Try booting with the install cd add the following option to the boot command line:
 
pci=off ide1=0x180,0x386
 
Reference:
 
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/fedora/linux/core/2/i386/os/RELEASE-NOTES-en.html

pci=off ide1=0x180,0x386
 
I have the same laptop as Tubby and have had no succces in getting FC2 to install.
 
I have tryed the above options to boot the kernal and managed to get to an installation screen (blocky graphical/text method not X). I was then prompted to select my installation method, after selecting CDROM the next screen I see is requesting device drivers and I am unable to go any further. I have attempted to use a number of the drivers in the list but with no success.
 
What drivers is it looking for, and where do i need to get them from? I would expect that since the kernel has managed to get this far that it would already be able to read the CDROM drive?
 
Tubby, you had any further luck??
 
Any other tips welcomed!

Looks like Tubby never got an answer here either.
 
When the cd starts, try enabling acpi. At the login screen prompt, type in;
 
linux acpi=on
 
and see if the install continues.
 
A word of caution. If you have Windows XP (NTFS filesystem) on the system, I suggest that you format a linux partition on the drive before trying the install. There have been problems with NTFS and using the partitioning utility in distros using the 2.6 series kernel for the install.
 
So, use PartitionMagic or another utility to resize and format, say an ext3 partition for Fedora. If the install goes, then choose that pre-formatted partition to install to.

tried linux acpi=on with same kernel panic message tried off as well, also added to linux pci=off ide1=0x180,0x386 acpi=on with no luck.
 
almost 2 weeks searching for info with no luck
 
 
 
 
Always use partition magic/commander to setup partitions first and image windows partitions.....better to be safe than sorry, windows is too easy to upset.

Sony laptops are usually a bad choice for linux. Sony is so proprietary it's frustrating. I'd check here http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/sony.html if you haven't already. Look at similar models and read what others have done first. I'm still looking for my perfect laptop but the main thing is full linux compatibility, for me it always comes back to an IBM thinkpad. Too bad the they are not as [censored]y as the Vaios. Good luck I'll keep my eyes open for anything that may help. You could also try a live cd like http://www.knoppix.org/ or my fav http://www.phlak.org/ to check out compatability.

SUCCESS - just about there.
 
I have managed to get FC2 to install using the normal Fedora GUI.
 
I managed to get this to work 2 ways:
1. linux pci=off ide2=0x180,0x386 (note the ide2 not ide1 as in other docs - this is how i actually installed) After install complete and rebooted the kernel panic message was back so i had to do some further investigation - kernel options. No point keeping pci=off as no hardware drivers installed. Basically i needed to add acpi=off as a kernel option, this allowed me to boot the kernel and all my hardware was succesffully detected and configured (except wireless, that needed extra work.
2. linux acpi=off (i succesfully got the fedora GUI up with anaconda but did not go any further as i had already installed it)
 
WIRELESS - WORKING, to get the wireless to work i followed the guides at http://ipw2200.sf.net , i used ipw2200-0.8 and it worked fine with ipw2200-fw-2.0......THANKS to the team there for their work.
 
USB - NO GO. I had it working in FC1 on same laptop but nothing happens when i insert a usb device now with FC2 - no light flashes on SB device. lspci reports hardware present, that is as far as i have gone, any ideas?
 
MODEM - still to test further with appropriate drivers.
 
Q: Any ideas on USB and ACPI to work, nice to have battery meter up.

try dmesg | grep USB | more
 
you should see some output like this...
 

Quote:USB Mass Storage device found at 2USB Mass Storage support registered.
hub 4-0:1.0: USB hub found
ehci_hcd 0000:02:04.2: NEC Corporation USB 2.0
ehci_hcd 0000:02:04.2: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 5
ehci_hcd 0000:02:04.2: USB 2.0 enabled, EHCI 0.95, driver 2004-May-10
 
and lsmod | grep usb

Quote:usb_storage 99728 0
usbkbd 6144 0
usbcore 100836 7 ehci_hcd,usb_storage,ohci_hcd,uhci_hcd,usbkbd

 
 
If you get nothing, or some errors then usb is not enabled. If this was debian I'd check to see if usb support is in the kernel. I'd also check to see if usb is disable in the bios. I've never used redhat or fedora so maybe some can tell you if there is an easier way, maybe Kudzu?
 
I like to install usbview it's a nice little gui for usb devices.
 

I got the same kernel panic that everyone else has received when installing FC2 on a VGN-A170P. The solution I used was to install FC3 Test release. My Sony VAIO is now working 100% under Linux. I have posted everything I did to get everything working at http://rootsmith.ca/vaio-linux.html