Installation disk not bootable

[Moff]

Hi,

Having limited Linux experience in the past have finally found the time to take the bull by the horns and start using linux Full time. However, having a little trouble getting up and running. I'Ve downloaded the four .iso files for Fedora Core 3 but for some reason the 1st disk isn't bootable. I'm sure the image has burned properly as I can see files on the disk and I've checked the boot sequence in the bios. Can anyone give me any pointers as to why the disk won't boot?

Cheers

Moff

[AndyGreen]

What does it do at boot-time? Spin the CD up for a while and give an error? Or not touch the CD drive at all?

[Moff]

It does appear to check the disk brifly before telling me boot from CD has failed but probably not as long as I would have expected. The files on the CD are:

SRPMS directory
.diskinfo
eula.txt
GPL
RPM-GPG-KEY
RPM-GPG-KEY-beta
RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora
RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-rawhide
RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-test
RPM-GPG-KEY-rawhide
TRANS.TBL

There doesn't appear to be an autorun file. Is this as it should be?

[AndyGreen]

Uh oh.... *S*RPMS dir??? Sounds like you downloaded the SOURCE CDs??????

[Moff]

Oh boy, aint my face red just now - thanks for the help AndyGreen!

Guess I've got some more downloading to do

[oldman_420]

Once you have the correct iso's downloaded a check sum wouldn't be a bad idea if you want to be certain the iso isnt corrupt.

I downloaded the DVD twice because I burnt the iso once, but it locked my comp on reboot. Downloaded "fastsum" a free windows check summer thingy and the sum didnt match what Fedora quoted so redownloaded, checked again, lined up nice, burnt and it worked.

[w5set]

yeah--nother thing is not surf--play music--games or have a screen saver running while burning.
Just burn iso images. End result is better usually.
8x or so burn speed for CD's
2x to 4x for DVD's
Slow but sure and not have a pile of coasters is what I am interested in......

[Moff]

Thanks for the comments guys, have just managed to get the right disks but hit another problem.

I'm looking to install on two machines, ran the install on the first machine, booted up checked the media and install worked fine - no issues.

Trying to get it on the second machine and it doesn't give me the option to check media, rather it comes up and asks me the launguage etc. then tells me it can't locate the Fedora core CD... (even though it just booted from it!!)

Any Idea's??

[w5set]

clean the cdrom and the cd (carefully)
at the "boot/install" choices type in
linux text
for an install choice--about the same stuff--little more detailed though--will give you default settings to choose from too. Easy as the GUI install really, just little more clicking/typing.....

[awesome]

hey i want to make sure i am downloading the correct ISOs
on the fedora website is it the ones called
FC3-i386-SRPMS-disc1.iso
or
FC3-i386-disc1.iso

thanks in advance

[w5set]

if ya want a working install of FC3 I would download
FC3-i386-disc1.iso
the SRPMS are the source codes for compiling the same programs, but won't install as is.
and download/burn disk2 and disk3--forget the #4disk

[AndyGreen]

Try running the install action with

linux noprobe

on the bad machine.