Full Version: Installing Ubuntu Grrr
From: Chris (CHRISSS) [#1]
11 Mar 0:17
To: ALL
Currently got XBMC Live running off a SD card for my HTPC. Wanted to install Ubuntu to the HD instead so it could do other things and make it easier to update stuff in XBMC.
Tried installing 9.10 but got stuck saying scanning for file systems with all the text flashing on the screen. Something to do with Nvidia drivers, I think I read, which I could fix if I could get it intalled. Safe graphics mode seems to work for some but not me.
Tried alternate CD instead and that's got a different problem instead. Brings up a prompt asking to insert the disc labelled ubuntu...
Not much luck so far.
From: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#2]
11 Mar 0:42
To: Chris (CHRISSS) [#1] 11 Mar 0:43
1.What kind of pc is it?
2. Any chance you got a bad iso download/burn ?
From: Chris (CHRISSS) [#3]
11 Mar 0:47
To: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#2] 11 Mar 0:49
I believe it's a Sempron with a 6600GT.
Where did 2 come from?
2. CD integrity tests ok and there are lots of people reporting the same peoblem. Most of those say using a diffefent CD drive fixed it.
From: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#4]
11 Mar 0:50
To: Chris (CHRISSS) [#3] 11 Mar 1:00
Were you able to boot the live CD, or did you skip that and try to go straight into the installer?
If you have another pc, see if you can boot it from the disk, at least you can rule out a download/burn error if it works.
From: Chris (CHRISSS) [#5]
11 Mar 1:03
To: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#4] 11 Mar 1:04
I did try the live mode but had the same problem as the install. The PC is in the corner of the room behind the TV and a jungle of wires so if I can sort it out without pulling the PC apart I'll be happy. Or try a different distro.
Will try the live CD on this PC just to make sure now.
With the alternate CD it seems to get mose of the way through installing - does retrieving and unpacking and installing of things, then suddenly pops up with the CD error.
From: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#6]
11 Mar 1:04
To: Chris (CHRISSS) [#3] 11 Mar 1:08
It's something you definitely want to get out of the way before you go all crazy trying other shit.
And... what is your cd drive?
From: Chris (CHRISSS) [#7]
11 Mar 1:12
To: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#6] 11 Mar 1:13
I meant I didn't see it before I posted then afterwards it appeared so I assumed you'd edited.
It's NEC Optiarc AD-5170A-0B 18xDVD±RW DL Black - Bare Drive
Also I've just remembered it's using my old XP 2500+ (not my Duron), not the Sempron which I took out of the case.
EDITED: 11 Mar 2:20 by CHRISSS
From: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#8]
11 Mar 1:13
To: Chris (CHRISSS) [#5] 11 Mar 1:13
It may well be you have installed it successfully, apart from a final step of mbr + bootloader (the cd thing is a new one on me unless you've got a really old one, or a really new one. got any links where the issue is described in more detail?).
You could inspect the installation by using another distro, such as system rescue cd / sidux / slitaz (I've had stellar success with all three on really old pcs, as well as modren ones) -- provided you have some familiarity with linux cli.
If it's there, you could then install grub and save hours of hassles.
The other thing you could try is install 'generic' grub on a floppy and play around with that.
http://www.troubleshooters.com/linux/grub/index.htm
From: Chris (CHRISSS) [#9]
11 Mar 1:19
To: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#8] 11 Mar 1:21
Tjere's a bug report here:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/debian-installer/+bug/360460
and more stuff here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1322133
Don't have much knowledge of Linux so wouldn't know how to tell if it had installed properly or not. Don't think the PC has a floppy either, or have one around anywhere actually.
From: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#10]
11 Mar 1:23
To: Chris (CHRISSS) [#9] 11 Mar 1:28
Ah. In that case you're better off trying a different distro.
Try Mandriva. It's at least as user-friendly as Ubuntu, perhaps more so.
From: Chris (CHRISSS) [#11]
11 Mar 1:37
To: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#10] 11 Mar 1:51
From: ANT_THOMAS [#12]
11 Mar 1:40
To: Chris (CHRISSS) [#11] 11 Mar 1:54
From: Chris (CHRISSS) [#13]
11 Mar 1:58
To: ANT_THOMAS [#12] 11 Mar 9:28
I did wonder if there was a way to do that but forgot about it so I might give that a go. Running the live CD on my main PC now so it wasn't the CD not working.
Being used to the way the mouse cursor moves in Windows it feels really odd in Ubuntu, even with the acceleration and sensitivity turned up full.
From: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#14]
11 Mar 2:22
To: Chris (CHRISSS) [#13] 11 Mar 2:24
There is no discernable difference to me, and I use both (and OS X) nearly every day. However on my oldest pc (a K62 with an 8MB video card), Windows 98 and 2000 perform better than the linux distros I can run on it (slitaz, and an older zenwalk).
From: Chris (CHRISSS) [#15]
11 Mar 2:43
To: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#14] 11 Mar 11:45
There's a huuuuuge difference, especially at the default settings.
Ubuntu seemed snappier on this PC than W7 does. Not sure I'd want to use it as my OS but looks pretty good.
From: Chris (CHRISSS) [#16]
11 Mar 10:24
To: ALL
The computer seems to have stopped booting off the USB stick now. Works in the main PC though. Not having muuch luck with this.
Started Mandriva downloading last night so might try that later. Looks a lot fiddlier to install XBMC though, have to build a package, whatever that means.
From: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#17]
11 Mar 18:50
To: Chris (CHRISSS) [#16] 11 Mar 18:52
This might help with the xbmc
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=40369
The other thing I should have suggested was try an older version of ubuntu; 8.04 would be very safe.
From: Matt [#18]
11 Mar 20:18
To: ALL
It has all the same core functionality, it is in fact forked from XBMC, but is tailored more towards web-streaming services like Netflix and iPlayer, etc.
I like the idea of having a BoxeeBox, just so when someone asks what it is, I can tell them that is what it is.
From: ANT_THOMAS [#19]
11 Mar 21:58
To: Matt [#18] 11 Mar 22:18
From: W R O N G bot (DSMITHHFX) [#20]
12 Mar 3:12
To: Matt [#18] 12 Mar 9:59
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