I've been trying hard to get a new distro of Linux downloaded and installed, but every time I seem to encounter problems. It seems as though I always end up with a corrupt copy, no matter which computer I download from. (The md5 matches, though. I've considered trying to burn the discs at a slower speed, but I've all ready had to throw away 8 CD-Rs. I've been trying to get Mandrake 10 and/or Slackware 10.


Well, I think I've hit my limit. I own a copy of Fedora Core 1 (I bought the Fedora Core bible).

I'm apprehensive about reinstalling this distro as I encountered a few weird bugs along the way.

So I'm wondering how does FC1 stand today? Is it still plenty good? Or does FC2 make a big difference?

(I'm about as as they come, if it wasn't obvious.)

Maybe you've got bad media, i.e. cd's? If the md5's match up then you've obviously downloaded the system correctly. I would try slowing down your burner and if that does not work buy a few cd's and try that.

How are you burning the CD's, and what is the error you've been getting when you try to boot from them?

You aren't burning the *.iso files as a single data file, or using Windows XP drag-and-drop burning, are you?

LoL, motub, I didn't think of asking that one, LoL

No, I'm a newbie, but not *that* newbie.


How likely is it to get a set of 50 discs and have the majority being bad?

I'm burning the ISO through Nero Express. The Autorun works fine in windows. And all the files there. So I'm most definitely just not dragging and dropping the ISO file.


When I attempted to install Slackware, I received a few errors with different burned copies: Either it wouldn't even DETECT the CD, or it would tell me the media was corrupt half way through the install.


With the Mandrake, I can't even get the installer to load 90% of the time.


I just installed Fedora Core 1 to see if it was my computer and it went flawlessly. Unfortunately, my motherboard doesn't seem supported, so no internet for me at this point (A7N8X-E Deluxe).

Anyone know if the Nvidia Unified drivers will enable my onboard ethernet cards?

Try buying them. Check out ebay (under Computers>Software>OS>Linux) or cheapbytes. Linuxiso.org. I have also had issues burning isos in windows.

nb why not get an CD-RW doesn't matter how often you bugger the disk

Very, if you buy a cheap brand that is unreliable. I "knew" this, but didn't really believe it until the day, in my usual ravenous hunger for removeable media, I noticed a nice sale on a 20-box of CD-Rs at HEMA (a chain of variety, or what I used to call "5-and-10-cent", stores, where they sell fancy-looking and overpriced-- but often cheaply made-- general items, from makeup and candy to stationery, plates and dishes, underwear and clothing). The CD-Rs were "rebranded" to the store name, but for the amount I was getting for the price, I knew that they were originally made by one of the cheap brands I usually avoid.

After 5 coasters in a row, I took the two boxes I had bought back--- and got a full refund, no questions asked. Which meant the store already knew the product was cheap and faulty, so I was really annoyed by that. But I learned my lesson, and these days I stick to the least expensive reliable brand, or "name" brands on sale, and only get a reasonable number of coasters (due to my own mistakes, usually, not bad media).

So it is possible, and even likely, to get a large set of bad media, if you aren't careful what you buy.

BaptismOfFire, a lot of Linux installers don't like CD-RWs (or at least, they didn't last year), and so it is generally recommended to use CD-Rs to create install disks rather than CD-RWs.