The problem with the booting might be USB timing related see below... Robert Moskowitz wrote: > I just installed Centos 5.1 with XEN on my HP nc2400 duo core and > there are two problems out the starting gate: > > Oh, I am booting off a 40Gb 2.5" drive on a USB adapter. The internal > hard drive is encrypted and not usable right now (until I get XEN > figured out). But I don't think it has a bearing... > > The system hangs for some reason at various points. > > When first starting up graphic (you know, when the screen goes from > character mode to graphic and you can then follow the boot by pressing > <alt-D>. > When bringing up loopback > When bringing up eth0 (dhcp server very reachable) > When starting mcstransd (whatever that is) > When starting system message bus > When starting some bluetooth service (the first boot but not after the > yum update) > When starting Avahi deamon (timeout out and failed during this long > wait, I should turn that service off anyway) > When starting HAL (the first boot but not after the yum update) > > Each hangup is a few minutes! Then the system continues. I did not > see anything of note in /var/log Lots of USB messages in /var/log/messages I just did not figure it out the first time (plus I have to strain my next to see the notebook's screen, now that the external video is working...): Jan 6 13:26:58 nc2400 avahi-daemon[2950]: Registering new address record for 208.83.67.155 on eth0. Jan 6 13:27:58 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4 one minute waiting then the reset. Jan 6 13:28:23 nc2400 kernel: [drm] Initialized drm 1.0.1 20051102 Jan 6 13:28:23 nc2400 kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:02.0[A] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 21 Jan 6 13:28:23 nc2400 kernel: [drm] Initialized i915 1.8.0 20060929 on minor 0 Jan 6 13:29:15 nc2400 dnsmasq[2937]: reading /etc/resolv.conf Jan 6 13:29:15 nc2400 dnsmasq[2937]: using nameserver 208.83.67.147#53 Jan 6 13:29:26 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4 It sure felt like a longer time waiting. I will have to haul out the stopwatch. Jan 6 13:47:17 nc2400 gnome-power-manager: (root) DPMS blanking screen because the lid has been closed on ac power Jan 6 14:32:49 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4 Jan 6 14:33:50 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4 Jan 6 14:41:05 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4 Jan 6 14:42:07 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4 Jan 6 14:43:48 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4 Jan 6 14:45:01 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4 Jan 6 14:46:32 nc2400 kernel: usb 5-6: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4 why the constant resetting? > > Second issue, the external video. > > > I cannot not turn it on. This HP notebook does not offer any BIOD > control of the external monitor. There is a 'presentation' button > right above the keyboard you are suppose to press to toggle the > external video. It does nothing. Well I do hear the drive spinning > so the system is trying something? I should point out that my XP boot > off the internal harddrive sometimes 'looses' the external video, and > I have to go into display control and turn off then on the > 'presentation' option. I closed the notebook, as I was logged in as root for now (and lock is not available for root), and the external video came on. And it stays on when I opened the notebook. Stupid BIOS... > > This could work out GREAT if I can get a few more things working (and > learn XEN to boot the XP in a window).