FC4 CD/DVD Installer Syslinux Crash Workaround (fwd)

[Steven Pritchard <steve@silug.org>]

More information on what Nate was telling us about...

----- Forwarded message from Warren Togami <wtogami@redhat.com> -----

Date: Sun, 03 Jul 2005 10:54:36 +0200
From: Warren Togami <wtogami@redhat.com>
To: fedora-announce-list@redhat.com
Subject: FC4 CD/DVD Installer Syslinux Crash Workaround

RAMDISK: Couldn't find valid RAM disk image starting at 0.
VFS: Cannot open root device "<NULL>" or unknown-block(8,3)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 
unknown-block(8,3)

http://people.redhat.com/wtogami/ar...linux-crash.jpg
If you boot the FC4 CD or DVD installer and see an error something like 
the above text or picture, then your motherboard chipset may be affected 
by the syslinux crash bug. This bug reportedly happens most often on 
Intel Pentium4 or Nocona chipsets 845, 865, 875, 915, 925, 945, 955, and 
very rarely on some AMD64 motherboards.

Simple Workaround
The majority of users can easily workaround this problem by using the 
"garbage" workaround. Simply boot the CD/DVD, and at the first prompt 
type any line of garbage (the string "garbage" works fine), then ENTER. 
At this point you can use any regular installer command to start the 
installer, or simply ENTER.

Less than Simple Workaround
http://people.redhat.com/pjones/i915/booti915.iso
For some rare users the "garbage" workaround does not work. For these 
users, this 6MB sized i386 boot.iso replacement should theoretically 
work. Note that boot.iso is only usable with a network-based install.

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=62400
See the latest version of this notice with new information as it is 
known at this URL.

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