I have a Dell Dimension 4100 and brand spanking new 250 GB 1" ATA/100
8MB 16MB 7200RP HDD. The 4100 is from 2001, and the BIOS version
listed in setup is A06.
I installed lenny. At "Software Selection" I chose "Mail Server".
When the installation was completed, and I rebooted.
Then I decided to change the software selection. It was so easy the
first time, I just reinstalled and this time I chose:
Web server
DNS server
File server
Mail server
SQL database
However, this time when I rebooted I got a GRUB error:
GRUB Loading stage 1.5
GRUB loading, please wait...
Error 18
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
As far as I can see, the GRUB manual
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/html_node/Troubleshooting.html#Troubleshooting
doesn't document this error.
The error has been addressed in Linux Forums:
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/debian-linux-help/52256-first-time-trying-linux-grub-error-18-a.html
Several contributors thought that Error 18 had something to do with a
mismatch between BIOS and the HDD (hard disk too big). Suggestions
included a smaller partition, smaller HDD, and upgrading the BIOS. I
suppose I could try reinstalling on a smaller partition. What do you
think?
However, the correspondence between Geoff http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/1236800523
and C.K. http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/1236806548
strongly suggests that trying to update the BIOS on a Dell mother
board is a losing proposition.
Jason Mills
http://groups.google.com/group/linux.debian.user/browse_thread/thread/683a22631c8450bd/9ced896ba395445c?lnk=gst&q=%22Error+18%22#9ced896ba395445c
tried to create a smaller boot partition, but was not successful.
I suppose I could try yet another new (smaller) HDD, but without some
documentation I would just be trial and error, which could take a
while.