# Linux won't boot on my new PC

## JuNix

Hope someone can shed any light on this.

The new PC is a Maxdata Fortune 5000 with a Pentium D 935 dual core CPU, integrated ATI gfx, 250Gb SATA, 1GB of DDR

I've identified the motherboard as an MSI MS-7173 (RC410M)

It runs XP just fine, but any linux boot CD that I've tried hangs after it uncompresses the kernel image, and then attempts to starting kernel. After that it's a hard lockup (keyboard ignores caps lock, num lock etc).

I've tried booting with all possible variations of acpi=off, acpi=force, noapic

I've also tried going back a few kernel versions, I've tried Gentoo (my primary OS), mandriva off a cover disk, the Kororaa XGL demo live CD etc.

I've tried in vain to obtain a flash BIOS upgrade for it, I'll do further searching for that tonight.

I'm also going to try disabling the shared memory on-board ATI after I whack the Nvidia PCI express card in it, see if that helps.

It sucks a bit, I must admit. The machine is darned fast , guddarnit.

There might be some more boot string magic out there? Hope so  :Smile: 

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## JuNix

Note: just found this at http://www.newegg.com/Product/CustratingReview.asp?Item=N82E16813130533

 *Quote:*   

> Pros: Runs OK with initial BIOS with Windows only.
> 
> Cons: BIOS updating is now "Live Update Only" (BIOS update is inside IE), I tried uninstalling all antivirus and disabling all IE security, the BIOS update still fails silently. I need the BIOS update to get the PXE boot ROM working.
> 
> Other Thoughts: To run Linux, must pass "hpet=disable" kernal option on boot. This then causes performance to be like Pentium 100MHz. Perhaps this board is not intended to run Linux since to update BIOS you should be in Internet Explorer.

 

I'll try booting with hpet=disable tomorrow and post an update. It doesn't sound encouraging though.

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## a16b03

Try to disable frame buffer.

It's done via  *Quote:*   

> gentoo-nofb

  when asked for kernel.

I Use Gentoo Boot CD.

On My old PC booting also fails with normal kernel, so i use gentoo-nofb instead, and no problem, only screen resolutium will probably be text 80x25.

Sorry for English

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## JuNix

Thanks for the help, but neither nofb nor hpet=disable will get round the fact that Linux will not boot on this s**tbox. Starting the kernel.... and then ... nada. Niente! nichts!

So what's left here... OpenSolaris? I would miss Gentoo. Miss it hard!

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## wynn

About the BIOS update http://ftp.maxdata.com/index.asp?info=/info/20_MAXDATA_PCs/10_MAXDATA_Desktop/40_Driver/Mainboards/MSI_Mainboards/MSI_MS-7173/Bios-Update has a list of BIOS updates for the MSI 7173 which appear to be just downloadable. There also seem to be programs to create a bootable BIOS update disk. The latest entry is *Quote:*   

>      MD-10D.EXE 
> 
>                                14.08.2006    1011 KB
> 
>      	MD-10D.EXE BIOS-Update MSI Mainboard MS-7173, BIOS Rel. MD 1.0D (A7173AM1.10D)
> ...

 You may be able to unpack it using unzip and then copy the floppy image to a floppy disk.

Also, I don't know if you've got the same CPU/chipset but have you had a look at

Experimental & final release (GentooCD with JMicron-supp.)

Intel Core 2 system woes (JMicron, JMB363 and other...)

Roundup: Kernel with JMicron support (JMB363, 361, 360, 36x)

New Dual Core build

The symptoms here are not being able to boot whereas you can boot and then it locks up.

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## JuNix

Wynn, thanks very much for the links to the BIOS - I will give the latest one a go and post the results.

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