In article <dingelde.719765444@putzl> dingelde@igd.fhg.de (Dennis Dingeldein) writes:
quoted text
>Hi,
>I just downloaded Linux 0.98.1 Bootdisk and 0.97 Rootdisk
>from nic.funet.fi, transfered the stuff to DOS and executed rawrite
>to write the stuff on disks. 
>
>I tried to run Linux on three Machines (2x386 and 1x486) in my company.
>One of them was a Compaq 386.
>The Results were AS BAD AS POSSIBLE
>Linux did not run on ANY MACHINE !

Hmm.  While it's entirely possible that linux won't work on the machines
(it does happen), the fact that it doesn't work on *any* of them makes
me wonder about your boot-disk (and possibly root-disk) integrity. 
Linux does work on most AT-386's it seems, and the above seems a bit too
unlucky (although at least some Compaq machines are known for doing
things their own way: Compaq has this IBM-complex and thinks it can
change the standards to suit itself.  I think it's gotten better). 

The easiest way to prove there is no problem with a boot floppy is to
find a computer it boots on: if you cannot, you should make sure you
downloaded the images in binary mode all the way etc.  If the bootimage
is corrupted (or only partly written or similar: rawrite seems to have
problems with some machines), the normal result is the reboot you
describe.  Don't be fooled by the fact that "Loading..." appears to
work: that is handled by only the first 512 bytes, so even if they are
good, the rest may not be. 

                Linus