>>Hi,
>>
>>Yes, I had this problem (or similar).  Last thing on a Friday I was trying
>>to install a dual *Opteron* system with x86_64 SL3.0.3 and encountered
>>exactly the symptoms you describe.  There is a `fix' for it: add idle=poll
>>to the kernel parameters.
>>
>>This problem is alleged to be caused by a bios bug - I updated the bios on
>>the box concerned and lo the problem had gone.
>>
>>
>>
>Ok, thank. I will have a look to the current release of our BIOS to see
>if I can
>update that. I will also add this kernel option into the %post script in
>order
>to see if it solve the problem.
>By the way we never met that problem with our opterons :o)

Yannick,

I think it is a board-specific problem - the motherboard I have is an early
one and my guess is the bios writers didn't have enough experience of
linux/64bit when they wrote the bios.  Now they know...  I guess it could be
a commom fault for a particular brad of bios.

Martin.