[PLUG] just how broke?

[Randy Stapilus]

Brought home a Debian machine from Free Geek a few weeks ago, and it ran  
fine; I've been using it to learn Linux. While getting one of the  
recommended apt-gets, I think I wound up downloading a replacement kernel  
- I'm unclear about exactly what happened. But on the reboot, things went  
downhill rapidly; it seemed to reboot partially with some apps corrupted,  
and then wouldn't come back up at all. I've tried installing a couple of  
new OS (another Debian and Ubuntu) but the install always fails partway  
through.

I have briefly spotted, flashing by, a message indicating damage to the  
BIOS - on some occasions, not on others. The BIOS is accessible as usual,  
though, and *looks* normal. I've made adjustments in it (boot order  
mainly) which seem to stick. But I'm not sure if that means anything.

I also have seen at the beginning of a boot, "primary hard disk drive  
failure," though the BIOS seems to read the hard drive OK and the install  
goes on at least partway.

My question: How extensive does the problem seem to be, or how do I  
determine that? In other words, are these symptoms indicators that the  
motherboard is shot, or the hard drive, or both, or possibly that neither  
is, but that some other corrective measure would/might solve the problem  
and allow me to install an OS? Or should I just recycle the box and get a  
new one?

-- 
RANDY STAPILUS
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