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mattxc
February 13th, 2009, 02:45 AM
DISCLAIMER: I have never, ever worked with linux. i am relatively experienced with computers, most especially windows.

on to the issue.

i found an older (maybe 1-3 years after xp's release) laptop that works in xp pretty well for itself despite being rather skimpy on the performance end:

compaq presario 1700t
intel pentium III 1000Mhz
256mb RAM

yadda yadda yadda.


i have burnt several copies of ubuntu 8.10 using infrarecorder to burn an iso, the discs all checked out ok, no errors. the laptop boots into the cd fine, but when i get to the splash where i can select wheter to try ubuntu without installing, install it, check the cd, and a few other sundry items, i can select any one of these. but when i hit ENTER on the one i want, well, i hear the cd drive start spinning, the computer chugs away for 30 sec (during which i have no control of anything on the screen), the cd drive stops. then i am restored control of which option i want. this happens on each item, every time.

so i decided to try pressing escape and going into the text-based shell (boot: ) and typed in various items i have found on this forum and others that have supposedly worked for other issues. every single time, i get the error: "invalid or corrupt kernel image"

the command that got closest to working (i.e. took the longest to process) was


/casper/vmlinuz noapic nolapic

followed again, by "invalid or corrupt kernel image"

so basically i cannot even run the live version of ubuntu, any advice? i understand that i did not explain this very well but i am in need of some help. please ask questions, i will answer them as well as i can

tia!

matt

lemming465
February 14th, 2009, 11:43 PM
According to this archived thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-387201.html) the '1700t has buggy acpi. Try booting with acpi=off.

The symptom you are reporting is consistent with an inability of the linux kernel to access the CD or DVD drive; the next thing the initial ramdisk has to do after syslinux loads the kernel.

mattxc
February 15th, 2009, 08:15 PM
Thank you for your reply.

I just tried that... no luck. CD still starts spinning, then stops. I'm beginning to think that Ubuntu simply won't work on the 1700t. Is this possible?


In the archived thread, there is a mention of a project called acpi4Linux... I'm not sure how to implement this tool to see if it will work for me. Any advice regarding this project is appreciated.

Any other ideas (or pointing out things I have done incorrectly) are welcomed!

Elfy
February 15th, 2009, 08:21 PM
From the getubuntu page - minimum requirements - 384 MB of system memory (RAM)

I would try with xubuntu

http://www.xubuntu.org/

mattxc
February 15th, 2009, 08:35 PM
Ok, I'm currently downloading xubuntu.

mattxc
February 15th, 2009, 09:38 PM
Hmmm..

Xubuntu installation seems to get me one step further, but still not to installation yet. When I choose "Install Xubuntu" the notebook just sounds like it is running the cd over and over, stopping and starting again.

I pressed ESC and entered the text-based boot menu, and typed
/casper/vmlinuz noapic nolapic as above. Following this input, there is a message that says "Loading /casper/vmlinuz" followed by many dots ".............." every minute or so, there is another dot added. I guess the computer is just having trouble loading off the CD at this point. Any suggestions?

EDIT: I chose to leave the Loading screen to sit and after a little while, I am presented with a black screen and blinking cursor at the top left. The computer does not seem to be doing anything. Help?

Elfy
February 15th, 2009, 09:50 PM
Not sure but try this - when you boot do F4 (I think) so you can add acpi=off to the boot line as mentioned above - you might also try safe graphics

Otherwise not sure -

mattxc
February 15th, 2009, 09:57 PM
Ok thank you. Just FYI: acpi=off can be added when F6 is pressed twice.

I will try using acpi=off and safe graphics at the same time. If this doesnt work.... I give in for now.

Unless someone else can help me, that is.

I appreciate everyone's help.

mattxc
February 15th, 2009, 10:17 PM
I have now made it through /casper/vmlinuz............................. and am loading /casper/initrd.gz.......

lots of dots but hey whatever it takes

mattxc
February 15th, 2009, 11:08 PM
GAH

back to the blinking cursor at the top. I'm assuming that means something is not working? I will leave it sit for a while.

EDIT: Left it sit, no cigar. Something is definitely wrong.

mattxc
February 16th, 2009, 02:06 AM
UPDATE: I tried the alternate cd of Xubuntu and now everything seems to have installed fine. Odd but whatever, I got it working.

Thanks to everyone who offered help!