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lindam 05-07-2010 03:32 AM

Tried installing Ubuntu Lucid Lynx using Live Cd on Compaq Presario SR5010NX
 
I have been trying to install Ubuntu Lucid Lynx using Live CD on this machine, a compaq Presario SR5010NX, with Celeron D 3.46Ghz CPU. Bios Version American Megatrends, Inc. 5.18, 2007; 2 gigs of RAM with approx. 140 gigs of hard disk space total useable. Has Realtek High Definition audio, graphic chipset Intel 82945G family; Soft data fax modem with smart CP (internal modem). It is connected to my DSL modem/router, Netgear DGN2000, with ethernet cable (as are my other two computers).

Sorry for the long preliminary, but thought it might help to address my problem. I start the installation. Finally the desktop shows up. As soon as I start trying to navigate, my mouse freezes and that's as far as I can go.

Just out of curiosity, I also tried to use my Mint 8 CD. It did the same thing. Gets the desktop up, then freezes. I am so frustrated because I really want Ubuntu on this machine. I planned on wiping out Vista Home Basic and giving the whole thing to Ubuntu.

Anybody have any idea why this is happening and is there a solution----or do I have to keep Vista on here?

jscherer92 05-07-2010 06:59 PM

This either is a graphics issue or it is a BIOS issue. My first guess would be the graphics hardware. What I would is check your graphic's settings in your BIOS are correct. If that is good what I would do is when using the LiveCD there should be an option for using low graphics mode. You may need to do that. If all of that fails, you might just need to flash the BIOS. Please respond back if none of these options work for you.

Justin

lindam 05-09-2010 03:38 AM

jscherer92 I thank you for your input, but do you realize I am a newbie with Linux? I have no idea how to do anything you just suggested. Want to do a step-by-step of those procedures in layman's (Windows) language? I certainly would appreciate it.

MTK358 05-09-2010 06:39 AM

All those things about BIOS have nothing to do with Linux.

mifi2909 05-09-2010 07:24 AM

BIOS has not much to do with Linux. I agree.

@original poster
If you read the startup screens carefully (which is sometimes not an easy thing to do because they stay on screen only briefly), you will probably see that you can press a key (TAB, or DEL or F8 or something like that) to get into the BIOS.
Once in the BIOS screens, you can check the settings. I cannot help you with that, because I do not have a Compaq BIOS at hand.

And with startup screens I mean the first things you see, before any Operating System is booted, i.e. prior to either windows or Linux.

m

jscherer92 05-09-2010 11:47 AM

Okay BIOS may have nothing to do with Linux but it has something to do with the graphics settings. To get to BIOS you should see like they said a screen right when your computer starts up. You need to press a certain key like Delete or F2. Now when that screen comes up look under Advanced. Under there go to Chipset. Under chipset go to your graphics card and there you should be able to change a feature that has like boot options. My best guess is that you want to change it to the one that starts with the I which stands for Internal. With that boot to the LiveCD, you should see that screen come up that is a blank red color with a glowing person and keyboard at the bottom. Click the enter button. It will ask you to select your language. Now you should have multiple options. Under these options you should see something like boot into low graphics mode or one like advanced options. With that you should be able to boot without any trouble. If you have any more questions feel free to ask. Sorry about my earlier post for it being too vague.

Justin

lindam 05-11-2010 12:37 AM

After starting PC I don't know how many times, I finally found the place to choose my graphics chip set. One of the options was Safe graphics mode. I chose that, but then had to do something else where my PC told me to press any key to retool. I did and the thing went ahead and booted up, but not sure if it did it in Safe Graphics Mode, or if I should have gone back and re-selected again.

Anyway, to make a long story short, it again brought up, eventually, the Ubuntu desktop, and hey, I got to actually click my mouse on Examples and it brought up the window for examples before it froze (forgot to mention I was trying Karmic Koala to see if it would install any easier than Lucid Lynx. Nope. Same deal. I have no clue what is causing the hangup. Really, really, frustrating.

I did learn something new about going into the BIOS though. Thank you for that, jscherer.

jscherer92 05-12-2010 03:03 PM

Yeah no problem. Well, then what could be the problem is the disc. I know you probably already thought about this but I am just throwing it out there. You might need to burn a new CD especially if the old one is scratched up. Also, if you burned it at a high speed, it might not have gotten all of the data on it. Try to burn it at 4x.

Justin

lindam 05-12-2010 03:28 PM

Justin, I burned the CD for Ubuntu Lucid Lynx AND Karmic Koala. The Mint 8 that I used to install on my Acer machine I ordered from ebay. Also, when the disc of Lucid I burned didn't work first time, I ordered Lucid CD off ebay also. I checked the integrity of all discs and all md5summed as being correct, and when I tried to install Karmic Koala, I had it check integrity of the disc then, also, and it found it was good. So, after installing Mint 8 on this machine, and trying it on the Compaq, where it wouldn't install, I feel fairly safe in saying that it isn't a problem with the discs themselves.

I wonder if I listed all the specs on my Compaq if any Linux person could spot an incomptibility there. Do you think that would help?

jscherer92 05-12-2010 03:46 PM

Yeah that can help, so I have one question then, you are installing this on another computer where your mint CD does not work? I may have the answer if that is the case. Just let me know what your full specs are. :)

Justin

lindam 05-13-2010 04:00 PM

I'll put everything here I have discovered about my Compaq.
ACPI x 86 based
Hard disk--WDC WD1600JS-60 NCB1 ATA Device
Display adapter--Intel 82945G Express Chipset Family
IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers (long list but these I thought were significant): Intel 82801G (Ich 7 Family); Ultra ATA Storage Controllers-27DF; " 82801GB/GR/GH (Ich 7 Family); Serial ATA Storage Controller-27C0

Modem---PCI Soft Data Fax Modem with Smart CP
Network Adapter--Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller
POrocessor--Intel Celeron D , 3.46Ghz,3466 Mhz, BIOS version 5.18, American Megatrends, 533 MHZ front side bus
Sound, Video and Game controller--Realtek High Definition Audio
Storeage Controller Microsoft iSCSI initiator
SM Bios version 2.4
Minimum Graphics Memory---8MB, Maximum---256MB
Vidio BIOS--1295
Display type---Analog
DDC2 Protocol supported; VGA; CRT
Motherboard--ECS; Name--945GCT-HM; HP/Compaq name---Livermore- GL6

And I hope no one uses this info to hack into my PC!

Hope that's enough to see if anyone can tell from that why I can't install Linux on that machine

jscherer92 05-13-2010 08:20 PM

Well, all of the specs. will run Ubuntu. What it sounds like is that you have a bad DVD/CD drive. What you have sounds like this. I recently have installed this on another computer and had the same trouble. You might need to use an external DVD/CD Drive or set up a flash drive installer. These are your two best options. Sorry if this is not what you wanted to here but this does sound exactly like what I was getting with a recent build.

Justin

lindam 05-13-2010 11:57 PM

How do you install from a USB flash drive. My boot doesn't have an alternative option other than CD/DVD, hard drive, floppy disk and oneother thing that I can't remember.

lindam 05-14-2010 12:12 AM

I posted an answer here and it has disappeared! Also, did you edit your comment? Because there was something about an F6 key during boot up at flash screen, and that has disappeared. Do we have gremlins here?

lindam 05-14-2010 01:05 AM

Sorry, that comment about the F6 key was made by someone else. I'm getting my advisors mixed up! lol


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