SUSE Linux: Dell GX520 SATA Drive Install

Using SUSE Linux is wonderful for secure and stable web platforms. Recently I was installing SUSE Linux on a Dell Optiplex GX520 and I kept getting a really odd error:

isolinux: Disk Error 01, AX=0201, Drive 80

As it turns out, this is due to the SATA drive which is the primary drive in a Dell GX520. Here is the workaround to let the installation continue.

First, enter the bios or setup when the computer boots. On a GX520, this means pressing the F2 key when the boot screen appears. Go down to the Drives section of the bios and select the SATA drive. Then set this drive to the compatibility mode. Exit while saving the changes and that's all there is! This allows the SUSE installation to find the SATA drive and allow the installation to continue.

Next you probably will want to see the article I wrote on the Installation of SUSE Linux on a GX520 with a USB Keyboard as your troubles are not yet over. Luckily that article gives you a solution! ... Read More!

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SUSE Linux: Install on Dell GX520 with USB Keyboard

Installing Linux can take longer than windows, no doubt, but once finished, linux provides a very sound platform for web servers. I use linux for some of my work and I also use Dell computers. Recently I was installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP2 and I ran into a problem. On a Dell Optiplex GX520 using bios version A11 the USB keyboard does not work on the install. This causes obvious problems! Here is the solution.

Very simply, the booting install is a graphical version which will not recognize the USB connections for the keybaord. This is not a universal problem, but is specific to the Dell Optiplex GX520 running bios version A11. If your machine is different, but exhibiting the same problem, you can try this solution to see if it helps.

After the Dell bios booting screen appears, press the F12 key to enter the boot selection mode. Here is where you choose to boot from the CD Rom. Immediately after choosing the CD Rom and pressing the ENTER key, press and hold the two SHIFT keys on the keyboard. This will cause the linux setup to enter the text mode. Fortunately, this mode recognizes the USB Keyboard and you can continue.

Don't worry, the text version will begin to use the mouse after a few questions. The text version of the install isn't bad at all and it works! ... Read More!

Don't forget to visit my photography web site where we sell museum quality black and white prints framed to last up to 175 years - Outdoor Images Fine Art.