[Sunhelp] need help installing Solaris 8 on Dell Laptop w/ NEW HDD

[Parker Fairfield]

HW:
Dell Latitude CPX 450
EIDE 6+GB HDD
PCMCIA : 3com 56k Modemcard 3cxm556
PCMCIA : 3com 10/100 LAN PC Card 3ccfe574bt
256MB Ram
bootable floppy
bootable CDROM drive

Primary OBJECTIVE:
install Solaris 2.8 successfully

Secondary OBJECTIVE:
POSSIBLY install Win OS also



I've just purchased this new HDD and I've
a) used Partition Magic to hack it up into 4 sections [2gb, 2gb, 1gb, 1gb]
b)using the CD "Solaris 8 Installation" I boot

my experience is the following:

First I get a BUS ENUMERATION error:
Warning: resouce conflict - both devics are added
NON-ACPI device: PNP0c01
  Port: 800-83F, 840-84f, 880-88f; Memory: FFFE0000 - FFFFFFFF
  100A0000-100FFFFF
ACPI device: PNP-0c01
  bus:0, device:0, function: 0
  Port:4d0-4d1, 800-805, 808-80f,854-855


"enter to continue"<---


Warning: Resouce Conflict - bot devices were added


"enter to continue"<---


"Scanning Devices"
and it finds plenty of devices ... no errors


F2 to continue

Loading drivers...


Then it brings me to the "Boot Solaris" page.

It states "Select one of the identified devices to boot the solaris kernel 
and choose continue."
   Now, I read this last night as "what do I want to boot from regularly" so 
I chose "DISK".  When I do that, it gives me an "Error: Mount Failed" page

"Error Mount Failed
unable to mount a solaris root file sys from the device:
DISK: Target 0:IBM-DBCA-206480
on bus mastering IDE Contrller on board PCI bus 0, at Dev7, Func 1

Error Message from mount:
/pci at 0,0/pci-ide at 7,1/ide at 0/cmdk at 0,0:a: can't open - no VTOC

Press enter to continue"




I have searched around for the VTOC message ... and have come across a few 
that mention somethign about incompatible hardware, and other websites 
talking about drivers ... but it seems from the context of those statements 
that people had Solaris up and running and were adding HDD.....

So, I go back to the BOOT SOLARIS page ... and select "CD" .. and think, 
maybe it's asking about booting THIS TIME.


When I select CD

it brings tme to Current boot paramerters  ... and starts the

Starting Solaris Webstart Installation.

I leave the 'default settings' (I'm offered 'b' "i" - interpreter, or 'b 
with other settings') ... and it runs...... for awhile


The screen clears and I get a line stating "Configuring /dev and /devices" 
for a few minutes ....


Then a line stating "Using RPC Bootparams for network configuration" comes 
up....

Then "Solaris Web Start 3.0 installer" prints to the screen below the other 
2 lines


[Then the problem..... or another one]

A bunch of sentences print to the screen below the above 3 lines:


"English has been selected.....

Solaris installer is searching the system's hard disks for a location to 
place the Solaris installer software

No suitable Solaris fdisk partition found.

Solaris Installer needs to create a Solaris fdisk partition on your root 
disk, c0d0 that is at least 363MB

WARNING: IF YOU CHANGE EXISTING FDISK PARTITIONS SIZE, ALL INFO WILL BE 
ERASED

May the Solaris Installer create a Solaris fdisk [y,n,?]"


When I type "Y" or "y" a lower case "Q" appears, and goes on and on and on 
until the system 'beep' ... forcing me to reboot.

I've tried redoing all of this AFTER fdisking the HDD and removing the 
partitions; no luck.




Please email me some suggestions!

Thanks

Parker Fairfield
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