Cannot Install

[MontrealDude]

I tried installing Ubuntu 11.04 64bit from a CD on a machine configured as follows:

CPU : AMD Phenom II 560 Black Edition
MB : Asus M5A97
RAM : Kingston KVR1333 DDR3
HD : WD Caviar Blue 1 TB
V-Card : Asus Radeon 6450
DVD-ROM - LG SATA DVD-R/RW


The purple page with the white keyboard looking thing with a stick figure man at the bottom appeared... and I thought YES here we go...

Unfortunately the screen then went all haywire... green and red lines up and down the screen... yet the CD was spinning...

Eventually the screen went black with a flashing white underscore ... like a command prompt... I tried typing but nothing was coming up on the screen. The CD was no longer spinning.

I thought maybe my CD of the 64 bit Ubuntu was corrupted, so I tried my 32 bit CD which I used to install on this machine which I'm writing from now... exact same results, minus the weird green and red lines going up and down the screen, just went straight to a black command prompt type screen.

This is not the first PC I put together, I double checked the MB manual to make sure I had all the wires in the right places. Made sure that the RAM was in the appropriate slots, SATA adapters in the recommended slots ETC... everything SHOULD be working fine.

This is the first time I've ever had problems before installation even begins... :(

Any advice on what might be happening would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[MG&TL]

Stupid question....but your machine IS 64-bit, right?

[MontrealDude]

Yes my processor is both 32 and 64 bit... and if it wasn't, the 32 bit CD would have worked I assume.

[MG&TL]

Sorry-misread you. :(

I don't know enough about the hardware in question to give a correct answer, but you could have a look at setting boot parameters:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1613132

For instance, I suppose there might not be a driver available for your graphics card, so you see nothing.

[Pumalite]

Try the Alternate CD
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/alternative-download

[MG&TL]

If you're going to use the alternate cd, great, but be warned, a) it's hard b) wired internet is much preferable.

[MontrealDude]

Define "hard" ?

[MG&TL]

Are you competent in UNIX/Linux commands, and command-line options, command-line text editors, and can connect to the internet manually via command-line?

Maybe not 'hard' ins the strict sense of the word, but not user friendly, either.

In short, it's a command-line, not a desktop.

[MG&TL]

What do you want to use your computer for?

Some use the alternate cd as a command-line forever, others use it as a path to a desktop they wouldn't usually be able to get.

[MontrealDude]

Well sounds like I wont be using the alternate CD then...

I'd have no idea what commands to enter etc.

I want the typical Ubuntu desktop environment so I can surf the web, and do simple stuff...

I really love the Ubuntu OS I have on this machine, especially since I hate Winblows... but Ubuntu and Linux in general seem to have a really hard time with newer hardware. Driver issues come up constantly even with older stuff...

Not to mention that since Ubuntu is free... the only "support" you get is from other users and sometimes developers who take time out of their own lives to try and help you... which is much appreciated but somewhat frustrating in situations like mine.

I had created a thread before even building the machine itself asking if anyone had issues with my particular hardware and all I really got as a response was "good luck, you'll probably be ok..."

Where's the super tech supports guys hiding?? lol

Thanks to everyone who tries to help, it's very much appreciated!
:D

[Hakunka-Matata]

I tried installing Ubuntu 11.04 64bit from a CD on a machine configured as follows:

The purple page with the white keyboard looking thing with a stick figure man at the bottom appeared... and I thought YES here we go...

Thanks

Press F6 ?, that's a maybe, maybe ESC, hit some keys to see if you get an options menu at that time. Might be options there you could try.