APIC Lockups upon bootup

[David T Hollis]

I am attempting to install RedHat 8.0 onto an Athlon XP1600 system 
(Amptron/PCChips motherboard K7-825LM 8/12/2002 BIOS) but I consistently 
die at bootup at "ESR value before enabling vector: 00000002".  I have 
tried using 'noapic' and 'nosmp' to no avail.  In looking at the code, I 
must be dying just a few lines after it gives me the above output:

        if (APIC_INTEGRATED(ver) && !esr_disable) {             /* 
!82489DX */
                maxlvt = get_maxlvt();
                if (maxlvt > 3)         /* Due to the Pentium erratum 
3AP. */
                        apic_write(APIC_ESR, 0);
                value = apic_read(APIC_ESR);
                printk("ESR value before enabling vector: %08lx\n", value);

=====  I die somewhere in this code ?!?!?! ================
                value = ERROR_APIC_VECTOR;      // enables sending errors
                apic_write_around(APIC_LVTERR, value);
                /*
                 * spec says clear errors after enabling vector.
                 */
                if (maxlvt > 3)
                        apic_write(APIC_ESR, 0);
                value = apic_read(APIC_ESR);
                printk("ESR value after enabling vector: %08lx\n", value);

Anyone have any ideas?  I've never seen anything like this anywhere. 
 Google searches have turned up empty as well.