In article <pan.2006.02.25.03.35.58.986750@SPAMgmail.com>,
crabbzSTOP@SPAMgmail.com says...
: On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 00:27:02 +0000, John wrote:
: >
: > Is it possible to install Debian i386 on a computer that has only one
: > (SATA) hard disk? I have a CD drive that uses the ide interface and
: > functions quite well so it's not the problem.
: >
: > I have tried to install but the Debian installer reports that there is no
: > available hard drive.
: >
: > If this installation is possible, how is it done?
:
: I may not be able to help much except to say I installed debian on
: a Shuttle sn25p with only an SATA hard drive. I didn't do anything
: special, it just worked. Maybe it depends on the the motherboard
: or the SATA chips being used. I don't know. Ubuntu installed on
: my machine too, so maybe try that and see if it works any better?
: Also might want to double check that the SATA drive is visable in
: the bios.
:
:
: rich
:

I looked up the Shuttle sn25p and it has the very same stuff on the
motherboard - nvidia nforce 4 with mcp. I noticed the bios is by Award
though - on my Asus A8N-VM CSM it is American Megatrends. The
megatrend bios refers to a "Winbond" io system. Could it be I have a
"winmodem" type motherboard?

Reports are that the bios on this motherboard is borked somehow in
respect of acpi. It is very linux unfriendly, that's for sure. It's
an Asus and I didn't do any research since my last two Asus boards have
run linux very well. I thought this one would be the same.

It runs Windows 2000 very well but linux can't seem to get off the
runway.