New FBSD 8 install/boot problem

I am about to try Fbsd to give it a road test and kick the tires. Actually, this is my second try. My first one was a mess, but it was not a Fbsd 6 problem, but rather the fault of proprietary hardware from a major Texas company. In fact, Linux wouldn't use it either and Windoze would barely run on it.

Anyway, that machine is junked and I have a very nice Shuttle xPC (AMD 64/3000, 2gb ram, 200 gb hd, Memorex DVD 8X/+-, Phoenix BIOS). I loaded Debian Linux on it and ran it for a few days to make sure that it was solid while waiting for my Fbsd 8 package to come in. It did today. Problem...

I boot the Fbsd DVD and the machine just stops at the bios "Verifying DMI Pool Data" message. I put a Knoppix boot disk in and it boots fine and loads. So does an ancient Win98 CD that I had laying around since the dark ages. Putting the Fbsd DVD in this IMac, it mounts and can be explored just fine. I took the DVD to a friend's PC (XP) and it booted also.

The symptom, for some reason, is that when another bootable disk (Linux, Win) is loaded, the bios reports that there is a Memorex DVD attached to the Secondary Slave slot. When I boot the Fbsd disk, that slot is empty. In other words, the bios is taking a first look at the platter in the drive and deciding that the hardware drive doesn't exist. The DVD drive works since Linux can boot from it, read it and burn good DVDs.

This is one problem that I have never come across. Anybody got an idea?

Thanks
 
Konan said:
I am about to try Fbsd to give it a road test and kick the tires. Actually, this is my second try. My first one was a mess, but it was not a Fbsd 6 problem, but rather the fault of proprietary hardware from a major Texas company. In fact, Linux wouldn't use it either and Windoze would barely run on it.

Anyway, that machine is junked and I have a very nice Shuttle xPC (AMD 64/3000, 2gb ram, 200 gb hd, Memorex DVD 8X/+-, Phoenix BIOS). I loaded Debian Linux on it and ran it for a few days to make sure that it was solid while waiting for my Fbsd 8 package to come in. It did today. Problem...

I boot the Fbsd DVD and the machine just stops at the bios "Verifying DMI Pool Data" message. I put a Knoppix boot disk in and it boots fine and loads. So does an ancient Win98 CD that I had laying around since the dark ages. Putting the Fbsd DVD in this IMac, it mounts and can be explored just fine. I took the DVD to a friend's PC (XP) and it booted also.

The symptom, for some reason, is that when another bootable disk (Linux, Win) is loaded, the bios reports that there is a Memorex DVD attached to the Secondary Slave slot. When I boot the Fbsd disk, that slot is empty. In other words, the bios is taking a first look at the platter in the drive and deciding that the hardware drive doesn't exist. The DVD drive works since Linux can boot from it, read it and burn good DVDs.

This is one problem that I have never come across. Anybody got an idea?

Thanks

Reset bios to defaults cleaning CMOS (hardware way, via the jumper on the board).
 
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