Ubuntu 9.04 install fails even with noapic, 8.04.2 install works

[Andrew Piskorski]

Binary package hint: debian-installer

I have a Dell PowerEdge 600SC server (single 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 cpu), which used to run an older version of Ubuntu, I believe 6.06, apparently without problems. After swapping in newer larger disks, I am attempting to install a newer version of Ubuntu.

Using the Ubuntu 9.04 i386 Alternate Install CD, Install the System hangs indefinitely with error "MP-BIOS bug: 8254 timer not connected to IO-APIC".

I tried various combinations of the installer's boot options, noapic, noioapic, and acpi=off. They are doing something, as the "8254 timer" message goes away and is replaced by other messages. However, in ALL cases, the install still hangs at the same point.

I then tried the Ubuntu 8.10 i386 Alternate Install CD, using only the default options. It fails the same way with the "8254 timer not connected to IO-APIC" message. (I did not try "noapic" with 8.10.)

Finally, I tried the Ubuntu 8.04.2 i386 Alternate Install CD, which worked, with the default boot settings! (I did NOT need to specify noapic.)

I am proceeding with the 8.04.2 install, however, I would really prefer to be running a newer version of Ubuntu. Is the problem here likely to be just with the installer, or do these symptoms mean that the newer Linux kernels in 8.10 and 9.04 will not work at all on this machine? Will upgrading this machine from 8.04.2 to a later version of Ubuntu work?

Thanks!