CDROM Problem

[James Knott]

Lennart Sorensen wrote:
> On Tue, May 13, 2008 at 05:45:18PM -0400, Stephen wrote:
>   
>> So I downloaded the ISO's for the server and desktop of Ubuntu 8.04
>>
>> I start by installing server CD but the computer says it is 
>> non-bootable. WTF? Checked the CD
>> on another machine and it was fine. Checked the BIOS in the Linux box 
>> and it recognized the
>> CD drive. It is an IDE CDROM.
>>
>> So I pull the machine out of the bottom of the tower, open it up and 
>> make sure the cables are
>> seated.
>>
>> I try again and the server install  goes fine.
>>
>> I put the machine together again, and return it to its place.
>>
>> Later I try to install the desktop CD and I get the non-bootable error 
>> again. Shee-it.
>>
>> So I pull the machine out of the tower again, try everything physical 
>> that I can think of but I can't
>> make the machine read the CD.
>>
>> The CD does boot in another machine. Other bootable CDs do not boot. The 
>> CD is still recognized in
>> the BIOS.
>>
>> So do I just buy a new CDROM drive, or might there by some other 
>> problems that I should check out
>> first.
>>     
>
> Not all BIOSs support CD booting.  Not all implement the full el torito
> spec.  Some only support a subset, and not necesarily the one required
> by the boot loader on the CD.
>
> Some systems can only CD boot from the first optical drive found, not
> any others.  Some can boot from CD but not DVD media (although in one
> case where I encountered this a BIOS update fixed that problem).
>
> Of course booting from CD might be disabled in the BIOS too.
>
>   
If it was the BIOS, it likely wouldn't be intermittent.  Something is 
flakely, most likely the drive.  Of course crappy disks are also possible.



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