whenever i try to install slackware 8.0.1 it freezes on the checking partition part.

i am brand new to linux

first time trying to install it

please help me

this is the last thing on the screen i see ...
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Partition check:
hdc: [PTBL] [2491/255/63] hdc1
hdd: [PTBL] [9729/255/63] hdd1
_
---------------------------------------------------------------------

i have windows xp pro on the c drive
i formatted both c and d and tried it
then i put xp back on c and tried it again
i need to partition or something, but how
i thought it would be like installing windows, the cd setup does it all for you
but i see no partiton option or anything on the linux cd setup

Hi, and welcome to LQ!

Your thread is more suitable in Slackware - Installation,
and has been moved accordingly.



On the slackware installation boot prompt try and
add "ide=nodma" and "hdd=nodma" as kernel
parameters ...

Slacks kernel seems to have problems with a few
motherboard chipsets, I've seen that behaviour in
older dells and some intel mobo's.


Cheers,
Tink

thanks for the super quick reply

ya ok lets start here i guess
i was just trying different versions to see if i could get one to work
what is the best distrabution for a first time linux user
what one is easiest to install lol i just want to get into / load linux

but anyway so yes i tried those parameters
"ide=nodma" and "hdd=nodma"
and i got same result

to be exact i did this
"linux ide=nodma hdd=nodma"
then i tried this
"bare.i ide=nodma hdd=nodma"
and this
"bare.i ide=nodma hdc=nodma"

and the same thing happened where i got stuck on partition check part

i have to run to work now before i am late but i sure hope i can work this out
i mean i can just go back to XP and it will auto install / do it all for me
but gosh darn it i am trying to give linux a try
it is supposed to be so good and everything
but i can't even install it LOL how sad is that

maybe this will help
i have a:
asus a7m266
amd athlon 1400
256 megs of ram
geforce 2 ti 200 64megs of ram
sound blaster audigy gamer pro (or whatever it is called)
netgear fa310tx fast ethernet adapter

ok i got it

like i said in my red hat section i am not sure what it was but i took out sound card and netword card....unplugged extra HD, extra cdrom(rw)

then it got past the partition part and i am in the setup

but wow red hat looked more like windows set up but i started have cd problems right before i go to install

here i get to comand prompt and it says to login as root and then BAM i am left naked in a room full of strangers lol

well here we go ... i am gonna start playing with this... i guess i have to make partitions and then run setup

if anyone knows a good reference or tutorial i would be greatfull

i am just gonna jump right in and go for it and see what happens

hmmmmm

cfdisk doesn't let me write
don't have premission um ok?
i make a new partition but it looks way smaller than i should be able to do with my hd size
then i go to write it .. create it i guess or whatever
i push 'W' and it says NOPE not allowed to write

whatever lol ... slackware does not seem like a good noob starting spot
i think i will go back to RedHat ... but now i gatta figure out why redhat is telling me my "REDHAT linux cd was not found when it is right there in the freakin drive"

LINUX A GO GO BABY!!!
I AM NOW RUNNING LINUX!!!
YAY

ok i got c:\mandrake and d:\xp

i gave up on red hat ... keep failing media checks and ****
it just sucked

so i got bigger cds (80min 700mb) and i got mandrake 10

it went perfect EASY smooth
i got it installed and am now on my journey down the road of linux

i have 2 hard drives and i have xp on one and linux on the other

i just unplug one and have the one with the OS i want at the time plugged it


later i am going to go back and play with slackware...
i am going to put that on my old pentium one laptop
slackware 8.1 is only one cd which is cool and it seems to be all text based which would be good for the slow machine.
if anyone knows any good slackware info or tutorials that could help cause this disto seems a lot more complicated to get set up and use