can't install on elonex dfy30 laptop

[gobbledigook]

Hi there!

i recently purchased an elonex dfy30, never heard of the brand or model before but it has a fair spec and was cheap :) I have been trying to install 10.04 on it, but cannot even get the live CD to work :( i have tried several options all with the dame result, after selecting install/try without changes i get a screen of text and it freezes, i have to ctr-alt-del to reboot... the last line is:


[ 0.947053] sr 1:0:0:0: attached scsi generic sg1 type 5

i have tried installing inside windows, and on reboot i get the option for ubuntu, but when i select it i get:


error: couldn't read file
error: you need to load the kernel first.

i have also tried the alternate cd and get the same result!

also i am finding it tough to get any info on my laptop... here is what i have from belarc advisor and what i could find on the web:

belarc (http://gobbledigook.homelinux.net/BelarcAdvisorCurrentProfile.htm)

hardware info (http://smolt.fedoraproject.org/client/show/pub_6e227290-bf8b-47e0-8401-d2ce62535db6)

sorry for the lack of info, any ideas?

thanx

[davidmohammed]

it looks like you've got a graphics card called "SIS" - never heard of it myself.

Anyway - when you boot the live CD - press F6

at the bottom is your boot string.

before quiet splash --

can you add

video=sisfb

or possibly

video=sisfb:mode:1024x768x32,rate:70,mem:4096

e.g.

... ro video=sisfb quiet splash --
and then choose "try without booting"

does this work?

[gobbledigook]

thanx for you reply!

I will try this evening when i get home from work and let you know how i get on.

i sucessfully installed mandriva spring 2009 from a disc i got off a magazine (spring 2009 obviously ;) ) just to see if another distro worked... but i really want to get ubuntu working as i'm simply used to it!

now i know it is an issue with the SiS M661FX display adapter i have found some more info about this - more for my own ref here are some links to info about it including a bug where you need to reduce the shared memory in bios - something which i have increased!!

Bug (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-sis/+bug/291294) about #11

graphic info (http://www.winischhofer.net/linuxsispart1.shtml#12)

[gobbledigook]

ok i have now tried both:

video=sisfb:mode:1024x768x32,rate:70,mem:4096

video=sisfb

and reduced the shared memory from 64 to 32mb in bios (32 being the default)

all with no effect :(

i will try and battle with mandriva over the w/e to see if i cannot simply install from that or at least find out what drivers IT is using for my graphics :) But for now... its friday so i'm gonna chill :)

feel free to chime in with any ideas ;)

thanx!