>>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.