Very Computer

Hi,

I'm having trouble installing SuSe 8.0 Professional on to a Sony Vaio
PCG-C181M (sometimes called C1VM).  SuSe 7.0 installs without problems
(more or less...), but 8.0 hangs the whole system very early on.

It doesn't matter if I select GUI or 'text-only' mode, manual or safe,
or any
other combination, the installation hangs in the middle of the IRQ
assignments (I guess) as per the snippet below, as soon as the text
starts to flow up the screen.

Firstly the green installation screen opens, and boot/installation
parameters are selected, then the 'Loading Linux Kernel' box completes,
(0% -> 100%), then the screen changes to the flowing text which suddenly
stops:
...
<snip>
ALI15X3: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev 80
PCI:No IRQ known for interrupt pin A of device 00:10.0. Please try using
pci=biosirq.
ALI15X3: chipset revision 196
ALI15X3: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later

I've talked to both SuSe support (UK and DE - helpful but unsuccesful),
and Sony support (complete waste of time).

For reference the BIOS option 'Plug and Play O/S' (PNPOS) is set to
'No', though it appears to make no difference whether it is set to 'Yes'
or 'No'.  I also have the latest BIOS upgrade via Sony.

I've tried various boot prompts to date, with no success:

        linux ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off

        manual pci=biosirq

        manual pcmcia=no

They all hang at the same point (as above) :-(

What I find strange is that the installation hangs at such an early
stage in 8.0, while 7.0 cruises on past with no bother at all.  Because
of this, I've pulled out the dmesg and hwinfo outputs, (from the 7.0
install), and attached them, in the hope someone else can make more
sense out of it than me, and perhaps suggest a workable solution.

TIA - for any help.

--
Ciao
Richard Foley
Ciao - shorter than AufWiederSehen!

[ dmesg_output 4K ]
Linux version 2.2.16 (r...@Pentium.suse.de) (gcc version 2.95.2 19991024 (release)) #1 Wed Aug 2 20:22:26 GMT 2000
Detected 727816 kHz processor.
Console: colour VGA+ 80x25
Calibrating delay loop... 1422.13 BogoMIPS
Memory: 111288k/114688k available (1448k kernel code, 428k reserved, 1456k data, 68k init, 0k bigmem)
Dentry hash table entries: 16384 (order 5, 128k)
Buffer cache hash table entries: 131072 (order 7, 512k)
Page cache hash table entries: 32768 (order 5, 128k)
VFS: Diskquotas version dquot_6.4.0 initialized
CPU serial number disabled.
CPU: L1 I Cache: 64K  L1 D Cache: 64K
CPU: L2 Cache: 512K
CPU: Processor revision 1.4.0.3, 733 MHz [longrun]
CPU: Code Morphing Software revision 4.2.7-8-278
CPU: 20011004 02:04 official release 4.2.7#7
CPU: Transmeta(tm) Crusoe(tm) Processor TM5800 stepping 03
Checking 386/387 coupling... OK, FPU using exception 16 error reporting.
Checking 'hlt' instruction... OK.
POSIX conformance testing by UNIFIX
PCI: PCI BIOS revision 2.10 entry at 0xfd85e, last bus=0
PCI: Using configuration type 1
PCI: Probing PCI hardware
Linux NET4.0 for Linux 2.2
Based upon Swansea University Computer Society NET3.039
NET4: Unix domain sockets 1.0 for Linux NET4.0.
NET4: Linux TCP/IP 1.0 for NET4.0
IP Protocols: ICMP, UDP, TCP, IGMP
TCP: Hash tables configured (ehash 131072 bhash 65536)
Initializing RT netlink socket
Starting kswapd v 1.5
Detected PS/2 Mouse Port.
pty: 256 Unix98 ptys configured
Real Time Clock Driver v1.09
RAM disk driver initialized:  16 RAM disks of 64000K size
loop: registered device at major 7
Uniform Multi-Platform E-IDE driver Revision: 6.30
ide: Assuming 33MHz system bus speed for PIO modes; override with idebus=xx
ALI15X3: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev 80
ALI15X3: chipset revision 196
ALI15X3: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
ALI15X3: simplex device:  DMA disabled
ide0: ALI15X3 Bus-Master DMA disabled (BIOS)
ALI15X3: simplex device:  DMA disabled
ide1: ALI15X3 Bus-Master DMA disabled (BIOS)
hda: IC25N020ATDA04-0, ATA DISK drive
ide0 at 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6 on irq 14
hda: IC25N020ATDA04-0, 19077MB w/1806kB Cache, CHS=2432/255/63
floppy0: no floppy controllers found
LVM version 0.8e  by Heinz Mauelshagen  (4/1/2000)
lvm -- Driver successfully initialized
md driver 0.36.6 MAX_MD_DEV=4, MAX_REAL=8
linear personality registered
raid0 personality registered
raid1 personality registered
raid5 personality registered
scsi : 0 hosts.
scsi : detected total.
Partition check:
 hda: hda1 hda2 hda3
VFS: Mounted root (ext2 filesystem) readonly.
Freeing unused kernel memory: 68k freed
Adding Swap: 650624k swap-space (priority -1)
Serial driver version 4.27 with HUB-6 MANY_PORTS MULTIPORT SHARE_IRQ enabled
Linux PCMCIA Card Services 3.1.17
  kernel build: 2.2.16 #1 Wed Aug 2 20:22:26 GMT 2000
  options:  [pci] [cardbus]
PCI routing table version 1.0 at 0xfdef0
  00:10.0 -> irq 4
  00:12.0 -> irq 9
Intel PCIC probe:
  Ricoh RL5C475 rev 80 PCI-to-CardBus at slot 00:12, mem 0x68000000
    host opts [0]: [serial irq] [io 3/6/1] [mem 3/6/1] [pci irq 9] [lat 168/176] [bus 1/1]
    ISA irqs (default) = 3,5,7,10,11,12,15 PCI status changes
cs: IO port probe 0x0c00-0x0cff: excluding 0xcf8-0xcff
cs: IO port probe 0x0800-0x08ff: clean.
cs: IO port probe 0x0100-0x04ff: excluding 0x200-0x207 0x220-0x22f 0x330-0x337 0x388-0x38f 0x408-0x40f 0x480-0x48f 0x4d0-0x4d7
cs: IO port probe 0x0a00-0x0aff: clean.
cs: memory probe 0xa0000000-0xa0ffffff: clean.
hde: CD-224E, ATAPI CDROM drive
ide2 at 0x180-0x187,0x386 on irq 3
hde: ATAPI 20X CD-ROM drive, 128kB Cache
Uniform CD-ROM driver Revision: 3.11
ide_cs: hde: Vcc = 5.0, Vpp = 0.0
Non-volatile memory driver v1.0
0x378: CTR: wrote 0x0c, read 0xff
0x378: DATA: wrote 0xaa, read 0xff
parport0: PC-style at 0x378 [SPP,PS2]
parport_probe: failed
parport0: no IEEE-1284 device present.
lp0: using parport0 (polling).
parport_probe: failed
parport0: no IEEE-1284 device present.
imm: Version 2.03 (for Linux 2.0.0)
ppa: Version 2.03 (for Linux 2.2.x)
WARNING - no ppa compatible devices found.
  As of 31/Aug/1998 Iomega started shipping parallel
  port ZIP drives with a different interface which is
  supported by the imm (ZIP Plus) driver. If the
  cable is marked with "AutoDetect", this is what has
  happened.
hde: packet command error: status=0x51 { DriveReady SeekComplete Error }
hde: packet command error: error=0x54
ATAPI device hde:
  Error: Illegal request -- (Sense key=0x05)
  Invalid field in command packet -- (asc=0x24, ascq=0x00)
  The failed "Start/Stop Unit" packet command was:
  "1b 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 "
cdrom: open failed.
VFS: Disk change detected on device ide2(33,0)

[ hwinfo_log 34K ]
============ start hardware log ============
============ start debug info ============
libhd version 1.27 (ix86)
----- /proc/cmdline -----
  root=/dev/hda2 mem=114688K
----- /proc/cmdline end -----
debug = 0xfffffff7
probe = 0x16ffff5fffe6 (+memory +pci -pci.range -pci.ext +isapnp +cdrom +cdrom.info +net +floppy +misc +misc.serial +misc.par +misc.floppy +serial +cpu +bios +monitor +mouse +ide +scsi -scsi.geo +usb -usb.mods +adb +modem +modem.usb +parallel +parallel.lp +parallel.zip +isa +isa.isdn +dac960 +smart +isdn +kbd +prom +sbus +int +braille -braille.alva +braille.fhp +braille.ht -ignx11 +sys -max -lxrc)

----- /proc/nvram -----
  Checksum status: valid
  # floppies     : 1
  Floppy 0 type  : none
  Floppy 1 type  : none
  HD 0 type      : 01
  HD 1 type      : none
  HD type 48 data: 54836/7/159 C/H/S, precomp 49304, lz 65472
  HD type 49 data: 65283/7/79 C/H/S, precomp 2664, lz 49248
  DOS base memory: 640 kB
  Extended memory: 64512 kB (configured), 64512 kB (tested)
  Gfx adapter    : EGA, VGA, ... (with BIOS)
  FPU            : installed
----- /proc/nvram end -----
----- kernel log -----
  <4>Linux version 2.2.16 (r...@Pentium.suse.de) (gcc version 2.95.2 19991024 (release)) #1 Wed Aug 2 20:22:26 GMT 2000
  <4>Detected 727816 kHz processor.
  <4>Console: colour VGA+ 80x25
  <4>Calibrating delay loop... 1422.13 BogoMIPS
  <4>Memory: 111288k/114688k available (1448k kernel code, 428k reserved, 1456k data, 68k init, 0k bigmem)
  <4>Dentry hash table entries: 16384 (order 5, 128k)
  <4>Buffer cache hash table entries: 131072 (order 7, 512k)
  <4>Page cache hash table entries: 32768 (order 5, 128k)
  <5>VFS: Diskquotas version dquot_6.4.0 initialized
  <6>CPU serial number disabled.
  <4>CPU: L1 I Cache: 64K  L1 D Cache: 64K
  <4>CPU: L2 Cache: 512K
  <4>CPU: Processor revision 1.4.0.3, 733 MHz [longrun]
  <4>CPU: Code Morphing Software revision 4.2.7-8-278
  <4>CPU: 20011004 02:04 official release 4.2.7#7
  <4>CPU: Transmeta(tm) Crusoe(tm) Processor TM5800 stepping 03
  <6>Checking 386/387 coupling... OK, FPU using exception 16 error reporting.
  <6>Checking 'hlt' instruction... OK.
  <4>POSIX conformance testing by UNIFIX
  <4>PCI: PCI BIOS revision 2.10 entry at 0xfd85e, last bus=0
  <4>PCI: Using configuration type 1
  <4>PCI: Probing PCI hardware
  <6>Linux NET4.0 for Linux 2.2
  <6>Based upon Swansea University Computer Society NET3.039
  <6>NET4: Unix domain sockets 1.0 for Linux NET4.0.
  <6>NET4: Linux TCP/IP 1.0 for NET4.0
  <6>IP Protocols: ICMP, UDP, TCP, IGMP
  <4>TCP: Hash tables configured (ehash 131072 bhash 65536)
  <4>Initializing RT netlink socket
  <4>Starting kswapd v 1.5
  <6>Detected PS/2 Mouse Port.
  <4>pty: 256 Unix98 ptys configured
  <6>Real Time Clock Driver v1.09
  <4>RAM disk driver initialized:  16 RAM disks of 64000K size
  <6>loop: registered device at major 7
  <6>Uniform Multi-Platform E-IDE driver Revision: 6.30
  <4>ide: Assuming 33MHz system bus speed for PIO modes; override with idebus=xx
  <4>ALI15X3: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev 80
  <4>ALI15X3: chipset revision 196
  <4>ALI15X3: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
  <4>ALI15X3: simplex device:  DMA disabled
  <4>ide0: ALI15X3 Bus-Master DMA disabled (BIOS)
  <4>ALI15X3: simplex device:  DMA disabled
  <4>ide1: ALI15X3 Bus-Master DMA disabled (BIOS)
  <4>hda: IC25N020ATDA04-0, ATA DISK drive
  <4>ide0 at 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6 on irq 14
  <6>hda: IC25N020ATDA04-0, 19077MB w/1806kB Cache, CHS=2432/255/63
  <4>floppy0: no floppy controllers found
  <6>LVM version 0.8e  by Heinz Mauelshagen  (4/1/2000)
  <4>lvm -- Driver successfully initialized
  <4>md driver 0.36.6 MAX_MD_DEV=4, MAX_REAL=8
  <4>linear personality registered
  <4>raid0 personality registered
  <4>raid1 personality registered
  <4>raid5 personality registered
  <4>scsi : 0 hosts.
  <4>scsi : detected total.
  <4>Partition check:
  <4> hda: hda1 hda2 hda3
  <4>VFS: Mounted root (ext2 filesystem) readonly.
  <4>Freeing unused kernel memory: 68k freed
  <6>Adding Swap: 650624k swap-space (priority -1)
  <6>Serial driver version 4.27 with HUB-6 MANY_PORTS MULTIPORT SHARE_IRQ enabled
  <6>Linux PCMCIA Card Services 3.1.17
  <6>  kernel build: 2.2.16 #1 Wed Aug 2 20:22:26 GMT 2000
  <6>  options:  [pci] [cardbus]
  <6>PCI routing table version 1.0 at 0xfdef0
  <6>  00:10.0 -> irq 4
  <6>  00:12.0 -> irq 9
  <6>Intel PCIC probe:
  <6>  Ricoh RL5C475 rev 80 PCI-to-CardBus at slot 00:12, mem 0x68000000
  <6>    host opts [0]: [serial irq] [io 3/6/1] [mem 3/6/1] [pci irq 9] [lat 168/176] [bus 1/1]
  <6>    ISA irqs (default) = 3,5,7,10,11,12,15 PCI status changes
  <6>cs: IO port probe 0x0c00-0x0cff: excluding 0xcf8-0xcff
  <6>cs: IO port probe 0x0800-0x08ff: clean.
  <6>cs: IO port probe 0x0100-0x04ff: excluding 0x200-0x207 0x220-0x22f 0x330-0x337 0x388-0x38f 0x408-0x40f 0x480-0x48f 0x4d0-0x4d7
  <6>cs: IO port probe 0x0a00-0x0aff: clean.
  <6>cs: memory probe 0xa0000000-0xa0ffffff: clean.
  <4>hde: CD-224E, ATAPI CDROM drive
  <4>ide2 at 0x180-0x187,0x386 on irq 3
  <4>hde: ATAPI 20X CD-ROM drive, 128kB Cache
  <6>Uniform CD-ROM driver Revision: 3.11
  <6>ide_cs: hde: Vcc = 5.0, Vpp = 0.0
  <6>Non-volatile memory driver v1.0
----- kernel log end -----
----- /proc/ioports -----
  0000-001f : dma1
  0020-003f : pic1
  0040-005f : timer
  0060-006f : keyboard
  0070-007f : rtc
  0080-008f : dma page reg
  00a0-00bf : pic2
  00c0-00df : dma2
  00f0-00ff : fpu
  0180-0187 : ide2
  01f0-01f7 : ide0
  0378-037a : parport0
  0386-0386 : ide2
  03c0-03df : vga+
  03f6-03f6 : ide0
----- /proc/ioports end -----
----- /proc/interrupts -----
    0:      15164          XT-PIC  timer
    1:        191          XT-PIC  keyboard
    2:          0          XT-PIC  cascade
    3:          9          XT-PIC  ide2
    8:          2          XT-PIC  rtc
    9:          0          XT-PIC  i82365
   13:          1          XT-PIC  fpu
   14:      16562          XT-PIC  ide0
  NMI:          0
----- /proc/interrupts end -----
----- /proc/dma -----
   4: cascade
----- /proc/dma end -----
----- /proc/cpuinfo -----
  processor     : 0
  vendor_id     : GenuineTMx86
  cpu family    : 5
  model         : 4
  model name    : Transmeta(tm) Crusoe(tm) Processor TM5800
  stepping      : 3
  cpu MHz               : 727.816
  cache size    : 512 KB
  fdiv_bug      : no
  hlt_bug               : no
  sep_bug               : no
  f00f_bug      : no
  coma_bug      : no
  fpu           : yes
  fpu_exception : yes
  cpuid level   : 3
  wp            : yes
  flags         : fpu vme de pse tsc msr cx8 sep cmov mmx
  bogomips      : 1422.13

----- /proc/cpuinfo end -----

----- BIOS vars -----
  400  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 9b  "................"
  410  26 00 00 6c 02 28 00 00 00 00 2c 00 2c 00 62 30  "&..l.(....,.,.b0"
  420  6c 26 69 17 6e 31 6b 25 0d 1c 0d 1c 00 00 00 00  "l&i.n1k%........"
  430  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  "................"
  440  00 00 03 3f 95 63 54 e1 c8 03 50 00 00 10 00 00  "...?.cT...P....."
  450  00 08 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  "................"
  460  0e 0d 00 d4 03 29 30 7f 03 00 c0 00 70 35 12 00  ".....)0.....p5.."
  470  00 00 00 00 01 01 00 00 14 14 14 00 01 01 01 01  "................"
  480  1e 00 3e 00 18 10 00 60 f9 11 0b 01 50 00 00 00  "..>....`....P..."
  490  00 00 00 00 00 00 10 10 46 8d c6 18 b0 1a 00 00  "........F......."
  4a0  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 92 1d 00 c0 00 00 00 00  "................"
  4b0  00 00 00 00 00 00 4c 27 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  "......L'........"
  4c0  40 03 00 01 40 06 f0 01 f6 03 e0 00 0e 10 08 04  "@...@..........."
  4d0  1f 0a 00 00 10 d3 84 00 c0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  "................"
  4e0  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  "................"
  4f0  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  "................"
----- BIOS vars end -----
----- BIOS ROM -----
  c0000  55 aa 80 e9 b8 04 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  "U..............."
  c1000  c3 8a c5 24 80 c3 50 52 e8 00 46 b2 5c ec a8 01  "...$..PR..F.\..."
  c2000  e4 b2 c0 8a c4 ee fe c4 26 8a 07 ee 43 e2 f4 8a  "........&...C..."
  c3000  3c 18 7e 00 00 00 00 00 00 18 3c 7e 18 18 18 18  "<.~.......<~...."
  c4000  3a f6 c1 04 74 03 05 03 03 83 c0 3f c1 e8 06 8b  ":...t......?...."
  c5000  e8 91 27 0f b6 d8 8b c1 33 d2 f7 f3 8b c8 c1 e9  "..'.....3......."
  c6000  00 f6 c4 01 74 12 e8 f0 65 a8 01 74 02 eb 09 e8  "....t...e..t...."
  c7000  66 8b 5e fa 66 0f b7 c1 66 f7 e3 66 2e 0f b7 1c  "f.^.f...f..f...."
  c8000  c1 04 74 08 e8 2f 34 75 00 80 cc 04 0a e4 0f 84  "..t../4u........"
  c9000  e7 ef fe c0 8a e3 ef b0 01 0a c0 5b c3 8a ee 8a  "...........[...."
  ca000  08 e0 fb eb 05 50 51 e8 a2 ef b9 ff 7f ec a8 08  ".....PQ........."
  cb000  b2 04 2e 8b 46 07 ef b8 20 08 e8 7a a7 b2 04 2e  "....F... ..z...."
  cc000  05 5d 84 e4 00 80 02 90 01 63 4f 50 02 57 80 6e  ".].......cOP.W.n"
  cd000  87 b2 04 66 8b 46 36 66 ef b8 90 02 e8 78 87 b2  "...f.F6f.....x.."
  ce000  ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff  "................"
  cf000  ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff  "................"
  d0000  ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff  "................"
  d1000  ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff  "................"
  d2000  ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff  "................"
  d3000  ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff  "................"
  d4000  ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff  "................"
  d5000  ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff  "................"
  d6000  ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff  "................"
  d7000  ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
...

read more »

SuSE 8.0 uses 2.4.x kernels by default I think,
while 7.0 is still using 2.2.x so this isn't
necessarily that strange: they've been playing
with the boot code quite a bit. Particularly, I'm
pretty sure there have been some major changes in
the irq routing initialisation code, since the irq
routing has become broken in the later 2.4 kernels
on a very old SMP box I own (ethernet interrupts
are counted as timer interrupts).

The 8.0 install kernel sounds like it is freezing
on the probe of the pci->ide interface which seems
to have 3 ide busses attached to it. There are a
few errors reported on your ide2 under 7.0, but
they seem to have to do with the lack of a CD in
the CDROM. The error under 8.0 seems to suggest
that there is no interrupt table available for the
install kernel, so that it doesn't know how to
assign an interrupt for the ide interface or that
the information in the interrupt table is not
getting through properly so the kernel can't
assign any interrupts for the IDE busses and it
just freezes. But since 2.2 boots, however, there
seems clearly to be an interrupt table available,
also 2.4 properly detects that you have a bios, so
somehow the information is not getting through
properly.

You might try to compile by hand the latest
possible 2.4 kernel for your laptop under the 7.0
install: it might require upgrading a few packages
first. Don't build an SMP kernel since you don't
need it, also maybe try setting CONFIG_PCI_GOANY
to yes.

If it fails to boot in the same way, this is
definitely a problem for the kernel lists. Since
it's a Crusoe processor and Linus works for
Transmeta, maybe Linus will solve it for you :-D :-D

good luck,

David

Quote:>Because
> of this, I've pulled out the dmesg and hwinfo outputs, (from the 7.0
> install), and attached them, in the hope someone else can make more
> sense out of it than me, and perhaps suggest a workable solution.

> TIA - for any help.

> --
> Ciao
> Richard Foley
> Ciao - shorter than AufWiederSehen!

Tschuess - longer than Ciao but shorter than 'Wiedersehen!

Quote:> [snip]

thats not a C1VM, the C1VM is a PCG-141D (am currently using a C1VM)

I have never tried suse on this system, but it will run Slackware and
also RH, and I am told debian also.

I wrote a HOWTO for slackware 8 network install for the C1Vx, you can
find it at

www.ozetechnology.com/howtos/C1VM.shtml

By the sound of it you are using that overpriced sony pcmcia CDROM (I do
not own one or every used one!) for installation, which needs

ide2=0x180,0x386

passed to the kernel for it to work properly.

--
www.ozetechnology.com
ICQ:29874849
AIM:OrigMartian

PGP key: www.ozetechnology.com/downloads/watsondk.pgp

Quote:> Hi,

> I'm having trouble installing SuSe 8.0 Professional on to a Sony Vaio
> PCG-C181M (sometimes called C1VM).  SuSe 7.0 installs without problems
> (more or less...), but 8.0 hangs the whole system very early on.

> It doesn't matter if I select GUI or 'text-only' mode, manual or safe,
> or any
> other combination, the installation hangs in the middle of the IRQ
> assignments (I guess) as per the snippet below, as soon as the text
> starts to flow up the screen.

> Firstly the green installation screen opens, and boot/installation
> parameters are selected, then the 'Loading Linux Kernel' box completes,
> (0% -> 100%), then the screen changes to the flowing text which suddenly
> stops:
> ...
> <snip>
> ALI15X3: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev 80 PCI:No IRQ known for
> interrupt pin A of device 00:10.0. Please try using pci=biosirq.
> ALI15X3: chipset revision 196
> ALI15X3: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later

> I've talked to both SuSe support (UK and DE - helpful but unsuccesful),
> and Sony support (complete waste of time).

> For reference the BIOS option 'Plug and Play O/S' (PNPOS) is set to
> 'No', though it appears to make no difference whether it is set to 'Yes'
> or 'No'.  I also have the latest BIOS upgrade via Sony.

> I've tried various boot prompts to date, with no success:

>         linux ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off

>         manual pci=biosirq

>         manual pcmcia=no

> They all hang at the same point (as above) :-(

> What I find strange is that the installation hangs at such an early
> stage in 8.0, while 7.0 cruises on past with no bother at all.  Because
> of this, I've pulled out the dmesg and hwinfo outputs, (from the 7.0
> install), and attached them, in the hope someone else can make more
> sense out of it than me, and perhaps suggest a workable solution.

> TIA - for any help.