Help with Mandrake 8.2

[Chronogoof89]

I just installed Linux Mandrake 8.2 on my computer that is also running Win98 SE. Installation was very easy, and went off without a hitch. I reboot my computer like it says, so that I can get into Linux. The boot loader comes up and asks do I want to boot Linux, LinuxNFB, Windows, Failsafe, Floppy. I picked Linux A nice splash screen comes up and it displays something like

INIT: Loading version 2.8

or something very similiar. It just stays there. I left the comp on that screen for like 10 minutes - nothing happened. It is the same thing if I boot through LinuxNFB, ecept after the INIT line, isay something like

Press 'I' to initiate interactive startup.

But it locks up at that screen, so nothing happens, even if I press I

The same thing happens when booting Failsafe except it isn't a graphic background.

Someone please help me!

I've tried re-intalling it like 5 times..... I really want to make this work, will someone please help me......
Is there a tech support number i can call?

[preacherman481]

Just curious, what does it do when you try to boot to Windows?

Do you have a network card installed, and when you boot up is your internet
connection on? What happens is that when I boot up with my internet connection off is that the system tries to initialize the network but it cannot do it. Finally,
a message comes up, "bringing up interface eth0.... failed", then the system
boots up. Now, this doesn't take ten minutes, but it does take a while. So,
if you are trying to boot up without your internet connection on, cut it on, and then
try it. PS, I am using cable.