i recently acquired said ibook, and i am having a bit of trouble with it...

i tried using mac os x (whatever one was on it) but it would keep freezing at various places (at the gray screen w/apple, at the login screen, after logging in, etc). so i decided to try to install linux on it, and now nothing works. i can get so far into booting the install cd's, but i always end up with a kernel error (signal 11, if that means anything). the longer i leave the 'book off, the further i usually get in installing, so i figure it is some hardware problem. also of note is the fact that the time resets almost every time i start the laptop up.

has anyone any experience with this? i picked up the ibook off a friend for $150, so if i could salvage it, the great deal i got on it would be complete :-/