2.2.15 kernel boot freezes at "running ntpdate..."

[Mark Phillips <mark@ist.flinders.edu.au>]

My friend has a Toshiba Tecra 8000 laptop.  We are having problems with
the 2.2.15 kernel.  It boots fine with the 2.0.36 kernel, but recent
attempts to boot the 2.2.15 kernel have it freezing at the line

	"running ntpdate to syncronise clock""

or something like that.  Now I suspect the problem has nothing to do with
ntpdate.  We have had problems with this kernel ever since it was
compiled.  Previously we have had the problem that the console keyboard
freezes, making it impossible to use the machine, except when it was
connected via ethernet and you telnetted in from outside.  We "overcame"
this problem by getting it to boot straight into xdm (kdm).  This meant we
didn't need to get near the consoles in order to use the machine.  Of
course we still couldn't use the consoles with much success.  Recently,
changing to a console results in a blank screen with a thin horizontal
line running across it.

Anyway, now it won't even boot at all which is a real problem.  I
suspected the problem may be an apm one, but when I booted with the option
"apm=off" it still hung at the same place!

Does anyone know what's wrong or what I can do about it?  It's very
frustrating.  Clearly it's some difference between the 2.0.36 kernel and
the 2.2.15, but if it isn't power management, what else could it be?  Any
other kernel options that could be causing the problem?

Thanks in advance,

Mark.


_/~~~~~~~~___/~~~~~~____________________________________________________
____/~~_____/~~__/~~__________________________Mark_Phillips____________
____/~~_____/~~________________________________mark@ist.flinders.edu.au_
____/~~\HE___/~~__/~~\APTAIN_____________________________________________
____/~~______/~~~~~~____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
        "They told me I was gullible ... and I believed them!"