HD Install :: HD install--GRUB edit doesn't affect boot options?

I'm running a straight HD install on an old HP Pentium 166 laptop with 48MB memory. Mostly it works great, but the thing won't power down when the system goes down. To install it I had to use a floppy and USB key plugged into a docking station (no working CD-ROMs), which I don't wish to use on the road. I've edited out the "noapm" and "nodma" options in the GRUB menu list, to no effect--in fact, the boot screen tells me something like "Not using DMA accelleration due to boot line request."

The boot line shows up in dmesg: here it is, and some lines around it:

DMI not present.
ACPI: Unable to locate RSDP
Kernel command line: root=/dev/hda2 quiet vga=788 noacpi apm=on mem=48M
No local APIC present or hardware disabled.

Any ideas? Many thanks.

You proably want dma as that speeds the hd up for a faster system. Have you checked your bios>power section to see if apm is turned on?

CPU power savings is set to maximum in the bios settings.

Does this help?

Q:How do I turn on dma, I have a grub install on hd?

A: From the menu/apps/tools/emelfm choose- emelfm as super user.
From the right list choose- boot/grub/menu1st
click menu1st, right click and open, click- view file, see titledsl in the list- see nodma in its string- backspace "no" save file . exit . reboot

That fixed the DMA just fine--thanks--but the shutdown/apm problem is still happening. I changed the "apm=on" in the line to "apm" thinking that it might use the same syntax, but apparently it doesn't.

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