systems stopped booting linux CDROMs

From: Michael Powe (michael+gnus_at_trollope.org)
Date: 03/12/05 

Date: 12 Mar 2005 09:30:19 -0500

Hello,

I recently have this experience with two of my systems, one Dell and
one Gateway. Both are older, from 2001. The Dell has a CDRW, the
Gateway just a CDR.

The situation is that both have, within the immediate past, quit
booting linux installation CDs. They will, however, boot a Windows
2000 install CD.

Huh?

To install linux on these machines, I have to boot SmartBoot Manager
on floppy and then boot the CDROM from there.

Any thoughts on what might have happened? I upgraded the BIOS in the
Gateway, that had no effect. I tried clearing NVRAM, too. No joy.
(Although, I only did it with the "clear configuration data" option in
the BIOS interface.) The effect is not limited to a single linux boot
CD, it happened with Gentoo, Really Horrible and Slackware.

Thanks.

mp 

-- 
Michael Powe		michael@trollope.org		Naugatuck CT USA
The only advice I can give anybody who is about to go out into the world is
this: Don't do it. I have been out there. It is a mess. 
-- Russell Baker, commencement address, Gould Academy, 2003

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