Boot Disc Problem - 9.04 Server Edition

[Shane Greenslate]

Package: installation-reports

Boot method: CD
Image version: http://releases.ubuntu.com/9.04/ubuntu-9.04-server-i386.iso.torrent
Date: Monday, May 18 2009 @ 2200

Machine: Abit BP6 Motherboard
Processor: 2 500MHz Celeron
Memory: 512 MB
Partitions:

Output of lspci -knn (or lspci -nn):

Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it

Initial boot:           [ ]
Detect network card:    [ ]
Configure network:      [ ]
Detect CD:              [ ]
Load installer modules: [ ]
Detect hard drives:     [ ]
Partition hard drives:  [ ]
Install base system:    [ ]
Clock/timezone setup:   [ ]
User/password setup:    [ ]
Install tasks:          [ ]
Install boot loader:    [ ]
Overall install:        [ ]

Comments/Problems:

The installation CD boots fine (9.04 Server Edition), and I can select "Install Ubuntu Server" from the boot menu.
However, after I do that, the only thing I see is the blinking cursor in the upper left corner.

If I hit F6 I can change the boot parameters. I removed the "quiet" option from the end of the parameter string
so I can watch the machine boot. Everything seems to work fine, it even detects the Abit BP6's HPT366 hard disk
controller with the pata_366 module and seems to have detected the hard drive. However, it hangs at this point:

[   4.090381] scsi 2:0:0:0: Direct-Access      ATA      WDC WD400EB-00CP 06.0 PQ: 0 ANSI: 5
[   4.091213] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] 78165360 512-byte hardware sectors: (40.0 GB/37.2 GiB)
[   4.091442] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
[   4.091735] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
[   4.092389] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] 78165360 512-byte hardware sectors: (40.0 GB/37.2 GiB)
[   4.092617] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
[   4.092910] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
[   4.093036] sda:

The boot process just hangs there.

I tried downloading and installing 8.10 Server Edition thinking maybe some module in 9.04 is just too new for
this hardware, but it does the same thing.

I have run the disc integrity check for my 9.04 CD in a different machine and it was successful. I have also
tested the PC's memory and found no errors. I have tried the "ide=nodma" boot parameter and I've tried
disabling apci.

My current Slack build boots fine with no parameters.

I'm running out of ideas on how to get past this hiccup. If anyone can provide any insight on this,
it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Shane