[plug] RAM/install troubles

[Nathan D]

Hello one and all,

I am a relative newbie to linux but have been playing around with it on and 
off for a little while now.  I have "acquired" an old Acer 133 with 128M of 
RAM to use as a server for a small home mainly windows network.  Originally 
Redhat 7 was installed and all worked well.  I rarely had it running for 
more than 7 days as it always seemed to die with a kernel panic.  All was 
well until a *very* corrupted filesystem lead to another install.  Much the 
same thing happened afterwards again.  I read about "syncing" the 
filesystem and this saved a few more crashes until all died again.
Time to get serious!!!!!  I think the problem is memory related but after 
running Memtest-86 v2.5 for days on end with all RAM chips in and out and 
moved around, and reporting no errors - I'm not so sure??
Trying a new install of RH 7.1 or Mandrake 8.0 doesn't even complete the 
boot sequence :(  I can't change virtual terminals or scroll the screen, so 
here is an abbreviated version of what I see -

Starting kswapd v1.8
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000001f
  printing eip:
c013dda6
...<snip>...
... pmd not present!
Oops: 0000
...<snip>...
<0>Kernel panic: Attempted to kill init!

These seem to be the most relevant bits of what I have on the 
screen.  Please advise if I need to send more.

The only way I can boot is with the "mem=xM" used at the command 
line.  This would generally get me up to the package selection but not let 
me actually install. I have started another install to find the exact point 
in fails, but due to Murphys Law - it is now working.  I have in 64M of RAM 
but told it "mem=32M" .... see what happens?

This machine was working fine as a Quake 3 server and as my logon 
server/network server with Samba.  I want it back!!
Can anyone give any tips, tweaks, clues or mystical BIOS settings that will 
breathe life into my linux box again?


regards,
   Nathan

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