In case anyone wonders why he/she cannot install Mandriva on a system using the VIA C3 processor, the answer is that the C3 processor architecture does only work with i386, i486 and i586 compiled kernels. Mandriva ships since 2008.1 spring an i686 compiled kernel on the install-media which will not work with the processor. The system will install, but it will not boot as it is unable to decompress the kernel. Quick solution to this problem: Use Mandriva 2008.0 and stick to it (or install another distro that does support the C3 processor, like Debian, Slackware, Suse and Fedora).

Is it just C3, or also the C3-2? In other words, will Mandriva 2008.1 work on my M10000N, with on-board VIA C3-2 Nehemiah? ("salon" in signature)

Yves.

[EDIT:] I may have my answer:
http://kernelfr.traduc.org/ftp/2.6.15/a_tr...86/Kconfig.cpu:

I hope this means 2008.1 will work…

That shouldn't be the case, the installer's supposed to work on i586.

One should work, anyway, and you can install from that.

Well, it simply doesn't work on the old C3 processors. Trust me. All previous Mandriva versions work okay, but sadly not 2008.1. I have worked a whole week on getting 2008.1 to run on a rather old laptop and a desktop system that are both powered by the C3 processor. I even went back to a minimal 2008.0 and did an upgrade later using the ftp-mirrors. Same result on both machines: System hangs when trying to decompress the kernel.

Did you file a bug?

I'm fairly sure RJ has done a 2008 Spring install direct on an i586 system...

Not yet, I was still looking for a solution to the problem, but after searching the web for hours without finding an "easy fix" for this and hacking the C3 boxes again and again, I will file a bug.

I guess that it is not i586 related in general but exclusively to the C3 processor (which is not as popular as AMD or Intel.).



PS: Bug was already filed by someone else

I'm looking forward to an update on this. I have a number of Epia boards with C3 processors and would love to install 2008.1.

As a side note, I have installed 2008.1 on an Alix 3c3 embedded PC that has a Geode LX800 (500MHz) which is supposed to be i586 and it worked. So it must be specific to the C3 and not because it is < i686.

Have you tried One?