i got my computer in 2k, built it myself. top of the line then and better than most still now.
one problem however is i was never able to install unix because the old kernels were not compatible with SATA hard drives

i dont have any IDE drives nor do i want any

I want mine on SATA, but every time i try no matter what kind of linux/unix i want to install.. they all tell me the same thing
"Hard drive not found"

even Knopix that runs off a cd wouldnt boot because it doesnt see sata hard drives

Any one hear about a compatible version or some fixes for this?

Can you boot from a USB drive?

In general Linux and Solaris and I'm pretty sure most of the BSDs install fine on SATA, I have multiple machines running with SATA only without promblems including the one I am typing this on.

Do you have some kind of unusual SATA controller or Motherboard? Posting your specs would help.

GXDeMoNN, I have a couple of suggestions. More recently, in December, 2006, I assembled a desktop computer using a 120-GB hard disk drive(SATA-2) and an Asus AV-8N motherboard. This worked quite well with Windows XP-SP2, Pro and Ubuntu Linux(vers. 6.10, 7.04 and 7.10).

One possibility would be to try the latest version of Ubuntu Linux, version 7.10. Since it can be downloaded for free, the price is certainly right. Sadly, SATA is a pretty new technology and if your motherboard has an older and incompatible implementation of that standard, then that might the problem right there. Can you download a newer SATA driver for your motherboard from its manufacturer's website?

Be sure to post if any of these suggestions help.

GXDeMoNN, on reflection, I came up with something else that you might to try.

Since setting this computer up in 2000(I'm a "homebrewer" myself), have you updated or "flashed" the BIOS? An update to the BIOS might give you an easy way to modernize the SATA drivers which are built into the BIOS programs. Go to the website of the motherboard manufacturer(ASUS, ECS, etc.) and check for this type of update. It would most likely take the form of a 1.44 Meg disk image. It would help if your computer has a 1.44 Meg(floppy?) disk drive.

As far as i know, i using fedora 7 and i didn't have any problem with sata driver but never try it with UNIX.

Post your dmesg | less to here.

Moreover, u can try no*

*=options such acpi

I hope this help.