Does HP support dual bootable XW8600 systems (Windows + RHEL 5) ?
Despite repeated attempts, I've been unable to install RHEL on these
systems and HP helpline does not respond. 
While installing RHEL client, the installation stops at "formatting /
filesystem" ??

Any help is welcome !

regards

* mkmathur:
> Does HP support dual bootable XW8600 systems (Windows + RHEL 5) ?

AFAIR HP does not support multiboot at all.

> Despite repeated attempts, I've been unable to install RHEL on these
> systems and HP helpline does not respond.

Do you have a HP software support contract? In most countries free 
software support ends after 90 days.

Have you contacted Redhat? After all, it is their operating system.

> While installing RHEL client, the installation stops at "formatting /
> filesystem" ??
> 
> Any help is welcome !

It would be easier if you had bothered to give a bit more information, 
for example what the exact configuration of your xw8600 is, or how you 
installed RHEL (did you use the HP Installer Kit?). Expecting people to 
guess all that won't bring you any answers.

At the end of the day it is probably a pure software (Linux) related 
problem and therefore more appropriate in a Linux-specific newsgroup 
than in a HP hardware group.

Benjamin

mkmathur wrote:
> Does HP support dual bootable XW8600 systems (Windows + RHEL 5) ?
> Despite repeated attempts, I've been unable to install RHEL on these
> systems and HP helpline does not respond. 
> While installing RHEL client, the installation stops at "formatting /
> filesystem" ??
> 
> Any help is welcome !
> 
> regards
> 
> 
I checked the HP QuickSpecs on this model.  Being a Xeon system, it has 
a motherboard chipset slightly out of the mainstream.  It also hard 
drive controller options, both with and without RAID, that are not 
mainstream.  If they are not mainstream, then RHEL may not have drivers 
to support them.  However, HP QuickSpecs also state that RHEL is an 
option for the operating system, along with Windows XP Pro, of course. 
This implies that RHEL should work on this model, but it is likely that 
HP has added drivers to RHEL.

HP does not and will not support dual boot systems, as stated by another 
response.  Few name-brand companies do, if any, so you are stuck for 
getting any help from HP.

Suggestions to try to get dual boot working:

1. Find RHEL motherboard and/or RAID chipset drivers for the XW8600, 
integrate them into the install media you are using and try again.
2. if you do not have the latest RHEL 5.3, try it.
3. Try Suse Enterprise Linux 11.
4. Try another Linux distro such as Fedora or Ubuntu.
5. Wipe the hard drive clean, install Linux, then install a dual-boot 
manager and, finally, install Windows.

.... Ben Myers

mkmathur <mkmathur.3yygy5@no.email.invalid> wrote:
> 
> Does HP support dual bootable XW8600 systems (Windows + RHEL 5) ?
> Despite repeated attempts, I've been unable to install RHEL on these
> systems and HP helpline does not respond. 
> While installing RHEL client, the installation stops at "formatting /
> filesystem" ??
> 
> Any help is welcome !

don't run garbage like linux.

look here for docs and drivers

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=3432828&prodTypeId=12454&prodSeriesId=3432827&swLang=13&taskId=135&swEnvOID=2025

On the very left side of the screen is a manual section. HP docs are 
pretty good, so if linux needs some special settings in the BIOS to work, 
they'll mention it. You usually need to disable RAID and weird frills from 
disk controllers to make non-windows stuff work on these machines.

Cydrome Leader wrote:
> mkmathur <mkmathur.3yygy5@no.email.invalid> wrote:
>> Does HP support dual bootable XW8600 systems (Windows + RHEL 5) ?
>> Despite repeated attempts, I've been unable to install RHEL on these
>> systems and HP helpline does not respond. 
>> While installing RHEL client, the installation stops at "formatting /
>> filesystem" ??
>>
>> Any help is welcome !
> 
> don't run garbage like linux.
> 
> look here for docs and drivers
> 
> http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=3432828&prodTypeId=12454&prodSeriesId=3432827&swLang=13&taskId=135&swEnvOID=2025
> 
> On the very left side of the screen is a manual section. HP docs are 
> pretty good, so if linux needs some special settings in the BIOS to work, 
> they'll mention it. You usually need to disable RAID and weird frills from 
> disk controllers to make non-windows stuff work on these machines.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

"HP docs are pretty good" for its so-called business computers.  For 
consumer-oriented computers like the lamentable Presario and Pavilion 
lines, HP docs are most often dreck, if they exist at all... Ben Myers

Ben Myers <ben_myers@charter.net> wrote:
> Cydrome Leader wrote:
>> mkmathur <mkmathur.3yygy5@no.email.invalid> wrote:
>>> Does HP support dual bootable XW8600 systems (Windows + RHEL 5) ?
>>> Despite repeated attempts, I've been unable to install RHEL on these
>>> systems and HP helpline does not respond. 
>>> While installing RHEL client, the installation stops at "formatting /
>>> filesystem" ??
>>>
>>> Any help is welcome !
>> 
>> don't run garbage like linux.
>> 
>> look here for docs and drivers
>> 
>> http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=3432828&prodTypeId=12454&prodSeriesId=3432827&swLang=13&taskId=135&swEnvOID=2025
>> 
>> On the very left side of the screen is a manual section. HP docs are 
>> pretty good, so if linux needs some special settings in the BIOS to work, 
>> they'll mention it. You usually need to disable RAID and weird frills from 
>> disk controllers to make non-windows stuff work on these machines.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> "HP docs are pretty good" for its so-called business computers.  For 
> consumer-oriented computers like the lamentable Presario and Pavilion 
> lines, HP docs are most often dreck, if they exist at all... Ben Myers

ha- if they exist at all.

Cydrome Leader wrote:
> Ben Myers <ben_myers@charter.net> wrote:
>> Cydrome Leader wrote:
>>> mkmathur <mkmathur.3yygy5@no.email.invalid> wrote:
>>>> Does HP support dual bootable XW8600 systems (Windows + RHEL 5) ?
>>>> Despite repeated attempts, I've been unable to install RHEL on these
>>>> systems and HP helpline does not respond. 
>>>> While installing RHEL client, the installation stops at "formatting /
>>>> filesystem" ??
>>>>
>>>> Any help is welcome !
>>> don't run garbage like linux.
>>>
>>> look here for docs and drivers
>>>
>>> http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=3432828&prodTypeId=12454&prodSeriesId=3432827&swLang=13&taskId=135&swEnvOID=2025
>>>
>>> On the very left side of the screen is a manual section. HP docs are 
>>> pretty good, so if linux needs some special settings in the BIOS to work, 
>>> they'll mention it. You usually need to disable RAID and weird frills from 
>>> disk controllers to make non-windows stuff work on these machines.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> "HP docs are pretty good" for its so-called business computers.  For 
>> consumer-oriented computers like the lamentable Presario and Pavilion 
>> lines, HP docs are most often dreck, if they exist at all... Ben Myers
> 
> ha- if they exist at all.
> 
> 

Ha, yourself!  You, too, must have searched all over the HPaq web site 
for some Pavilion or Presario document that simply is not available to 
the public... Ben

Ben Myers <ben_myers@charter.net> wrote:
> Cydrome Leader wrote:
>> Ben Myers <ben_myers@charter.net> wrote:
>>> Cydrome Leader wrote:
>>>> mkmathur <mkmathur.3yygy5@no.email.invalid> wrote:
>>>>> Does HP support dual bootable XW8600 systems (Windows + RHEL 5) ?
>>>>> Despite repeated attempts, I've been unable to install RHEL on these
>>>>> systems and HP helpline does not respond. 
>>>>> While installing RHEL client, the installation stops at "formatting /
>>>>> filesystem" ??
>>>>>
>>>>> Any help is welcome !
>>>> don't run garbage like linux.
>>>>
>>>> look here for docs and drivers
>>>>
>>>> http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=3432828&prodTypeId=12454&prodSeriesId=3432827&swLang=13&taskId=135&swEnvOID=2025
>>>>
>>>> On the very left side of the screen is a manual section. HP docs are 
>>>> pretty good, so if linux needs some special settings in the BIOS to work, 
>>>> they'll mention it. You usually need to disable RAID and weird frills from 
>>>> disk controllers to make non-windows stuff work on these machines.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> "HP docs are pretty good" for its so-called business computers.  For 
>>> consumer-oriented computers like the lamentable Presario and Pavilion 
>>> lines, HP docs are most often dreck, if they exist at all... Ben Myers
>> 
>> ha- if they exist at all.
>> 
>> 
> 
> Ha, yourself!  You, too, must have searched all over the HPaq web site 
> for some Pavilion or Presario document that simply is not available to 
> the public... Ben

Does HP maintain internal docs on that stuff, or is there just nothing?

Cydrome Leader wrote:
> Ben Myers <ben_myers@charter.net> wrote:
>> Cydrome Leader wrote:
>>> Ben Myers <ben_myers@charter.net> wrote:
>>>> Cydrome Leader wrote:
>>>>> mkmathur <mkmathur.3yygy5@no.email.invalid> wrote:
>>>>>> Does HP support dual bootable XW8600 systems (Windows + RHEL 5) ?
>>>>>> Despite repeated attempts, I've been unable to install RHEL on these
>>>>>> systems and HP helpline does not respond. 
>>>>>> While installing RHEL client, the installation stops at "formatting /
>>>>>> filesystem" ??
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Any help is welcome !
>>>>> don't run garbage like linux.
>>>>>
>>>>> look here for docs and drivers
>>>>>
>>>>> http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=3432828&prodTypeId=12454&prodSeriesId=3432827&swLang=13&taskId=135&swEnvOID=2025
>>>>>
>>>>> On the very left side of the screen is a manual section. HP docs are 
>>>>> pretty good, so if linux needs some special settings in the BIOS to work, 
>>>>> they'll mention it. You usually need to disable RAID and weird frills from 
>>>>> disk controllers to make non-windows stuff work on these machines.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> "HP docs are pretty good" for its so-called business computers.  For 
>>>> consumer-oriented computers like the lamentable Presario and Pavilion 
>>>> lines, HP docs are most often dreck, if they exist at all... Ben Myers
>>> ha- if they exist at all.
>>>
>>>
>> Ha, yourself!  You, too, must have searched all over the HPaq web site 
>> for some Pavilion or Presario document that simply is not available to 
>> the public... Ben
> 
> Does HP maintain internal docs on that stuff, or is there just nothing?
> 

HP have to maintain some sort of documents for themselves, for 
authorized HP dealer-service providers and others on the inside.  Every 
so often, one of the consumer laptop service manuals leaks out into the 
open.  Otherwise, what you see is what you get, and you get no 
information whatsoever about "families" of these computers, e.g. models 
of Pavilions that use the same chassis and motherboard but use different 
speed CPUs, different hard drives and so forth.  And HP seems to assign 
discrete model identifiers to nearly identical models.  I do not know 
whether this is intentional obfuscation of the general public or just 
plain stupidity or "We've always done it this way."  Actually, I think 
they would rather you throw away their computers when they break.  For 
sure, their prices for spare parts and the rates charged by their 
service providers are something only the very wealthy will want to pay.

This seemingly infinite set of model identifiers complicates the 
manufacturing (really, it's assembly!) process, spares and logistics.  I 
saw the same mess in dealing with DEC and also with Compaq, so these 
were mergers of like minds when it comes to models, parts, spares etc. 
And you cannot believe the confusion that exists in part numbers that go 
into various models, whether business or consumer, server or desktop or 
laptop.  Ugh!

Of course, when it comes to most any desktop, whether business or 
consumer, in a standard chassis, the parts that go inside are all 
industry-standard except for the motherboard, so to hell with "genuine 
HP" replacement parts.  Same with laptop memory, HDDs, wifi cards, and 
some optical drives... Ben Myers