Installing FC5/Ubuntu on an IBM Xseries 300 server...

[nulldev1ce]

This thread is the only reference I have found to this problem, and I've been searching for days. I am having the exact same behavior (FC5, not Ubuntu), and for the record, it's happening on 2 known-good 300s so I strongly doubt that it's related to any defect with the hardware. There seems to be a wholly insurmountable compatibility issue here. The entire PCI bus is just invisible to the OS, which means no networking possible, therefore, big black doorstop.

 

I'm downloading the FC6 iso's at the moment, but it will be hours before they're done, so I probably won't get a chance to experiment until tomorrow.

 

I have not yet tried a BIOS update, am concerned about the hang you've encountered since doing that. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

 

Have you had any luck since your last post here?

[Stese]

Hi Null,

 

I've not had the chance to really get to grips with this.

 

The BIOS update does seem to make the PCI at least visable to the OS, once I had done the update, it installed without a hitch, dectecting the cards as it went through.

 

when i get some time I will fdisk the disks and reinstall ubuntu, and see if it was just an install gitch.

 

If you get anywhere with this, i'd be glad to hear from you... i'm on skype if you prefer... stese_d

 

hope you have more luck than I have.

[nulldev1ce]

Hi Stese,

 

Getting there!

 

I did the BIOS update, then booted off Fedora Core 5 disc 1, and this time there was good output re: PCI bus. Installer started up fine. But I'd downloaded Fedora Core 6 last night, so decided to try that. Booted off THAT install disc, and it hung at the same place as you wrote above -- agpgart etc.

 

I tried tweaking BIOS settings, no luck. I also tried various kernel arguments (pci=noacpi, acpi=off) but no change. I have very little idea what those even mean anyway, but ahead of the agpgart hang, there was an acpi "AE_NOT_FOUND" error, so I thought that might be related...

 

Anyway, more googling took me to a forum thread here: http://forums.fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?p=680436 which is about FC 3, but still a similar problem...someone's reply said "pass this before proceeding with install: linux agp=off" and that worked for me! It started right up and the installer ran happily in graphical mode, mouse worked, everything.

 

It's installing now...crossing fingers. Will post here with result.

 

...

 

Edit: Seems fine as long as I retain the "agp=off" option at the end of the kernel line in grub.conf. Otherwise it hangs at "OK, booting the kernel."

 

Thanks folks!

[Stese]

Hi...

 

I've got FC5 installed and booting normally with "agp=off" as well...

 

hopefully this thread can be used to help others in a similar situation

 

thanks everyone for all your help...