Ubuntu install from LiveCD brings up CLI instead of Terminal
 

Hi there,

I've tried a couple of times installing Ubuntu on an old laptop but after the boot-up bar has done its thing, instead of the Terminal opening I get a Command Line Interface. I ran a test of the cd and it came up okay. Any ideas would be very welcome thanks. Hardware is: Sony Vaio PCG FX205K,128MB, 850Mhz PCU. Appreciate any help!

You are using the Ubuntu-9.10-Netbook-Remix 32-bit variety, correct?

One useful item that I have seen mentioned by many others, at your cli you can run anything that you'd run in the terminal.

Type in 'DMESG' and read the resulting file, looking for obvious error messages. Or, post it here.

What are you sending your messages with?

at the CLI , try typing startx

Thanks for the quick replies! Firstly,no I didn't use ubuntu for netbooks but am now in process of downloading that version! Tried the dmesg command and the startx but just produced screeds and screeds of error msgs which are incomprehensible to me but the general thread running thru them was fail, error, that type of thing - pls excuse the obvious lack of technical jargon/know-how! will try the new cd once i've burned it. currently using another pc for these msgs btw.

I doubt you will be able to run Ubuntu normally with 128mb of RAM, let alone been able to boot into a Live CD session.

The official system requirments for Ubuntu are:

# 700 MHz x86 processor
# 384 MB of system memory (RAM)
# 8 GB of disk space
# Graphics card capable of 1024x768 resolution

Puppy Linux should run OK on that computer. I believe it only requires 128mb ram.

Thanks very much. Snowpine, I presume Puppy Linux isn't available with a GUI?! If not, does anybody know of a free distro which does have a GUI and which would run on only 128Mb?

try Anti-x from mepis.org.

http://antix.mepis.org/index.php/Main_Page

it's got quite a low spec.
128MB RAM is recommended for antiX.

AntiX is a good choice, ive used that to bring an old laptop back to life before. It comes with the Fluxbox window manager and IceWM desktop enviroment (GUI's).

I've burned a livecd of antiX, am trying to install it but all i've got is a blank screen with the words 'loading stage 2' and it's just hanging there, doing nothing. It sounds like the CD is trying to do something, however. Eek!

Puppy has a very attractive GUI, not sure where you got that information. :)

Why don't you give the Ubuntu Netbook a try anyway, what do you have to lose? Might even surprise everyone.

I mean, the worst that it can do is...not load, not run, and you'd just reboot out anyway. Try running the Live-CD in demo mode first, cause if it runs there, it SHOULD be able to run native.

Post those error messages in this thread, we might be able to fathom what is wrong and help you more.

Just did a little nosing around and I found this:

http://iso.linuxquestions.org/damn-small-linux/4.4.10/

I just finished downloading an ISO, will burn a Live-CD and report back. This is a 50MB image, and may be the ticket for your limited laptop.

Thanks, I have managed to successfully install Puppy - it looks great, seems to work fine, apart from the mouse being a bit sluggish and unresponsive but I willprobably install a separate one.