Ubuntu 9.04 on Dell Inspiron 7500

[idave78]

Hi, all !!! I am a novice in linux (ubuntu) and are trying to install ubuntu 9.04 on Dell inspiron 7500. It went smooth with ubuntu 8.10, but going no further down of the loading screen with ubuntu 9.04. I've tried Live CD and the upgrade option from 8.10 (after restart same thing). If anyone can help with that, please. Appreciate any tips in advance.

[coffeeaddict22]

Hi iDave,
Sounds odd. Can you be a little more specific:
1) Can you run Ubuntu off the live CD without any problem?
2) From the sound of it, you've got at least one OS installed. So, how many, what, and how have you partitioned?
3) Exactly what happens when you try to install? Is it doing a loading... forever, or crashing out somewhere?
4) Can you boot into a recovery console? On booting up, instead of going into the system normally, the option below that on the boot menu is usually the recovery console. Can you get into that OK?

[idave78]

Hi, Coffeeaddict22!
I have Ubuntu 8.10 on my Dell Inspiron 7500 (Installed with no problems). That is the only OS I have on it. I was trying to upgrade to Ubuntu 9.04 and after it passed all the stages -> restart and nothing go on. Only I could get to flash screen with the bar showing loading process. It get to about 10-15% and stopped forever. Same thing with Live CD. Tried to boot with ACPI=OFF, no apic, no lapic (same thing): stopped at 10-15% of loading process.
Today I 've got the Ubuntu 9.10 Alpha 2 Live CD and was able to boot with no problems. I hope it would be OK with the final release, but if you can help me to get into Ubuntu 9.04 that would be a big help.

[coffeeaddict22]

Do you know the CD works? Have you done the md5sum on it? Have a look at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM#md5sum

[idave78]

Yes it works fine. I used it to install Ubuntu on HP Compaq with no problems.

[coffeeaddict22]

OK. Can you get into a recovery console?

[idave78]

I have now Ubuntu 8.10 installed and yes I can get into recovery console with no problems on it. And I can see the recovery menu. But if you mean to get into recovery console after installing Ubuntu 9.04, then I did not try this one. And for this to check would have to install it again.

[coffeeaddict22]

Just a thought. If you want to play but need to keep your existing setup, it's not a problem. Create another partition and install the OS into that; that way you can get it working how you want but still go to the other setup anytime you want to.

[idave78]

Thank you for suggestion.

[idave78]

I just installed Ubuntu 9.04 to another partition as you suggested. And no luck. I can't boot into recovery console. It stopes at "loading manual drivers". The kernel is 2.6.28.13. But the ubuntu 9.04 installation picked up kernel from my ubuntu 8.10 (2.6.27.14) and at the boot menu I can choose to boot into that one. Actually it bootes fine: normal boot and recovery console as well. I think that would be kind of OK, but if you have any thoughts let me know. Thank you for your time though.

[coffeeaddict22]

If you try booting up and walk away, does it eventually manage to do so? Reading around, the likelihood is it's a driver snafu. If I had to guess, it'll be an Intel graphics driver; they're known to not work in 9.04. If you post back the output of lshw to confirm that'd be nice.

[idave78]

Hi, coffeeaddict22 ... here is the output of command you've asked: lshw

dell
description: Computer
product: Inspiron 7500
vendor: Dell Computer Corporation
version: Revision B0
serial: 123456789
width: 32 bits
capabilities: smbios-2.3 dmi-2.3
configuration: administrator_password=enabled boot=oem-specific frontpanel_password=unknown keyboard_password=unknown power-on_password=disabled
*-core
description: Motherboard
product: 440BX Desktop Reference Platform
vendor: Compal Electronics, Inc.
physical id: 0
version: None
serial: None
*-firmware
description: BIOS
vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD
physical id: 0
version: A14 (11/08/2000)
size: 87KiB
capacity: 192KiB
capabilities: isa pci pcmcia pnp apm upgrade shadowing usb smartbattery biosbootspecification
*-cpu
description: CPU
product: Pentium III (Coppermine)
vendor: Intel Corp.
physical id: 4
bus info: cpu@0
version: 6.8.1
slot: *Socket 5*
size: 600MHz
width: 32 bits
capabilities: fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 mmx fxsr sse up
*-cache:0
description: L1 cache
physical id: 8
slot: L1 Cache
size: 32KiB
capabilities: asynchronous internal write-back
*-cache:1
description: L2 cache
physical id: 9
slot: L2 Cache
size: 256KiB
capacity: 512KiB
capabilities: external write-back
*-memory
description: System Memory
physical id: 19
slot: System board or motherboard
size: 319MiB
capacity: 1GiB
*-bank:0
description: DIMM DRAM Synchronous [empty]
physical id: 0
slot: U5
*-bank:1
description: DIMM DRAM Synchronous
physical id: 1
slot: U6
size: 256MiB
width: 32 bits
*-pci
description: Host bridge
product: 440BX/ZX/DX - 82443BX/ZX/DX Host bridge
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 100
bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
configuration: driver=agpgart-intel latency=64 module=intel_agp
*-pci
description: PCI bridge
product: 440BX/ZX/DX - 82443BX/ZX/DX AGP bridge
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1
bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: pci bus_master
*-display UNCLAIMED
description: VGA compatible controller
product: Rage Mobility P/M AGP 2x
vendor: ATI Technologies Inc
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
version: 64
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: agp agp-1.0 pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=66 mingnt=8
*-pcmcia:0
description: CardBus bridge
product: PCI1225
vendor: Texas Instruments
physical id: 4
bus info: pci@0000:00:04.0
version: 01
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pcmcia bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=yenta_cardbus latency=176 maxlatency=5 mingnt=192 module=yenta_socket
*-pcmcia:1
description: CardBus bridge
product: PCI1225
vendor: Texas Instruments
physical id: 4.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:04.1
version: 01
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pcmcia bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=yenta_cardbus latency=176 maxlatency=5 module=yenta_socket
*-bridge:0 UNCLAIMED
description: Bridge
product: 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ISA
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 7
bus info: pci@0000:00:07.0
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bridge bus_master
configuration: latency=0
*-ide
description: IDE interface
product: 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 IDE
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 7.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:07.1
logical name: scsi0
logical name: scsi1
version: 01
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: ide bus_master emulated
configuration: driver=ata_piix latency=64 module=ata_piix
*-disk
description: ATA Disk
product: SAMSUNG HM160HC
physical id: 0
bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0
logical name: /dev/sda
version: LQ10
serial: S12TJD0Q332530
size: 149GiB (160GB)
capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
configuration: ansiversion=5 signature=fccc8892
*-volume:0
description: EXT3 volume
vendor: Linux
physical id: 1
bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,1
logical name: /dev/sda1
logical name: /
logical name: /dev/.static/dev
version: 1.0
serial: 95d3942a-2030-4472-80e0-dcc58e3c5420
size: 27GiB
capacity: 27GiB
capabilities: primary bootable journaled extended_attributes large_files huge_files recover ext3 ext2 initialized
configuration: created=2009-06-22 10:27:53 filesystem=ext3 modified=2009-07-10 17:30:03 mount.fstype=ext3 mount.options=ro,errors=remount-ro,data=ordered mounted=2009-07-10 17:11:00 state=mounted
*-volume:1
description: Extended partition
physical id: 2
bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,2
logical name: /dev/sda2
size: 47GiB
capacity: 47GiB
capabilities: primary extended partitioned partitioned:extended
*-logicalvolume:0
description: Linux filesystem partition
physical id: 5
logical name: /dev/sda5
logical name: /home
capacity: 13GiB
configuration: mount.fstype=ext3 mount.options=rw,relatime,errors=continue,data=ord ered state=mounted
*-logicalvolume:1
description: Linux swap / Solaris partition
physical id: 6
logical name: /dev/sda6
capacity: 4769MiB
capabilities: nofs
*-logicalvolume:2
description: W95 FAT32 partition
physical id: 7
logical name: /dev/sda7
logical name: /STORAGE
capacity: 29GiB
configuration: mount.fstype=vfat mount.options=rw,gid=46,fmask=0007,dmask=0007,allo w_utime=0020,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,utf8 state=mounted
*-volume:2
description: EXT3 volume
vendor: Linux
physical id: 3
bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,3
logical name: /dev/sda3
version: 1.0
serial: 04e66bee-11ea-49ab-bf01-7d876dc0e839
size: 73GiB
capacity: 73GiB
capabilities: primary journaled extended_attributes large_files huge_files recover ext3 ext2 initialized
configuration: created=2009-07-09 15:53:15 filesystem=ext3 modified=2009-07-10 17:08:36 mounted=2009-07-10 16:51:05 state=clean
*-cdrom
description: DVD reader
product: DVD-ROM SD-C2402
vendor: TOSHIBA
physical id: 1
bus info: scsi@1:0.0.0
logical name: /dev/cdrom
logical name: /dev/dvd
logical name: /dev/scd0
logical name: /dev/sr0
version: 1009
capabilities: removable audio dvd
configuration: ansiversion=5 status=nodisc
*-usb
description: USB Controller
product: 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 USB
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 7.2
bus info: pci@0000:00:07.2
version: 01
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=64 module=uhci_hcd
*-bridge:1
description: Bridge
product: 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ACPI
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 7.3
bus info: pci@0000:00:07.3
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bridge
configuration: driver=piix4_smbus latency=0 module=i2c_piix4
*-multimedia
description: Multimedia audio controller
product: ES1978 Maestro 2E
vendor: ESS Technology
physical id: 8
bus info: pci@0000:00:08.0
version: 10
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=ES1968 (ESS Maestro) latency=64 maxlatency=24 mingnt=2 module=snd_es1968
*-communication UNCLAIMED
description: Communication controller
product: WinModem 56k
vendor: Agere Systems
physical id: 10
bus info: pci@0000:00:10.0
version: 01
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm cap_list
configuration: latency=0 maxlatency=14 mingnt=252
*-network
description: Wireless interface
product: Belkin
vendor: Belkin
physical id: 1
bus info: pci@0000:06:00.0
logical name: wlan0
version: 20
serial: 00:17:3f:2e:2f:e1
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ndiswrapper+blkwgnv7 driverversion=1.53+Belkin,10/19/2006,5.87.19.1 latency=64 link=no maxlatency=64 mingnt=32 module=ndiswrapper multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11g
*-battery
physical id: 1
slot: Left Front
*-network DISABLED
description: Ethernet interface
physical id: 2
logical name: pan0
serial: 92:cc:2f:34:a0:78
capabilities: ethernet physical
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=bridge driverversion=2.3 firmware=N/A link=yes multicast=yes

[xd9x19]

I'm having issues with my Dell Inspiron 7500, also. Works fine with v8.10, but when I update to v9.04, it locks up on boot-up. :(

Last night it booted up to the login screen, but the keyboard didn't work. So I rebooted and it blew up with some kind of error message, a different one on two different reboots.

****

9.04 loaded up once the following evening....then shut down and wouldn't boot up. Gone back to 8.10....I'll just wait for 9.10 in a couple of months and try again.