I have at last managed, with help, for which many thanks, to get my BIOS set up properly so that I could install Mandrake 8.1. However I am still unable to get Debian or Slackware in. I was told this afternoon that I may get some more suggestions if I post to this list again, so here is a reiteration of my position and the problem.
I have two hard disks, one 10 gig as the primary master (with `Windows' on), the second 40 gig disk, (with partitions for Linux, and Mandrake 8.1 installed on /dev/hdc5 is the secondary master. The CD drive is set as the primary slave. I can get Debian to install as far as the base system, but on rebooting into it it can not access the CD drive. Slackware does not install as when one gets to the point where the system is installed it reports all sorts of stuff not installed from an earlier part of the installation.
Am I trying to do something which is impossible, should I only be installing one set of linux, am I trying to do it in the wrong order?
I could get rid of windows from the first disk, but I would prefer to keep it for the better quality printing it provides, (although I could be persuaded that the other benefits of Linux outweigh it).
Suggestions and advice would be welcomed.
John seago