Newb w/ Linux: Xubuntu install help

[Krimson Rose]

Hi all. This is my first post here, and i am a newbie when it comes to all things linux. My laptop is a bit old, got it from a friend and it was running xp verrrry slow. I read up on some things with linux and decided that Xubuntu would be good for my specs. Intel processer (not sure which one or how to find that out now - sticker on comp says Celeron M inside), 60g HDD, and something like 358m ram. I have copied the cd (3 times now) to a disc. Third disc seemed to work fine. at least on my hubby's desktop it did. I figured wiping the hard drive and starting fresh would be best, I didn't want to mess with duel boots. I set it up to boot from the disc and i got the loading screen. Yay! thought i was on the right track. I couldn't click on the first option, because I don't have a running OS on the system right now. I click on the second option the screen went black, then a mouse showed up and i got to choose a language. Before I could click forward, it froze. I waited about 10 min. to give it time to 'think' then forced a reboot. Now if I click to Install, the screen goes black with a white bar at the top left and freezes there. I tried to check if disc was okay, it freezes. I saw on another post to do the memory test, so i am doing that now. At least something is happening on screen. Even if the memory test passes, I have no clue what to do from here. Does anyone know what I need to do? And if so can you dumb the talk down for a newbie? Thank you in advance!

Krimson Rose

update: finished testing memory: it said pass complete 0 errors. when i click on install, it goes to the mouse, lots of script, then i get to the first page. i can click forward for the language, and the timezone, but when i got to the keyboard layout it froze. couldn't move the mouse, couldn't eject the disc. It seems like I have only a limited amount of time before it freezes... tried about 3 times, keeps freezing at slightly different times. The laptop just quits 'thinking' and it freezes. Downloading alternate to try, will try puppylinux if i keep having issues...

[beta.tester]

Hi

In haste as am about to turn in for the evening (its 20:00 here in the UK :)

At the main screen, you could try the other options to include:

/noapic and /nolacpi

If you would let me know hot it goes will try to answer GMT time tomorrow ;)

Kind regards and keep un ubuntuing :) john

[Krimson Rose]

Whatever those options were, it seemed to help. I think I am in the 'try it out' mode. I will mess around with it for a bit and then most likely install. Thank you for your help! I will keep you updated on how it goes!

Krimson Rose

Tried the install. First time got to 41% then froze. Second: 94%. Third: finished then suddenley a ton of script where I could type some commands, then it froze. Fourth: completed install, said it needed to reboot so I clicked okay and it wouldn't even shut down all the way, had to hard power off. When I turned it back on, it didn't recognize that any OS was installed.

At each step actually no OS would be seen, then when I got to the partition part, it would say ubuntu was installed, not xubuntu. ](*,)

Something I'm missing? Or is it hardware?

After all my attempts, hubby got home and worked on it. He even reinstalled xp (which installed smoothly) to try to 'try' xubuntu and install that way. He said it would just freeze in random spots, but would ultimately freeze with no rhyme or reason.

Little bit at a loss...:( any ideas would be awesome, I'm not giving up! :rolleyes:

Krimson Rose

[beta.tester]

Good morning Krimson :)


Whatever those options were, it seemed to help. I think I am in the 'try it out' mode. I will mess around with it for a bit and then most likely install. Thank you for your help! I will keep you updated on how it goes!

Krimson Rose

Tried the install. First time got to 41% then froze. Second: 94%. Third: finished then suddenley a ton of script where I could type some commands, then it froze. Fourth: completed install, said it needed to reboot so I clicked okay and it wouldn't even shut down all the way, had to hard power off. When I turned it back on, it didn't recognize that any OS was installed.

At each step actually no OS would be seen, then when I got to the partition part, it would say ubuntu was installed, not xubuntu. ](*,)



Something I'm missing? Or is it hardware?

After all my attempts, hubby got home and worked on it. He even reinstalled xp (which installed smoothly) to try to 'try' xubuntu and install that way. He said it would just freeze in random spots, but would ultimately freeze with no rhyme or reason.

Little bit at a loss...:( any ideas would be awesome, I'm not giving up! :rolleyes:

Krimson Rose


OK just to clarify please, what flavour of Ubuntu are you trying to install (Gnome, KDE etc.)? and also what version are you trying to install? 9.04 9.10 or the 10.04 beta 2. Could you also confirm the iso file name that you downloaded and what it is please?

It could be hardware but lets establish the other causes before assuming that as you say Windows XP appears to install ok :)

My simple advice download xubuntu again (9.10) and make a cd using the slowest write speed possible and verify the copy after. Then try again with those 2 options (I think it is F6 as you are at the main screen (other options).

Let me know how it goes please and enjoy Ubuntuing :)

kind regards john

[Krimson Rose]

I'm trying to install Xubuntu. It said the latest stable version 9.10 Karmic Koala at the Xubuntu.org page. Xfce I believe is what desktop it uses. I have copied and verified the disc 3 times at a write speed of 4x(lowest i could do) using the Desktop Cd. xubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso is the file. I downloaded but have not copied to a disc or tried the Alternate install yet.

I will try again, maybe later today, but all those pesky chores like buying groceries and catching up on laundry may take my time today. ;P

Thanks for the continued help.:D

Krimson Rose

update: I am getting to it a bit today. I am copying the alternative disc and going to try it out. I will probably let you know by tomorrow how it goes.

[beta.tester]

I'm trying to install Xubuntu. It said the latest stable version 9.10 Karmic Koala at the Xubuntu.org page. Xfce I believe is what desktop it uses. I have copied and verified the disc 3 times at a write speed of 4x(lowest i could do) using the Desktop Cd. xubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso is the file. I downloaded but have not copied to a disc or tried the Alternate install yet.

I will try again, maybe later today, but all those pesky chores like buying groceries and catching up on laundry may take my time today. ;P

Thanks for the continued help.:D

Krimson Rose

update: I am getting to it a bit today. I am copying the alternative disc and going to try it out. I will probably let you know by tomorrow how it goes.

Please let us know how it is going! Those chores that you do are are *vital* My wife has been my helpmate for just over 42 years now and I would be lost without her :)

Keep on Ubuntuing john