So I bought an Ubundu-Dell. First I wanted an all-build-computer, second I didn't want to pay for software I do not use on my desktop (Microsoft Windows) and third but not last I wanted to support Dell promoting Linux.

I received my dell quite quickly (one week i think), booting under Unbuntu worked out of the box (resolution was quite bad: 1024*728). Next step was to install a true Debian on it (I have been using Debian and KDE for years and I don't feel like switching to Ubuntu and Gnome).

Have a look at http://linux.dell.com/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_7.04/Issues/USB-SATA_race_condition_causes_hang to IRQ problems at boot time.

I still have a problem : my kernel very often hangs about 10 minutes at boot time, an then goes on to the normal boot process...

• Debian BTS #481125

Similar problems :

• http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=9612
  • Exactly my problem.
• http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=8582 (hangs while decompression of kernel)
• https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=241249 (sounds near to my problem)
  • Exactly my problem (from the screenshot)
• http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Bugs/F7Common#Dell_Dual_Core_Systems

Tried kernel options :

• highres=off
  • still hangs on boot
• clocksource=acpi_pm
  • still hangs on boot
• maxcpus=1
  • seems to work, but it halves the performance as linux will only run one core instead of two...
  • the option "nosmp" should have the same effect (not tested)