[SOLVED] NEC Spirit 550

[phenest]

Does anyone else have one of these? Basically it's a Pentium 4 based machine with an SiS chipset with integrated SiS graphics. But I'm damned if I can run Linux on it!

Specification:
M/B: PTM661GX-AA with SiS 661GX chipset (south bridge)
CPU: Pentium 4 (651) 3.4GHz HT
RAM: 2GB PC3200
GPU: SiS M741

Designed for Windows XP and runs very well. I've had Windows 10 running on this, not brilliantly, but not bad neither. Linux, on the other hand, is not so easy.
I've had Debian Squeeze installed and running happily. I can boot an Ubuntu Hardy Heron live CD without a problem, but I cannot get a modern Linux based distro to work. Not even Puppy.
The problem is, it won't start the kernel. Every modern(ish) distro does the same. When the kernel is started, the computer stops dead. Completely. The computer has to be reset.

Or have I found a computer that has an unsupported spec, or obsolete hardware?

[ruwolf]

Maybe i686 version?

[stevepusser]

antiX might have a driver for the graphics card; have you tried that yet? You don't have to stick with its super lightweight GUI if you want something heavier, either.

[phenest]

antiX might have a driver for the graphics card

I wish the kernel would get far enough to worry about that, but the kernel doesn't initialise.

Maybe i686 version?

Is there one? I mean, I've tried the i386 and the kernel doesn't start.

[ruwolf]

@stevepusser: I use JWM on ThinkPad X200.

@phenest: AntiX has i686 version

[phenest]

Antix doesn't appear to have a 686 iso. Only 386 and x64.

[arochester]

The computer seems a bit of an odd fish.

If you search for

NEC Spirit 550

it doesn't come up with much.

There was a one for sale on eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEC-Spirit-5 ... 7675.l2557 The screenshots show a Packard-Bell screen. It has Nvidia instead of SIS.

I'm sure I used to run a computer with SIS but I am blowed if I can remember what I used.

I wonder what would happen if you could use

Code: Select all

noapic

?

[anticapitalista]

Antix doesn't appear to have a 686 iso. Only 386 and x64.

Try the 17.4.1 32/386 bit version -

https://sourceforge.net/projects/antix- ... ntiX-17.4/

[stevepusser]

Yes, antiX follows the Debian convention of using i386 for 32-bit and amd64 for 64-bit Intel x86 type packages. That doesn't mean they are really compatible all the way back to an i386 system!

[phenest]

Starting to get somewhere. Antix boots up, loads the kernel and actually starts. But it stops at:

Code: Select all

Waiting for /dev to be fully populated

I'm wondering if that SiS chipset is no longer supported in the kernel.

[ruwolf]

For antiX, try antiX-forum, they have probably more practice with older computers...

[kedaha]

Hi
Maybe you could boot with:
nomodeset
Just a thought

[Head_on_a_Stick]

^ +1

Even if the SiS card lacks a driver you should be able to get to the desktop with vesa(4).

[phenest]

I can't even get to a console.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Press "e" with the GRUB menu entry highlighted then add nomodeset to the end of the line that starts with "linux" and use <ctrl>+x (at the same time) to boot the modified entry.