnt/zip"). After I
> clicked "ok" on the "define sources" dialog, it parsed the sources,
> and didn't find any RPM on my zip disk! And, when I started the define
> source dialog again, it does not have the zip disk source in it!

> Then I copied the RPM's to my local disk, and tried to define a
> "local" source. I clicked on "ok" again, and the rpmDrake freezed! I
> tried to log out of X and come in again, but the system freezed right
> away!

> I cold booted the system, re-tried to open rpmDrake, and the system at
> once freezed again!

> Finally I re-booted and tried to install some packages from the
> CD-ROMs. But for most of the packages (1 or 2 worked), the system
> tries to open rpminst, and soon after it says that "an installation
> has occurred" or "software already installed", although I am pretty
> sure that none of them has been installed.

> So what is the problem over here? I am about to give up and try
> another distribution (I do not dare to re-install with the CDs
> anymore, as I don't know how many attempts it will take me this time
> to get it successfully installed).

> Any suggestion is welcome, thanks!

No idea if this is your problem but I've had bad burned disks do this (mine
was a redhat 7.0 install on a laptop). try reburning from the downloaded
iso image (or download and burn if you have store bought ones) and see if
that works. I know 8.0 can work as I've been using this one for a while and
besides a few bugs here and there (bad cannon 8200 drivers for cups was the
main one I've had), it works fine!
--

Stephe

Hi, thanks for your suggestions. I have identified my problem as a DMA
problem, and I am about to post another message with the details,
thanks!

Quote:>Hi, I have installed Mandrake 8.0 on my machine (PII350, 288M memory).
>And ever since I began to install, I have been encountering innumerous
>system freezes, and I could hardly use rpmDrake to install anything.

>It took me about 12-15 attempts before I actually installed the
>system. In other attempts, either the installation halts during the
>copying of package, or the system freezes when I tried to log in.

>After I finally got it installed, I tried to install some packages. I
>copied the packages on my zip disk, and started rpmDrake, tried to add
>a source (selected options: "removable", "zip", "/mnt/zip"). After I
>clicked "ok" on the "define sources" dialog, it parsed the sources,
>and didn't find any RPM on my zip disk! And, when I started the define
>source dialog again, it does not have the zip disk source in it!

>Then I copied the RPM's to my local disk, and tried to define a
>"local" source. I clicked on "ok" again, and the rpmDrake freezed! I
>tried to log out of X and come in again, but the system freezed right
>away!

>I cold booted the system, re-tried to open rpmDrake, and the system at
>once freezed again!

>Finally I re-booted and tried to install some packages from the
>CD-ROMs. But for most of the packages (1 or 2 worked), the system
>tries to open rpminst, and soon after it says that "an installation
>has occurred" or "software already installed", although I am pretty
>sure that none of them has been installed.

>So what is the problem over here? I am about to give up and try
>another distribution (I do not dare to re-install with the CDs
>anymore, as I don't know how many attempts it will take me this time
>to get it successfully installed).

>Any suggestion is welcome, thanks!

1. You need to rebuild the RPM database. As superuser, do
rpm --rebuilddb

<< You have to do the above in any case >>
2.  Now rpmDrake might work. If it ties itself up in a knot again, do
the 'rebuilddb' bit again, and go to 3.

3. Use kpackage.
Do
Alt-f2
kdesu -c kpackage

set up so as to load from your sources.

4. Use RPM
As superuser, run console
and do
RPM -Uvh  <package.rpm>
You may have to do several updates at once. In that case, do:
RPM -Uvh <package1.rpm> <package2.rpm> ... <packagex.rpm>