new to ubuntu (12:04) and many things dont seem to work

[gnowair]

it needs to reformat my iomega meory drive, so i cant do it at all just now. it would mean wiping out all of my work before i can get it on this laptop.
the above terminal commands, am not sure if anything changed after trying that.
if only there was a way, as i can with windows,create or mount a virtual disc! but then,how can i install it!

[buzzingrobot]

Well, again, it's unclear exactly what steps you've taken.

In any case, as mentioned, it certainly seems like the install was broken. In such cases, the only real alternative is to do a fresh installation.

When you boot a working ISO image, the initial display will offer an option to install Ubuntu or to try Ubuntu. The 'Try Ubuntu' option runs Ubuntu in so-called Live Mode, meaning it runs it off the ISO image on the DVD or USB stick and does not touch the hard drive. (It runs easonably fast off a USB, pretty slow off a DVD.) I recommend you choose that option because it's a good way to check for hardware problems. If everything seems to work, go on and do the install.

[Vladlenin5000]

Is you "iomega memory drive" an external USB HDD? With 500GB it probably is... If so it won't work, don't bother. What you need is a common USB flash memory with at least 2GB (higher is OK too but some 32 or 64GB ones might not work) if you intend to (re)install your system using the USB method. Of course, you can use a DVD if the farmer method is too much for you (it probably is...), just make sure the downloaded ISO file isn't corrupt before burning - you need the same care for the USB method, obviously. THAT'S WHY several people recommended TORRENT. Again, obviously, you should do it from another computer.

The commands were for checking only. No changes.

if only there was a way, as i can with windows,create or mount a virtual disc! but then,how can i install it!

There is, it's even easier than in Windows but that's not what you want to do. What you "want" to do is reinstall and for that you need proper installation media. The sooner you understand this the better. You'll be wasting your time (and ours) doing otherwise.

[gnowair]

How many times more should we tell you that you have a completely broken installation? How many times times more should we say to download using another computer because that one as it is now is BROKEN?

HOW many times did I have to say to YOU that i couldnt do any of the above? HOW many?
if i could physically go get a dvd, dont you think i would have?
your hiding behind being a tehcy here mate, but your playing a really nasty head-game that implies that the person having a problem IS the problem. thats rather abusive mate.

am just trying to fix something that shudnt have been broken in the first place, namely my laptop by ububtus inability to copy to disc (it is meant to be free after all,so shouyld be able to take that), and my having to deal with all the rubbish i've been dealing with all day with no work done,no chance to be with family,
is this what i came here for? for that above message?

i deliberately said in a recently previous message, to all that took any bother to read, that i will not reformat my memory box as yet due to NEEDING the files apon it for working,

i have no way to get the rather large distance to any form of shop or workshop (we dont all drive cars, or want to)
i cant run from my memory drive because A) ubuntu has to reformat it first (not mentioned in ANY of the info promoting it) which is a bit naff since it can read it and write in it (windows 7, iomega 500gb memory drive),
and ubuntu fails each time i try to install ANYTHING!
hence all of the above help, sadly, has had no possible way to be of any effect whatsoever, and that guy in above message is hitting it with the big-billydaddy-balls?

i came here to learn something so i could enjoy getting away from windows, and found i had a really stinkingly bad day, and ended up being as good as shouted as as if i were a jouvenile fool.

thanx ubuntu, really made my day!
will be taking a copy of these pages before you delete and block me, as i imagine such an angry nasty forum moderator would.

[ajgreeny]

You are obviously managing to post to this forum on a computer at present.

Is that computer a Ubuntu machine (never mind for the moment whether or not the OS is broken)?

If it is, then you already have a torrent client (transmission) and a disk burner (brasero) which you could try to use to download and then burn a new .iso file. It must be worth trying that as you will not need to download anything else to do the job, and with luck you may get a new good image file (the .iso image) and a good burn of that image to DVD or USB. For a DVD make sure you burn the image at as slow a speed as is possible on your hardware.

If you don't have an available USB that is big enough, but perhaps have a digital camera with a large enough memory card, and you also have a card reader, you could also use that; it will work just like a normal memory stick.

If you don't have any possible way to carry out any of these or other posters suggestions, and do not want to, or can not get a new blank DVD or USB flash drive, I regret that there is no way I or anybody else can help you. We try to do our best, but we can not come up with ways to do things that need hardware that you either don't have, or can not get hold of in any way.

[Vladlenin5000]

Look mate, we're volunteers here. Nobody here gets even a dime for the time we're wasting were with such trivialities so, first and foremost, please tone down your comments. It's NOT OUR FAULT your installation went wrong in the first place. Whether the problem was you, your computer's peculiarities, the climate change, north-American butterflies migration, whatever... is a moot point. What matters is you currently have an unusable OS and any attempt to fix it is probably a (huge) waste of time. You need to install again, PERIOD. How you're going to do is UP TO YOU but you need to.

This are the requirements for the installation:
1. A correctly downloaded ISO, preferably of the latest version 14.04;
2. A blank DVD -or- a USB pen (NOT a USB hard drive -> It won't work and then you'll be back here with another rant)

If you don't have any of the #2 options - honestly - that's NOT my problem. However, you already have one DVD with 12.04, don't you? I mean the one you already used to that (botched) installation... Now, if you don't want/can't do as suggested many times before - download using torrent instead of direct download in order to avoid issues - please at least TEST the one you already have:

Boot with it and press any key when you see this image


Then, select the option to verify the disk from the menu. There are two possible results, OK or fail.
OK -> Proceed to reinstall with the same media*.
Fail -> Trow that DVD to the trash, get another, a USB, whatever...

* Open another thread with the errors you experienced with the new installation, if any. Then - and only then - someone can help you.

[buzzingrobot]

am just trying to fix something that shudnt have been broken in the first place, namely my laptop by ububtus inability to copy to disc...

That's confusing, so let me ask:

Are you working on a Windows machine trying to add Ubuntu so you can dual boot both operating systems?

Are you having problems burning the Ubuntu ISO to a DVD or USB stick? If so, have you read and followed the advice here: http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop. That page offers download links and instructions for correctly burning an ISO in Windows, Ubuntu or OS X. (The ISO image cannot be *copied* as if it were an ordinary file.)

i deliberately said in a recently previous message, to all that took any bother to read, that i will not reformat my memory box as yet due to NEEDING the files apon it for working...

"memory box" is the 500 GB Iomage drive? An external USB drive? Is that the target for the Ubuntu install? If so, you will need to adjust your BIOS to boot off of it, after you have installed Ubuntu.

By the way, the Ubuntu installer formats the partitions on which it will be installed.

Not to belabor the point, but if, as you say, you saw many errors during the install attempt, the install is broken and cannot be repaired in place. (Nor could we help you repair it, even if it could be repaired, because you have not told us anything specific about what is or is not working correctly.) Typically, if the installer encounters an error, it stops altogether. As mentioned, if you could tell us the nature or, ideally, the wording of the error messages, we might be able to deduce what went wrong. (You have not identified the video card; unsupported or unusual video cards can be problems.)

At this point, your only course of action is to correctly burn a new ISO install image and do another installation.

[oldos2er]

Please keep replies on topic. If you come across an objectionable post, use the Report Post button to notify staff.

[Bucky Ball]

if only there was a way, as i can with windows,create or mount a virtual disc! but then,how can i install it!

Yes, you can do that on a working Win install. You can also do it on a working Ubuntu install, but you don't have a working Ubuntu install.

I suggest procuring a blank DVD or a 4Gb USB stick. Cheap and readily available. Borrow a USB or scrounge a blank DVD from a friend/relative/neighbour? Maybe then we can actually get somewhere with helping you get a working install. At the moment we seem to be going in circles. You don't want to/can't format your iomega because it has data on in so dead end. Forget that. Move on.

PS: And please, can we take a deep breath, calm down and keep it civil as this thread is now starting to teeter on the brink of hostility. As oldoser2 has suggested, please keep it on topic (rather than turning the thread into a slanging session - not acceptable here). Then we might start getting some way towards a resolution. Twenty nine posts in and not much has been achieved ... bar a heap of frustration. Thanks.

[kansasnoob]

12.04 LTS is supported until April 2015, is well current and rock solid. From what you've said, sounds like a dodgy burn to DVD. It happens. If you can boot from that DVD and choose the option 'Check the disk for defects' you'll soon find out. My guess is it's that simple.

You can create a LiveUSB rather than use a DVD. That is another option for installing.

Precise (12.04) is supported until April 2017:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

I prefer using the archived 12.04.1 images for my Precise installs/reinstalls due to the LTS hardware enablement policy.