Thinking of trying ubuntu

[wetdog]

I have a 6/7 year old laptop a compaq presario that's running xp very slowly.
I am going to use this machine to try ubuntu, can anyone suggest a variant and where to download onto a USB drive, then onto laptop. I think I will have to format first, how do I do that.

Thank you.

Mick.

[Shady]

Download Ubuntu | Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/download)

download.. burn to cd
pop cd in drive, restart pc, make sure to select 'boot from cd' is selected in ur bios (when u turn on pc, there will be some writing telling u which key to press to enter set up,)
ubuntu will do the rest with u just inputting the usual username password etc

[wetdog]

Cheers dude, getting mi pound of flesh out of you today fella :-)

Mick.

[Shady]

thats what we're here for matey :D

[manxspud]

If you really want to install to usb ... runs better imho ...

try the unetbootin tool :


http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

@manx

[wetdog]

reason for usb drive dude is neither of my machines has a cd writer!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i will have to burn at our maudes on that bloody vista system.

mick.

[Egren71]

Just a suggestion but if you don't want to use a CD at all then if you download Ubuntu and follow the instructions here (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick#From%20Windows) you can create a bootable USB drive with Ubuntu on.
Alternatively if you go to the Ubuntu download site here (http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download) and got to section 2 Burn your CD or Create a USB drive if you then choose I would like to create a: USB Stick and To create it, I will be using: Windows then click on show me how it gives a nice picture guide.
However something worth checking first is that your computer is able to boot from USB. 6/7 years ago is borderline for USB booting.

[wetdog]

oops, my eyes are going.

mick.

[manxspud]

just use the unetbootin tool ... no need to burn the img to disk at all ...

just follow the instructions on the downloads page ... the tool uses the iso img to make a bootable usb ... easy as that.

you then boot and run the os from the usb drive.

[wetdog]

well, thats that pretty well ~~~~ed up!!!!!!

been trying for around 4 hours now to install ubuntu, i have it on cd, usb drive, dvd, and desktop. i also have the iso on all media as well.
my laptop will not recognise any of them. i have read that much now my head is mush. its a good job there are no sharp knives or lengths of rope in the house.

goin for a sulk :stupid:

mick.

[Egren71]

I take it from the fact that you have put Ubuntu on the USB drive that your computer boots from USB if so how did you create the USB version of Ubuntu. And is it a memory drive or is it a Hard Drive in a caddy.
And as far as the CD version is concerned how fast did you burn the CD for some strange reason Bootable CD's like to ce burned verrryyyyy slowly. The slower the better.
Does the bios try to boot from the CD or does it jump straight to booting the Hard Drive. And Does the bios recognise the USB Drive.

[wetdog]

Afternoon all, I tried to burn a cd with no luck at all. Just got the single icon when cd. Is opened. Tried the USB memory drive and it downloaded properly. Checked out against all.
When I change boot order, the machine coughs and splutters a little. Then boots up from hard disk. Completely ignoring the USB.
Got pissed off and tried to format c through windows and will not do that either. Saying there are programmed and processes using the disk, and to shut them down and try again. Even though I cannot see any.

Could I drag the USB files onto a cd and try that?

Mick.

[Shady]

it should have downloaded as an iso file.. download alcohol burner and install. then double click on dloaded ubuntu iso. alcohol will do everything else, u just have to click on burn :D
and you cannot format a system drive from within ANY operating system.. thats like taking the engine out of a car whilst its driving down the road ;)
answer me and go GREEEEN lol

[wetdog]

it should have downloaded as an iso file.. download alcohol burner and install. then double click on dloaded ubuntu iso. alcohol will do everything else, u just have to click on burn :D
and you cannot format a system drive from within ANY operating system.. thats like taking the engine out of a car whilst its driving down the road ;)
answer me and go GREEEEN lol

It did download as an iso file.

I shall never surrender :fight:


Mick.

[Egren71]

When you burned the ISO image to CD did you burn the ISO straight to Cd or did you add it to a CD compilation as the CD should show more than one file on the DIsc. What is the one file it shows?
As far as your USB Memory Disk is concerned if you put it into a windows Computer and go into Disc Manager does it show up as Fat32 and is it set as an active partition. It should be both Fat32 and Active. What type of memory drive is it? Is it Falsh ram or a real drive in a caddy?
Your computer does the bios have the option of setting different ways that it can treat USB Drives?
Lots of question but lets see if we can solve this problem for you. Ubuntu is worth giving a go, i did a few years back and now almost never use windows, no need.

[Egren71]

Oh and what Compaq presario model are you running? Just so i can have a quick read up on its capabilities.

[wetdog]

Oh and what Compaq presario model are you running? Just so i can have a quick read up on its capabilities.


its a compaq presario 2100, just burned ubuntu with alchohol burner. its started to load up, was busy for around 5 mins, now the screens blank???????

mick.

[Egren71]

It normally appears to hang just after the point where it gives you the option to either try or install Ubuntu. If this is the point at which it has hung for you then be patient it is just a quirk of Ubuntu. If it was at a different point then what was the last thing to happen on screen. And did you press any buttons on the keyboard as Linux has the ability to run several Virtual screens but only display one at a time and you might inadvertently switched to a different screen.

The only other thing i can see from a quick cast around the Internet is it appears that in the BIOS you may need to disabled Legacy USB.

[wetdog]

installetion runs for around 5 mins afore it hangs, then it freezes on different screens everytime`. no i didnt touch anything.

mick.

[Egren71]

Ok i suggest you go into BIOS and disable Legacy USB if it isn't already. Then reboot the Ubuntu CD but instead of choosing install Ubuntu choose Try Ubuntu and see if it will boot up to a desktop. If it does you can then choose to install from the desktop.
There is a possibility that your CD is flawed i have had that once or twice. To check that, when you start to boot up you get a icon at the bottom of the screen as soon as the cd starts to load. The icon looks like a USB memory stick and a little man in a circle, if you press enter at that point you get to choose a language, once you have done that you can choose to test the disk, this will tell you if your disk is ok. It takes a long while to run.

[wetdog]

Cheers dude, yes I get the icons at the bottom. I will look in bios to disable.

Mick.

[wetdog]

Disk has tested without flaws.
Memory test run and zero errors.

Tried to run from disk and it froze again.

Mick.

[wetdog]

Disk has tested without flaws.
Memory test run and zero errors.

Tried to run from disk and it froze again.

Mick.

[Egren71]

I have been having a read and a play with low spec install of Ubuntu and have found these pages

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/LowMemorySystems
[ubuntu] New Install 11.04 On old PC with Fresh HD Hanging - Ubuntu Forums (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1794361)
[Bug 713512] Re: 10.10 live DVD won't run on HP Compaq Presario 2100 laptop - Cliff - com.ubuntu.lists.ubuntu-bugs - MarkMail (http://markmail.org/message/7uuhg67hjkupl75j)

And it apears that Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty) is not keen on very low spec machines it apears to care how much ram you have. I don't know how much your machine has nowadays but it appears that the amount it was originally shipped with is very close to the bare minimum Ubuntu 11 will run with. And even then it will not install from a standard install CD but only from an alternative install CD.
I can make it boot up to a desktop by booting to the USB memory stick and a little man in a circle point press enter at that point, choose a language, then press F6 and choose nomodeset so that a little x appears next to it. At that point press escape then choose tryUbuntu without installing.
By doing this i can get to a Ubuntu desktop but have problems if i try to start Firefox etc.
If by following the steps above you can get to a desktop but have problems starting Firefox then i suspect that your computer is not powerfull enough to run the latest version of Ubuntu. This is probably because they updated the display requirements in the latest release.

If you can get it to start as described above then you realistically have two choices, either run an older version of Ubuntu, there are stories of Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty) working on your hardware or possibly a better option would be to run Lubuntu - lubuntu | light Ubuntu for faster computing (http://lubuntu.net/) which is a lightweight version of Ubuntu designed for running on older spec machines.

If you are desperate to run Ubuntu (Natty) then you will need the Alternative install CD and follow the guide at the first URL.

[wetdog]

Thank you very much for your time and efforts.

Currently at work, the curse of the poor, I will be trying older versions as you suggest when I get home.

Mick.

[wetdog]

g'day, downloaded and run Ubuntu 9.10 with no probs on my lappy.

can anyone suggest what may be the best option to run as the Libuntu download page just confused me, and i could only find the latest which doesnt work.

the latest Umbongo is now running on our maudes machine, from CD.

mick.

[wetdog]

UMBONGO 10.04 now installed on my laptop.

A big thank you to Shadyback, Egren71.
Who both worked hard I'm assisting me.

Mick.