Urgent help needed

[Janeleaper]

I set up my Dell Inspiron loaded with Ubuntu 3 days ago and had no problems. This morning I got a message to install Hardy Heron. I started the download and all seemed well. Then the installation stalled saying 4 minutes to go.

After about half an hour I tried to use pidgin to get some help on the IRC channel, but I've never used this before and could not get it working.

I turned the computer off at the tower. Turned it on again and I seem to have completely lost everything. The log in came up o.k. but after that I just have a blank brown screen with a large black margin to the left hand side.

What do I do? I have no technical know-how - so simple language please!

[Pumalite]

Do a clean install of Hardy Heron.

[Janeleaper]

Thank-you, but how do I do that?

[Pumalite]

Download the iso from here>
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
Burn it to disk.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto?highlight=%28burn%29%7C%28
Install. Go Manual and use the old partitions. You can ignore /swap

http://www.howtoforge.com/dual_boot_windows_xp_vista_ubuntu_feisty_p2?
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=464425

[Janeleaper]

I have a disc for Ubuntu version 7.10, which Dell supplied with the pc. I've tried putting it in the disc drive but nothing happens.

[Pumalite]

Get Gparted Live CD:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=115843&package_id=271779
Burn the iso to disk and boot from it. Delete everything in your hard drive. Format ext3.
Install Ubuntu.

[mocoloco]

Get Gparted Live CD:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=115843&package_id=271779
Burn the iso to disk and boot from it. Delete everything in your hard drive. Format ext3.
Install Ubuntu.

Why download and burn a separate iso when the Ubuntu 8.04 liveCD has gparted? Is there anything better about the gparted live?
I would say just download and burn the 8.04 (Hardy) iso and use it's option to take over the entire hard drive. If you just installed 3 days ago it sounds like you wouldn't have personal data to lose, right?

[Pumalite]

Gparted is a newer version, more flexible, more powerful AND it works with unmopunted partitions/drives. Besides, the OP couldn't boot his 7.10 disk.

[Janeleaper]

Thanks for all this information. I had to go out for a while, but I'm back now.

Sorry, I realise this is going to sound really stupid, but my success rate for 'burning discs' on my XP computer is not good.

Could I download Hardy Heron onto a memory stick and install it from there?

What I've done is re-install version 7.10. The only problem I had, was with the partitioning. The first attempt failed, but the second was o.k.

Now I'm trying to download Hardy Heron again. I thought it was worth one more try.

[kspncr]

If your re-install of 7.10 was successful, you shouldn't need to waste a CD on installing Hardy; you can upgrade from update manager.

[Pumalite]

Thanks for all this information. I had to go out for a while, but I'm back now.

Sorry, I realise this is going to sound really stupid, but my success rate for 'burning discs' on my XP computer is not good.

Could I download Hardy Heron onto a memory stick and install it from there?

What I've done is re-install version 7.10. The only problem I had, was with the partitioning. The first attempt failed, but the second was o.k.

Now I'm trying to download Hardy Heron again. I thought it was worth one more try.

A clean install is always better. Download ImgBurn:
http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download
Install. Go to Mode>ISO>Burn Select 1x for speed.

[avtolle]

Hopefully, you fully updated 7.10 before beginning the upgrade to 8.04....

[Janeleaper]

That is precisely what I have done.

And I still have problems. This time the upgrade got as far as re-starting the computer. The Dell screen comes up, then the Grub screen, then the Ubuntu screen. Then it reverts to the Dell screen, the Grub Screen and the Ubuntu screen again and so on ad infinitum.

So, I'm going to have to reinstall 7.10 again. I guess this time I'll do without Hardy Heron.

Can you tell me how I should deal with partitioning? Last time I could not do it manually, and I tried to use the whole disc without success. It gave me 50%. How do I erase the disc?

[Pumalite]

Get Gparted Live CD:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=115843&package_id=271779
Burn the iso to disk and boot from it. Delete everything in your drive and format ext3. Then install. Use Guided>Use the Entire Disk.

[sdowney717]

I wonder if it is a video issue.
The login screen is available, so I suppose you can get to a terminal
What is your video card?

Run Wubi Hardy on NTFS with windows or
setup 7.04 then virtualbox and then run hardy.

[Janeleaper]

Thank you everybody.

Sorry, but I could not even back up my digital photos on a disc successfully, so I'm not going to try to download an OS onto one.

The first time I tried to install Hardy Heron I'd fully updated 7.10. The second time, I did not install updates before downloading HH, so I've tried it both ways. I'm done with HH for the time being anyway.

I'm trying to re-install 7.10 again. At the partitioning screen I get one option only which is :

/dev/sda3 ext.3 /media/sda3 4038 MB used - 3200 MB

When I select "forward" I get the message:

"You need to specify a partition for the root file system (mount point "/") with a minimum of 2 GB, and a swap partition of at least 256 MB. You may also set up other partitions if you wish"

On selection Mount I get the following boxes:

New partition size in megabytes (current setting 4038 )
Use as (current setting Ext 3)
Mount point /media/sda 3

What should I enter please?

[Janeleaper]

I should add that if I leave the settings as they are and try to go forward, I get the message

"No root file system is defined. Please correct this from the partitioning menu." I have no idea what this means.

[falcon61102]

When you are selecting your partitions in the partition manager, there is an option to select the mount point. Before you can proceed on with the installation, you need to select one of the partitions to have the mount point of "/" from the drop down list. When you click on edit partition, you should see where it says mount point. Another partition you need to have is the SWAP partition and this partition is normally double the size of your RAM.

Many people also like to have their home partition seperate and you can do that by creating a third partition and selecting "/home" for the mount point. When you finish you should have something like:


Partition Mount Point Size(example)
/dev/sda1 / 4000 MB
/dev/sda2 /home 10000 MB
/dev/sda3 SWAP 784 MB

[Janeleaper]

Hi. I've successfully re-installed 7.10. I used the 'use whole disc' option on partitioning. Thank-you to everyone for your advice. I might have a go at making a disc of Hardy Heron sometime and try installing it again.

[falcon61102]

As I believe it was pointed out previously, if you have 7.10 up and running, you should be able to update your system to Hardy without reinstalling. You should be able to download the updates directly.

[Janeleaper]

I should be able to, but I can't. I've just made a third attempt. This time was like the first.

I'd successfully installed 7.10. I'd updated 7.10 and restarted. I then attempted to use update to install Hardy Heron. This time it got to 2 minutes to go on installation before stalling. When it stalls it starts up terminal, for some reason.

I am now reinstalling 7.10 for the third time today.

[falcon61102]

Does it give you any type of error for the install?

[Janeleaper]

No, it just stalls. Period. First and third attempts - it was towards the end of installation. Second attempt it appeared to install correctly and restarted but then went into a loop of Dell screen to Ubuntu screen and back again, that I described in my post above.

[falcon61102]

Wow, that is really odd and I have no idea, sorry.

If you really are up to testing your patience, you could try downloading a Hardy Live Cd and installing from that, otherwise, I don't know.

[Pumalite]

Clean the lens in your burner. Check CD integrity before you install.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto?highlight=%28burn%29%7C%28

[Janeleaper]

Pumalite - just want to say that you have probably been right all along. Your suggestion of the cd was what I should have done. I'll think about doing it in the future, but for now I think I'll stick with 7.10.

[Pumalite]

Good luck!

[sdowney717]

get 7.10 working.
Download the CD for Hardy
install virtualbox
With virtualbox you can install and run multiple different OS's at the same time. They run in a window, It is rather interesting.
You can then run virtualbox and create a virtual Hardy to see if it works!