problems installing on old laptop

[billbobagwell]

hey, i am new to ubuntu. I decided to finally try to escape the windows world, so i searched around and thought lubuntu looked pretty interesting. Never using anything besides windows i decided to try lubuntu on an ol' cheapie. so here's my problem. i have a toshiba satellite 1800-s203 with 800mhz intel celeron, 256mb ram, 40 hd and a 8mb Trident Microsystems Cyber-blade AI1 video chip. When i try to install it will begin, blue screen with Lubuntu 12.10 loading, then after about 5mins it goes black with lubuntu 12.10 still loading and finally it just goes black. I've tried nomodeset but still nothing please help!

P.S. I have a feeling it may have something to do with the graphics chip being how its kinda an out there old card

okay now it went to the black loading screen and said *starting *starting *stopped and then nothing again

[Mr. Shannon]

Are you using the regular install disk or the alternate installer. The regular installer requires more memory than you have available. That graphics card may also be an issue: here is a really old thread dealing with that issue (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=806835). I have no idea whether this will work for you or not.

To be honest, as a first step into the world of linux you are adding a lot of hardship to yourself by attempting to use such an old machine with a modern operating system. I hope this does not discourage you. With some distro's of linux it is possible, but it may not be easy.

Edited to remove irrelevant PAE information.

[fantab]

Welcome!

How did you BURN Lubuntu on the install media?

Lets first rule out a bad download and/or a bad burn lubuntu on CD/USB. Do a MD5SUM CHECK on your downloaded lubuntu.iso image. If its not OK then re-download Lubuntu (torrent download is recommended).
Then Burn to CD/DVD or Burn to USB. Use Unetbootin if your are burning the lubuntu image on USB.

Edit: If all the above checks are fine and if you still have problems then as suggested in previous post use the Lubuntu Alternate Installer and read the How To.

[mastablasta]

hey, i am new to ubuntu. I decided to finally try to escape the windows world, so i searched around and thought lubuntu looked pretty interesting. Never using anything besides windows i decided to try lubuntu on an ol' cheapie. so here's my problem. i have a toshiba satellite 1800-s203 with 800mhz intel celeron, 256mb ram, 40 hd and a 8mb Trident Microsystems Cyber-blade AI1 video chip. When i try to install it will begin, blue screen with Lubuntu 12.10 loading, then after about 5mins it goes black with lubuntu 12.10 still loading and finally it just goes black. I've tried nomodeset but still nothing please help!

1. use 12.04.
2. you wont' be able to use graphical installer with 256 ram. it will crash (which is probably what happened)
3. as suggested use alternate installer or minimal iso (i.e. network install...).

here is a nice how to with pics: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/minimal
link to mini iso.: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/In...tion/MinimalCD


Another option is to use a different os that will be friendlier to your system. i can suggest Chrunchbang (very easy to install for us newbies) and AntiX (easy on resources, looks like win95 with modern progs)). both are debian based (well antix is mepis based which is debian based) with large repositories of applicaitons and such.

if all of these are too small have a look at puppy linux (independent development) or slitaz which are made for old mashcines.

[mörgæs]

I assume we are dealing with this CPU:
http://ark.intel.com/products/27197/...he-100-MHz-FSB

In that case PAE is not a problem. Please don't bring the PAE ghost into each and every discussion regarding old hardware.

The problem here is lack of RAM. You will not have a usable system unless you give it at least 500 MB (and even then it will be slow).

[sudodus]

hey, i am new to ubuntu. I decided to finally try to escape the windows world, so i searched around and thought lubuntu looked pretty interesting. Never using anything besides windows i decided to try lubuntu on an ol' cheapie. so here's my problem. i have a toshiba satellite 1800-s203 with 800mhz intel celeron, 256mb ram, 40 hd and a 8mb Trident Microsystems Cyber-blade AI1 video chip. When i try to install it will begin, blue screen with Lubuntu 12.10 loading, then after about 5mins it goes black with lubuntu 12.10 still loading and finally it just goes black. I've tried nomodeset but still nothing please help!

P.S. I have a feeling it may have something to do with the graphics chip being how its kinda an out there old card

okay now it went to the black loading screen and said *starting *starting *stopped and then nothing again

I agree with the other people, that you need more memory to get a working system, that can browse the internet in a reasonably convenient way.

But if you want to play with linux on this machine, just to learn, it will be possible to install Lubuntu from the alternate CD, and to run it. My Lubuntu 12.04 uses 121 MB RAM idling (after log in), only half of your 256 GB of RAM. But I suggest that you download the 12.10 alternate iso file, because Lubuntu 12.04 end of life is in October this year.

It is also possible to run any of the tiny linux distros suggested: Chrunchbang, AntiX, puppy linux, slitaz. I can add DSL (damn small linux) to that list.

[mastablasta]

Then again RAspberry pi has a CPU like 250 Mhz pentium i believe and first version had 256MB ram. wasn't anything fast but it did the job realively well. i htink the GPu they use is sort of stornger than yours.

it much depends on applicaitons and what you plan to do with the maschines.

i use chrunchbang XFCE on the old 256MB maschine. it is based on current Debian stable 6.it uses about 80 MB ram on idle according to conky. might be a bit more. anyway can watch movies, browse the web... but the graphcis chip is a bit stronger and CPU is 1.2Ghz.

[fantab]

I agree with mastablasta, CRUNCHBANG is an excellent distro when it comes to a minimal working OS with GUI, for those new to Linux and for those with low spec machines.

[billbobagwell]

thanks for all the help and suggestions, but i'd rather try this on a more friendly computer... The dinosaur i'm working with now isn't worth all the trial and error. I'm only about a year into working with computers and most of the stuff i've done is more hardware and very little software. I really appreciate all the help! But i was thinking about trying some kind of Buntu on a compaq presario sr2011wm desktop with an Intel Celeron D 3.2mhz, 2gb ram, ATI Radeon Xpress200. Think i would run into any problems there and what OS would be best to try on this? Thanks again!

[ManamiVixen]

The Compaq will work, just watch out for the ATI. It could be trouble. As for OS, its good enough to run anything, even if some like Ubuntu with Unity might be slow.

As for the First laptop, Puppy is the best option. Puppy Linux is small, fast, easy to use, and requires little Linux knowledge to use.