Trouble installing Linux on circa-1999 Compaq Presario

[Tom Metro]

Jerry Feldman wrote:
> And certainly "acpi=off"
> But, I don't think this is the problem. One reason I suggested a hard
> disk install is to limit the I/O to a single channel.

Good point, and although the OP is getting into an area of diminishing 
returns, this I/O problem might relate to the transition from the legacy 
IDE driver to the ATA driver (libata) in modern kernels.

Read more about it here:
http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sata.html

Though 2008 should be well past the transition point (that article was 
last updated in 2007, but I think the transition started years before 
that), with fewer people using the legacy IDE driver, there may have 
been regressions introduced, or the newer libata might not have been 
adequately tested with the old IDE hardware. (It sounds like libata is 
only used for SATA hardware, so assuming you're using PATA, the old IDE 
driver should be in use.)

If this is the case, you might be able to use Jerry's suggested 
technique to kick off an install from a running Linux environment built 
using the older distribution you found to work. Then patch up the new 
installation with a custom kernel using the older IDE driver.

Or add an IDE (with a different chipset) or SATA controller card, or 
switch to USB storage.

  -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/