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denis.positron
March 7th, 2017, 08:38 AM
Information about the machine: Laptop Acer Aspire 4720Z, HD 160 GB, RAM 2GB (old machine).
Aim: Install Ubuntu 16.04 preserving the pre-installed Windows (It is Windows XP, I think)

Hi,

I am trying to install Ubuntu 16.04 in a laptop with Windows. So I created a bootable USB stick. When I try to install Ubuntu the installation produces the following message

gfxboot.c32: not a com32r image
boot:

I searched on the internet and it is ease to work around using the procedure

Press tab
Type 'live'
Press enter

After the installation I restarted the system and I received the following message in my screen:

error: unknown filesystem
grub rescue>

Again I searched on the internet and I found some instructions that hypothetically would fix this problem:

The command

grub rescue> ls

returns

(hd0) (hd0,msdos6) (hd0,msdos5) (hd0,msdos4) (hd0,msdos2) (hd0,msdos1)

The command

ls (hd0,msdos4)/

returns some folders, between them I have boot/, home/, opt/, root/, usr/.

So msdos4 is the partition that I must regard. The next steps occur with no problem:

set prefix=(hd0,4)/boot/grub

set root=(hd0,4)

and the command

ls /

returns the same folders boot/, home/, opt/, root/, usr/, etc. above. But when I try the command

insmod normal

I am informed with the message

error: file not found.

After this command I was supposed to use the command normal, Ubuntu would be loaded and I would install grub2. I searched on the internet about this but I am with difficulties in proceed.

Then I decided to use the bootable USB stick in order to repair the grub or even reinstall Ubuntu. But when I do this I get the message

end kernel panic - not syncing vfs unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(2,0)

I can not boot from USB stick, so I can not repair the grub neither reinstall Ubuntu.
I am not able to move forward in this matter.
Please, any help will be appreciated.

Best regards,

Denis

mörgæs
March 7th, 2017, 01:24 PM
First of all I would suggest L/Xubuntu, not Ubuntu for a computer of this age.
Does it work better with one of these?

SeijiSensei
March 7th, 2017, 03:00 PM
Are you sure you're using the right architecture, probably 32-bit on a machine of this vintage?

Try this link for 32-bit Lubuntu 16.04.2: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/lubuntu/releases/16.04.2/release/lubuntu-16.04-desktop-i386.iso

mörgæs
March 7th, 2017, 04:10 PM
I don't think so. It is were a 64 bit ISO failing because of 32 bit hardware the install would not have proceeded that long and original poster would have received an explicit error message.

SeijiSensei
March 7th, 2017, 10:18 PM
I don't think so. It is were a 64 bit ISO failing because of 32 bit hardware the install would not have proceeded that long and original poster would have received an explicit error message.

Now that I recall, the installer should have complained pretty much at the outset. Guess that's not the issue.

denis.positron
March 8th, 2017, 07:28 PM
Hi guys,

Thank you for the suggestions and comments you provided so kindly.

The system is now installed and operating. However I would appreciate your opinion about a question I have.
But before I must explain my actions that resulted in failures and the actions that allowed the adequate installation of the OS.

At first I tried to create the following partitions in my disk (the Windows, Vista, was already in a separated partition)

/boot - primary - 1GB
swap - logical - 4GB (twice the RAM)
/ - primary - 50GB
/home - logical - the remaining

and I marked the installation of boot in the corresponding /boot partition (in my case it was hda2).
I tried the 32 bits ISO of both Lubuntu and Xubuntu.
All the times I did this partitioning I had the 'error: unknown filesystem' and the 'grub rescue>' I described before.
Then I tried a different partition scheme: 1- a partition for swap area and 2- a partition for / (the Windows partition
was untouched) and I marked the installation of boot in hda. This is the procedure that worked. So the question is,
what was my mistake in the former installations? I will be grateful if you can help me understand the source of my error
that lead me to loss a significant amount of time. As a last question, should I try a 64 bit OS in my Intel T2330?

Regards,

Denis

mörgæs
March 8th, 2017, 07:57 PM
I abandoned Windows ten years ago so I can't advise you regarding a dual boot.
If you have 2 GB of memory there is not much gained by switching to 64 bit.

denis.positron
March 9th, 2017, 11:37 PM
Ok, thank you very much!