[CLUE-Tech] Who do I surrender to?

[Matt Gushee]

On Fri, May 30, 2003 at 04:45:55PM -0600, Francis Maier wrote:
> Is there some official Linux authority I can sign surrender papers with?
> I've been trying to install four different flavors of Linux on my
> OldWorld beige PowerMac G3 for four weeks. Defeated at every turn.
> Latest update from the front, posted earlier this morning:
> _____
> Trying to install Debian on a PowerMac G3. 
> 
> In partitioning my hard disk with mac-fdisk, I created a swap partition
> (/dev/hda12) and root partition (/dev/hda13) in the Apple_UNIX_SVR2
> format.

That could be part of the problem. There is a special partition type for
swap partitions, and you don't set up any file system on them. At least
on PCs. Maybe PowerMacs are different, though.

> When I try to proceed with installation, activating the swap device, I
> get a message that:
> 
> "The swap partition /dev/hda12 could not be activated: Cannot allocate
> memory."

Two possibilities. Either:

 * the error message is simply wrong; the real problem is with your
   partition setup or ... something else.

 * Linux is failing to recognize some of your memory chips. But I think
   modern kernels can handle up to 1GB without modification, so that
   seems unlikely.

Wish I had something more substantial for you.

-- 
Matt Gushee                 When a nation follows the Way,
Englewood, Colorado, USA    Horses bear manure through
mgushee at havenrock.com           its fields;
http://www.havenrock.com/   When a nation ignores the Way,
                            Horses bear soldiers through
                                its streets.
                                
                            --Lao Tzu (Peter Merel, trans.)