Trying to install Xubuntu to an old Dell Latitude

[cwblanch]

Hi,
I've been trying to install Xubuntu, and other Linux for that matter, to a pretty old Dell Latitude D520 and it just won't work.
I get the text based installer, and once it gets to the end it gives me one error or another (once I try it again I will post the error) every now and then it will install right, but then it just won't boot.
I've tried to install Crunch Bang Back Track 5, Ubuntu, Puppy Linux, and some other small sized distros and nothing is really working. If it installs it wont boot, if it boots it doesn't stay that way for long. Is it a problem with the physical computer?

Thanks!

[jj97403]

I don't have the answer, or any answer, but I wanted to chime since I've run into similar problems and I know how frustrating it is when graphics won't start.

Might be something with the graphics card. I don't know how to fix it. This won't help you since I don't know the answer, but a couple years back I used to run into the same problem trying to install Puppy Linux on an old machine. Somewhere along the way there is a command you enter to activate a defualt graphics mode. I just don't remember what it is. I think the help pages / documentation for Puppy Linux will tell you how to boot into default graphics if it does not automatically start.

If you can boot into a Live CD, I would think that you would be able to install a linux distro on the machine unless some component of the your machine was broken. If there is still an underlying Windows OS that you can boot into, then your machine should be usable. At least if it is not older than XP. Now this is just specualtion on my part, but if the machine is older than XP it just might not be usable with the newer linux distros.

Once I though my machine was completely dead, but after enough tinkering I got it working. Another time, with another machine, all the tinkering in the world didn't bring it to life.

[MAFoElffen]

Look in my Graphics Resolution Sticky, link in my sig line... Down near the end of Post #1 > Intel i950 video tips. Post # 2 has a link to a tip for Installing Xubuntu from the LiveCD and putting the installer in text mode. That was something I found out specifically while installing on old Dell Latitudes.

Once you get the graphics working, then you just have to make sure you have enough memory (RAM) to run what you are trying to run...