SuSe 9.0 k 2.4.blah standard install. Various hardware.

On boot up, 50 % of the time i get to the bootloader (I've tried Lilo and grub), press linux,
screen goes black, no kb, nothing. Press reset, same, press reset boots OK.
(maybe the hardware has warmed up?)
Somtimes it boots fine sometimes not! Sometimes, say 1 in 7 when I exit from X screen goes garbage, no kb. Blip the power button and X server
dies and all is normal again! All this often enough to be annoying.
This morning, alarmingly it hung on entry to X (first time this happened).

I've got recent hardware (jan 04) P4 2.8, Abit IS-7 mobo. GeForce FX5200
Interestingly just bought a Gericom 3Ghz laptop, GeForce FX 5600,
and that exhibits the same behaviour!
So am tempted to suspect the card, except that the XP pre-installed on the laptop doesn't seemt to hang ever.
So maybe the kernel is buggy?
or the distro?

Another strange thing. I took the mouse out to try in laptop, booted
(kb worked allowing the boot obviously) got a login prompt, no keyboard.
tried again various options noacpi pci noapci, all the same, no kb needing reset :-(

I then Remembered mouse was out, so what? put it back in and it booted fine ?!

I've been using Suse for years never had real probs before.
(i'm not really a hardware fan, more application level)
So is the nVidia buggy or the 2.4 kernel or the distro or what?

Any ideas?

billy









Any ideas?

billy