[NMLUG] Asus M2V not for Linux

[sbrowne at ix.netcom.com (Steve Browne)]

Hi All:

I've been going through my biennial system upgrade for both Linux and
XP. I use HDD mobile racks, and interchange operating systems, so the
first qualification for a new mobo is that it work well on BOTH OSes.

Since AMD slashed its prices on most Athlon CPUs, I've moved up to x2
3800+. But I thought I'd try to go even one better with a Socket AM2
4200+; AMD is discontinuing  Socket 939 but not AM2.

Why AMD and not Intel? For one thing, the large surface area of the x2
(and Opteron) CPUs enable them to run relatively cool. And AMD created
AM2 to utilize DDR2 memory modules, the latest configuration.

So I needed a mobo for AM2 and I'm trying to stick with VIA chipsets
(and not Nvidia)  to preserve bootability with my current system HDDs.
For AMD I look to Asus first. And there was the M2V:
http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=3&l2=101&l3=0&model=1171&modelmenu=1

Socket AM2, PCI-E x16 slot with three "old" PCI slots, four DDR2 slots
up to 8Gb, and all the other usual frills. AND the latest VIA chipsets
- K8T890 Northbridge and VT8237A Southbridge. (Actually, VIA has
offered the K8T900 since the beginning of 2006, but no mobo I can find
uses it.)

So I put together my prize system and installed Mandriva 2006. Or
tried to. (I'll cover Linux distros in another post). This uses the
2.6.12 kernel. Mandriva installed off the CDs just fine, but then the
HDD WOULDN'T BOOT. Checking on the 'Net, it appears that kernel 2.6.12
doesn't fully recognize the K8T890 and/or the VT8237A. So my M2V is
back on the shelf, waiting for Linux to catch up to it.

I hope this saves some of you from wasting money. I'm curious to know
what (recent) CPUs/motherboards you IT professionals are using.
Probably Opterons. I didn't want to get into server mobos such as made
by Tyan and Iwill because of the expense. Iwill has one board with
SIXTEEN DDR slots! (but it costs $15,000). Is that what Peter Jackson
uses?   :-)

Steve
Stephen B. Browne
sbrowne@ix.netcom.com
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
                          - Walt Disney