PDA

View Full Version : [ubuntu] Aaaaaarrrgghhh! Bloody Linux Installation Hassles!!



markuswinter
July 14th, 2009, 11:06 PM
Ok, had to get that of my chest.

I'm a Mac User since about 1988. Doesn't mean I don't know my way around PCs. As a matter of fact I build and set up about 600-700 PCs during the Win98 to XP period. Then two years ago I swore to myself to not touch a Windows system again. And have been a LOT happier.

Now a friend came to me. She had an old PC (1.1 GHz Celeron, 128 MB RAM, 80 GB HD, DVD-RW) which didn't work anymore and had been languishing in a cupboard for quite a while. It just kept on beeping but wouldn't start. She just wanted to make sure there were no private data on the hard disk when she sells it.

Well, continuous beeping indicates a memory problem. So I reseated the RAM and voila - no more beeping.

Formatted the hard disk (as FAT). Now what to install? I probably have some old Windows installation disks around but I decide to go for Linux - it's an old machine after all, and Linux should run much better than XP …

So I downloaded Ubuntu 9.0.4 Desktop edition and burned it to CD. Put the CD into the PC and rebooted. Ubuntu screen comes up - first thing I notice is that my USB keyboard and mouse don't work - so I can't select any language and have to wait until it times out with the englisch default. Then it continues ... and continues ... and continues ... but at least my mouse can move the pointer ...

After about 30 min of continuous CD activity the whole thing just stops at a blank screen. Just great. Ubuntu seems pretty clueless right now.

I download Mandriva 2009 (thank God for fast internet), burn it onto CD, put it in, reboot - hey, keyboard works .... I can select german as language. Then it continues ... and continues ... and continues ... and after about 30 min it asks me for the login and password. WTF? Hmmm, don't like that. There is no indication that the default download is not free ...

So I now download Fedora 11. Same procedure: download the ISO file, burn to CD, shove it in, and it chucks along ... and chucks along ... and chucks along ... (what the heck are these Linux distros doing?? MacOS X boots from CD on my old PowerMac with a single 450 MHz G4 processor which is about equivalent to a 600 MHz Pentium 4 in under 2 minutes) ... and it still reads and reads and reads ...

After another 50 min wasted I give up, reboot and take the CD out. I look around for an old Windows installation disk - I find an old OEM from "The PC Company" in New Zealand from around 2002 or 2003 (no SP1 or anything). Boots fine, I decide to reformat the harddisk as NTSF, then installation proceeds fine. Everything up and running after about 50 min.

I wonder if the NTSF makes a difference. It shouldn't, but you never know. So I boot again from the Ubuntu CD. Same as before - stops after about 30 min (and LOTS of CD activity) at a blank screen.

I tried. I really tried. I have three burned CDR to prove it. But this is simply ridiculous. On this evidence Linux has a looooooong way to go.

I'm tempted to try the Kalyway MACOS X 10.5.2 disk (it's not supposed to run on this configuration, but it can't do any worse that Linux ... and I'm curious ...). But it is nearly midnight, I spend a whole evening on a bloody PC again - and for what?

I just turned off the PC. Ahhh - the silence. I'm typing this on my 17in MacBook Pro and look at the "new" 24in iMac that I got yesterday (second hand btw .... and it is destined for my father). Both are silent, and you can hear yourself think.

Setting up the iMac yesterday was actually fun. I can't describe anything I did this evening as fun.

Markus

francis_dollarhyde
July 14th, 2009, 11:10 PM
tbh, i downloaded and tried to install kubuntu twice today and it just wouldnt install so i tried an old disc id got with ubuntu hardy heron on it-went on straight away no problems! i even got my nvidia g/card to work easily and ive just installed all of the programs/codecs etc to enable me to play dvds/cds...ubuntu is just sooooooooo sweet!

pastalavista
July 14th, 2009, 11:19 PM
128MB is not enough RAM for a full-blown "modern" OS. Either add a stick or two of RAM or try a lighter distro of linux. Puppy Linux (http://www.puppylinux.org/) would work...

edit:MB yes, I editied too late

markuswinter
July 14th, 2009, 11:21 PM
128MB is not enough RAM for a full-blown "modern" OS. Either add a stick or two of RAM or try a lighter distro of linux. Puppy Linux (http://www.puppylinux.org/) would work...
I presume you mean MB ;) but yes, should have noticed that. Just thought that Linux would need less than the bloated Windows ...

running_rabbit07
July 14th, 2009, 11:23 PM
You should try Xubuntu 8.04LTS. It is the Long Term Support edition and should work. Xubuntu is a lot lighter. I have it working on an old MS 2000Prof laptop and it runs great. I set that one up for my 5 year old.

Here is the link that will tell you the system requirement for the latest versions from Ubuntu (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SystemRequirements)!

ddrichardson
July 14th, 2009, 11:24 PM
It does need less than Windows but the graphical installer (Ubiquity) needs 256Mb - the alternate text install CD will run fine, though I'd advise a lighter distribution than Ubuntu. If you're as knowledgeable as you seem I'm sure you could cope with Arch and build your own.

Ranko95
July 14th, 2009, 11:24 PM
lol thats very odd, i have installed ubuntu 8.10 and 9.04 many times from a very ****** computer. )only 192 mb of ram) It worked perfectly everytime...

jerome1232
July 14th, 2009, 11:26 PM
(1.1 GHz Celeron, 128 MB RAM, 80 GB HD, DVD-RW)

128 MB isn't enough ram to run most live cds.

Try the Alternate install, With that setup you would probably want a lightweight window manager like fluxbox. Gnome and probably xfce will be to heavy.

Maybe build up from a base cli install to get a decent preforming system.

running_rabbit07
July 14th, 2009, 11:32 PM
I tried. I really tried. I have three burned CDR to prove it. But this is simply ridiculous. On this evidence Linux has a looooooong way to go.
Markus

That is why I use rewritable CDs when burning a temp .ISO.

markuswinter
July 14th, 2009, 11:34 PM
I had a look at the different home pages - only Ubuntu seems to mention any system requirements (I couldn't find anything on the Mandriva or Fedora websites).

Thanks all for the advice, but it's 0:30 am now and I'm going to bed ... and I doubt I'll touch the PC again as it is being picked up tomorrow, and anyway I'm getting married next week so there are a lot of other things I should be doing … ;)

lukeiamyourfather
July 14th, 2009, 11:43 PM
Sounds like the decade old computer with 128MB of memory is the problem, not the modern GNU Linux operating system. ;)

Agreed that a lighter Linux distribution would be the best plan of action. Using a legacy Windows install might work for a week or two, but without security updates and without the ability to use any modern software (like anything .NET for example) would be frustrating to say the least. Cheers!

running_rabbit07
July 14th, 2009, 11:43 PM
I had a look at the different home pages - only Ubuntu seems to mention any system requirements (I couldn't find anything on the Mandriva or Fedora websites).

Thanks all for the advice, but it's 0:30 am now and I'm going to bed ... and I doubt I'll touch the PC again as it is being picked up tomorrow, and anyway I'm getting married next week so there are a lot of other things I should be doing … ;)

System Requirements (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SystemRequirements) Click me!

raymondh
July 14th, 2009, 11:49 PM
Fedora (http://docs.fedoraproject.org/release-notes/f11/en-US/index.html#sect-Release_Notes-Hardware_Requirements) release notes

Mandriva (http://www2.mandriva.com/linux/one/) One requirements

geogur
July 14th, 2009, 11:54 PM
Why do you think linux is to blame get a pc and be amazed by oss !

oldos2er
July 15th, 2009, 03:33 AM
With those specs, you should try either Damn Small or Puppy Linux.

markuswinter
July 15th, 2009, 09:56 AM
As I said, it's an old PC, it's not mine, and I do not have any more of the old RAM around to upgrade it to 256 MB.

Thanks to all the very knowledgeable help I got! If I had an old PC to play around with I would try Linux again but as I'm exceedingly happy with my Mac it will probably be some time before that happens.

Best Regards

Markus

markuswinter
July 15th, 2009, 10:06 AM
You should try Xubuntu 8.04LTS. It is the Long Term Support edition and should work. Xubuntu is a lot lighter. I have it working on an old MS 2000Prof laptop and it runs great. I set that one up for my 5 year old.

Here is the link that will tell you the system requirement for the latest versions from Ubuntu (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SystemRequirements)!

Not quite:

Minimum requirements

333 MHz processor
192 MB of system memory (RAM)
At least 1.5 GB of disk space
VGA graphics card


Recommended minimum requirements

800 MHz processor
256 MB of system memory (RAM)
6 GB of disk space
Graphics card capable of 800x600 resolution

3rdalbum
July 15th, 2009, 01:28 PM
(what the heck are these Linux distros doing?? MacOS X boots from CD on my old PowerMac with a single 450 MHz G4 processor which is about equivalent to a 600 MHz Pentium 4 in under 2 minutes) ...

Now try it on a Mac with 128 megs of RAM and no Firewire port. Funnily enough, it won't boot. Tried it.

running_rabbit07
July 15th, 2009, 03:13 PM
Not quite:

Minimum requirements

333 MHz processor
192 MB of system memory (RAM)
At least 1.5 GB of disk space
VGA graphics card


Recommended minimum requirements

800 MHz processor
256 MB of system memory (RAM)
6 GB of disk space
Graphics card capable of 800x600 resolution



Check this one out. It is for really light systems. (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/LowMemorySystems) It can work with as little as 32MB RAM. It uses a text install so that you can add the programs you want with out all the extras using up space and you can prioritise how they use the RAM.

I don't know if your are willing to spend money of the system you are building for someone else but upgrading the RAM to 256 or 512 should be pretty cheap. From what I have read, some of the older motherboards can't handle Gigabytes of RAM.