Cyric Media GX problems. (What's new?)

[Pubrulz]

I realize the kind of crap I'm doing this on, but I want to put Linux on a PC that's just sitting around, and this is the only one available.

Keep in mind that I'm an almost total Linux noob, but want to begin my changeover.

I'm booting to the first install CD, and get a boot: prompt. It times out, after a while, and goes on (friend of mine says just hit enter there anyway). It goes through some steps of detecting devices (says USB devices, but this thing is pre-USB), then starts the autoconfigure. It stops about 2/3 the way through as though it's locked.

Any ideas on what I can do to get ANY linux put on this POS machine? I've tried Red Hat, and another distro, both won't install. Is this thing destined never to run any form of superior OS?