I had that same problem with my laptop, a Gateway 9300-CX, when I installed one of Hubert Mantel's 2.4.10 kernels on my SuSE 7.2 system. The only way, other than powering off, that I could exit was to use the sysrq key (which I configured into 2.4.10 test kernels I built while attempting to sort out the problem). I'm currently running a 2.4.12.SuSE-0 kernel from Hubert Mantel's ftp area and I've had no problems at all with it. BTW, whenever compiling my own kernels from SuSE source, I also have to separately compile and install the ALSA and pcmcia-cs kernel modules so that sound and networking will function. I believe the SuSE 2.4.12 binary kernel RPM also worked. Phil On Wed, 31 Oct 2001 21:57:10 -0500, Bernie Gardner <bernie.gardner@verizon.net> enscribed:

However, when I try to start KDE 2.2, the startup hangs. The console shows the message 'spurious 8259A interrupt:IRQ7', and the cap=lock and scroll-lock indicator lignts flash on and off. This continues 'forever' (I actually let it go all day today as I had to go to work!) The computer is completely locked, and I can't get into a text mode terminal or reboot. The only way to get out is to turn the computer off and endure the fsck process on the next boot.

The above problems are using the stock 2.4.10 kernel.

-- Philip A. Saeli psaeli@zorodyne.com