z0man wrote:
z0man wrote:
HH wrote:
First I doubt seriously a 160 GB drive will work. The 4800s do not
support 48-bit LBA which is required for drives larger than 127GB.
Secondly, the BIOS in that series is very basic with no HD parameter
settings. In fact, there is an 8 GB HD size limit on the 4824 and
below. You might try installing a PCI IDE controller with its own
onboard BIOS.
HH
"z0man" wrote in message
...
z0man wrote:
I just recently aquired one of these older things and I am trying
to install Linux on it. I managed to install it once. Then just
after adding a graphics card all hell brakes loose on this thing.
I believe I have found a solution, and it requires for me to change
the Harddrive mode (LBA thing). How do I change it!?
There is no upgrade for the bios. I looked it up at HP for firmware.
Any help be most helpful
z0manifest
Compaq Details
--------------
160 Gig Samsung Harddrive
Diamond3D Stealth 32Mb memory
PS
By the way to get linux SuSe 10.0 to work on a Compaq Presario 4840
with the the standard onboard graphics ATI Rage 4mb , use LiLo 
AHA!!! Figured it out.
Make a boot Partition at the beginning of the drive. Basic size is
10mb but 15mb if you want to test with the kernel. The kernel and
linux is designed to support LBA. Just if old motherboards aint,
you just ignore it, if you can.
z0man
I have a fully working version Linux on the Compaq 4840, The LBA issue
is BYPASSED by making sure the boot/ partition is at the beginning of
the partition list, after making the swap/ and the /(root). Linux
fully supports large disks once it is booted!.
The boot partition has to below the first 1024 cylinders of the harddisc.
Please don't damage the list again.
z0man
And if you don't believe me try it yourself 
Current partition setup of my SuSe Linux 10.0 is as if you wanted to
know. The boot has to be at the TOP! (the first)
CYLNDER SIZE
Mount Start End Partition Type
----------------------------------------
/dev/hda 745GB Samsung 0 9732
/dev/hda1 15.6MB /boot 0 1 Linux Native (ext3)
/dev/hda2 823.6MB /sawp 2 106 Linux Swap
/dev/hda3 73.7GB / 107 9732 Reiser
Works a treat