I was trying to install Xubuntu on a Gateway Desktop computer today with decent specs: Gateway E 3400

866Mhz cpu, 256mb ram, 20 gig drive etc but when I got to enter location & keyboard it started going nutz with terminal errors.

Also the background behind the setup window was totally messed up. looked like scrambled tv paused behind it.

I know it's a little weak on video but geeze that's why I chose Xubuntu instead of Ubuntu for this machine.

It was going so good till the xubuntu status bar finished.

Any ideas what to do?

you know I really had no luck with xubutu. others have I trouble shot it for a few months gave up.get Slackware 12.2 and run xfce4 desk top it will run on your machine.
then when you do your install set up your net card even if you do not have a dsl connection
set up to dhcp at boot. and if you added a wifi card after installing slackware look in your disk for slackware extras and install wicd.
do a full install even kde that way you have the libraries to build anything.
good luck. Like you after 12 years with linux xubuntu just never loaded right for me.

I agree with Drakeo- try something else. I used to be a 'buntu evangelist, as v6.06 worked so perfect out-of-the-box. Newer versions, however, have too many quirks for me (scrambled splash screen, occasional invisible login window, screensavers don't work, programs crash/close unexpectedly, etc.), and that's on the same PC.

BTW- with your system specs, KDE or Gnome will work just fine. I use both on an 800MHz Gateway. They're only a little sluggish on my 566MHz Compaq.

Good Luck!

Well i'll giver er a look see. Guess i'll need to download the dvd iso and stick a dvd rom in it as I don't have enough cd's for all those cd iso's.

first create a partition on your hard drive. You can use the cdrom installer to partition the drive. now you have two partitions. down load the dvd and save it on a partition. down load the usb installer and burn it to a cdrom. boot the cdrom and when you are asked where the media is to install from. point the installer to it. and now you will install. here is another thing to look at a lot of people think Slackware is some archaic system just the realeased version or real stable we do not distribute it till it is. but we are bleeding edge when it comes to slackware current it is just stable. I do enjoy the fact that I have to use slackware to fixe most of the other systems problems.
Xubuntu has a installer problem. It was built for the dell mini note books and we tested it. that is what open source is. free to use and change.

I am trying to boot into Xubuntu via a live cd and I cannot get the E-3400 to actually boot to the cdrom instead of the hard drive. I changed the sequence in the bios and I did a verbose boot to see if I was missing a key press, but I have yet to locate anything to get it to work. How did you get your machine to boot to the cd? Prethanks!

I had to move a jumper "at the back of the motherboard" make changes, then move jumper back. Doing that I had no issues booting a live disc.

I finally got xubuntu to boot and run but I had to put in a pci video card and a network card. It wouldn't boot up completely as it doesn't like the onboard video and it also once booted it didn't like the built in network either.

It ran pretty good on the machine's specs.

As for Slackware.... It's a bit over my head. I went through what I thought was a complete install only to boot to a empty drive. Oh well.