[Flockers]

Hey guys,

I have been considering making the switch from Windows to Linux for a while. I recently got my CD from Ubuntu from their ShipIt feature and have been dying to try it on my laptop. However, I didn't know if I would like it (this was before I found out about the LiveCD feature), so I didn't do it. Well yesterday, my mom's office was getting rid of some of their computers, so I took one of them. It was an HP Pavillion running Windows ME. I thought it was a perfect time to try Ubuntu. I put the CD in, restarted the computer, and selected the Run or Install Linux feature. It went through its process and the screen went black for about an hour with the blinking underscore icon in the top left corner. Then an arrow appeared and blinked between the arrow and a circle icon and the screen is still black, but it has a tint of orange to it. I can hear the computer likes it trying to still boot up, but I don't know. I read this could take some time, but how long?

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Hi there,

I'm not familiar with the Ubuntu Installer but I find installs go better if you prepare the hard drive before instlling tha OS. I set up a Swap partition then a root and a home partition. I understand you have the create a link to install the home directory to it's own partition with Ubuntu but I find it worthwhile in that like keeping your data away from the OS partition this allows for faster upgrades without having to reset your account configuration.

Ubuntu should have either QTParted or gParted you can run from the Live cd, if not open a terminal and type in "cfdisk" (no quotes) and set up the hard drive. You may need to run "su /cfdisk" to get admin privledges to format and write the changes, like I said I'm not familiar with Ubuntu but I know there is no root access as with other distros.

[silverbeard]

Hi there,

I'm not familiar with the Ubuntu Installer but I find installs go better if you prepare the hard drive before instlling tha OS. I set up a Swap partition then a root and a home partition. I understand you have the create a link to install the home directory to it's own partition with Ubuntu but I find it worthwhile in that like keeping your data away from the OS partition this allows for faster upgrades without having to reset your account configuration.

Ubuntu should have either QTParted or gParted you can run from the Live cd, if not open a terminal and type in "cfdisk" (no quotes) and set up the hard drive. You may need to run "su /cfdisk" to get admin privledges to format and write the changes, like I said I'm not familiar with Ubuntu but I know there is no root access as with other distros.

[Flockers]

I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you just said. Could you possibly break it down into a list, or direct me to some place that does?

[warriorscot]

Did you make sure to use the correct disk, it should boot up withing a couple of minutes if its an hour there is something wrong.

[Kemasa]

I tried to boot the LiveCD for Ubuntu on a Compaq computer that I have and it did not work, it just locked up. It might just be that your machine will not work with that distro. You might try something else and see if it works. That is one negative issue with Linux since not all the machines are the same.

[Flockers]

Well, I probably figured out what the problem was. The computer I'm trying doesn't have enough RAM - no where near enough to let it run as a live CD much less install it.

Thanks for the help though.

[warriorscot]

Must be a pretty old machine it hardly needs any ram at all by modern standards. You might try slax its light on the ram.

Edited by warriorscot, 13 October 2006 - 02:47 PM.