[Gllug] Getting Debian Etch to run on an old (EPIA 800) Mini-ITX motherboard

[John Winters]

I'm looking for pointers about what might stop Debian Etch (kernel 
2.6.18) from booting correctly on an old Mini-ITX motherboard.

This system has been running Sarge very happily for quite a while, and 
still net-boots very happily with a 2.6.8 kernel and runs reliably.  It 
also manages to complete the Etch installation process (again started 
from a net-boot - it has no floppy or CD drive) but once the Etch 
installation has completed the system then fails whilst trying to boot 
up the new installation.  It gets as far as "Waiting for /dev to be 
fully populated" and then re-boots.

I recall problems in the past where the Linux kernel tried to use more 
memory than was actually there - I've worked around this with a 
"mem=500M" parameter on the boot line.  However adding this to the Etch 
boot line doesn't seem to help.

Anyone any idea why 2.6.18 won't run on an EPIA 800 motherboard?  Etch 
by default installs the 486 version (which should be OK) and I've tried 
compiling a custom version, compiled for the VIA C3 processor, but that 
has the same problem.

I've tried various variations on google searches with no success.

TIA,
John
-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at gllug.org.uk
http://lists.gllug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/gllug