8.10 installation impossible - kernel bug ?

[Dumdideldum]

As my upgrading from 8.04 to 8.10 failed
(see http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=964133)
I decided to do a fresh install, because I need a full working system. And I am really surprised, that it is impossible to install 8.10 on my system - as in the thread linked above, the installation process crashes exactly where it wants to install my language-pack (very early at the installation process).
I have installed xubuntu 8.04 for now, which works flawlessy. Is it possible, that there is a major bug in 2.6.27 which gets visible when it handles the locale ?

Edit:
I have tried both desktop and alternate CD - a damaged CD is surely not the case.

[socngill]

I hope you didn't wipe the 8.04 version, because if the Ubuntu is anything like Kubuntu it is bloody awful! Looks disgusting, it's changed all thew font, the backgrounds, screensavers, docks. It doesn't even allow me to have the 1440 x 900 screen resolution.

I'm going straight back to 8.04 - 8.10 is the ugliest thing I have ever seen.

[Dumdideldum]

I dont care a second, how it looks - this is just a question of configuration. I just want basically a running system, not more ore less ...