Last week, one of our servers running Linux Redhat 7.3 Valhalla went down due to a bad motherboard.

I am new to Linux operating systems. I ordered a new motherboard (Asus A7N8X-E) for the server. I also upgraded the CPU with the new motherboard. I could no longer purchase the exact motherboard that had died, so this is why I had to purchase a completely different one.

This is my problem. After hooking everything back up and turning on the server, it is locking up at "Verifying DMI Data Pool . . . ." and never goes beyond that point.

Like I mentioned earlier, I am a complete Linux novice. I have done some research online to try and solve my problem. The best I can come up with is that LILO needs to be redetected, or needs to redetect the hardware changes. Is that a possible solution?

Also, the server will not boot past the "Verifying DMI Data Pool . . . " so I have no prompt, or no ability to do much of anything with it. I also have no boot disk. This server was here long before I was hired and the previous person did not keep or even have a boot disk.

I know I'm probably in a bind here, but I would appreciate any help anyone could provide. We need to get the server up as soon as possible, and I have hit a wall with what I can research.

My basic questions are:
1. Does Linux have P-n-P capability, much like Windows OS's?
2. Do I have to tell Linux that things have changed (i.e. the motherboard, processor)?
3. The two HDs of the server use SCSI and not IDE, does this make any difference? They used SCSI before the motherboard crashed and I've made sure to put them exactly the way they were before.

Thanks

have you entered the bios to ensure everything is setup properly, i.e. the harddrive has been detected, boot order, etc. another thing to check is that all cables, ram, any cards, etc, are properly plugged in.
good luck.

Yes, I entered the BIOS. I set it up to boot through the SCSI, since there are no HD's attached through any IDE cables. I also ensured that both CD-ROM and floppy drives are properly connected and powered.

When it boots up, it detects the SCSI HD's.

does the bios have a pnp option? if so try disabling it.

Ok, I have a new twist now . . .

The Verifying DMI Pool Data now says "Update Success"

the cursor drops to the next line

and it just sits there.

Any ideas?

are you certain that the hard drives have been placed back in the same order, i'm starting to think the bios is unable to find the mbr.
good luck.

I have tried them in all combinations, just to be sure I wasn't incorrect. But I made a note of how they were installed before when I replaced the motherboard.

I wonder if one of the HD could be bad?

it's possible, do you have another machine you could test the hardrives in?

Not another machine set up with SCSI, no.

you could try unplugging everything that is not needed, any pci, or isa cards not needed to boot, only the harddrive w/the mbr, and be certain that the bios is set to boot from the scsi device. i'm gonna do a little research for some fresh ideas.