Part of what follows is also in a thread regarding Xubuntu installations. I discovered that it might be more of a laptop problem than anything else, so thought it'd be useful to post a piece of the information in another thread here.

I cannot install any GUI/Linux distro on my laptop. I can install and get command mode but I can't get any graphical Linux interface working, not even the graphic installers. For example, I was able to install the "alternate" version of Xubuntu Dapper Drake, but not the "desktop" version. Ditto with the Feisty Fawn version.

Here's the info on my laptop:
Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo (A2000 series or A-7600) Business PC for W2K/WP
The specs say there is 256MB of RAM, my computer and other electronic detection sources say there is 223MB of RAM.

Graphics card: RADEON IGP 320
ATI U1/A3 Accelerated Graphics Port

Any idea what I could do get some Linux distro onto this laptop?

Many thanks.

My guess is Ubuntu distros are not detecting the laptops monitor correctly.
Here's an ArchLinux article that might help: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/..._Amilo_Pro2000
Look at the part about xorg.conf then look at your /etc/X11/xorg.conf. The article example shows an Intel card, but the refresh rates of the display could be a closer match then what Ubuntu is detecting.
If you could post your xorg.conf will help us troubleshoot.

Good luck

Also selecting vesa mode might at least give you a graphical display.

There was no X11directory in the /etc directory when I last attempted to install Xubuntu. I did apt-get install xubuntu-desktop and lots of other troubleshooting, Googling and LQing.

For more information on my problems, check out these threads:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=585421
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=585624

I forgot to mention that I tried using several, even many!, Live CD versions of Linux on this laptop (Gentoo, Knoppix, Knoppix-STD, Knoppix-INSERT, and another one whose name I can't remember)... and I wasn't able to get the laptop to boot any of these Live CD versions... When it gets to that first graphical screen, I don't get it, I get a blank screen. Ditto for when trying to install a Linux distro. I really think it's a laptop problem and not a distro specific problem.

I had a quick look at the article about the Amilo Pro... I'm a little frustrated at this point and am seriously considering giving up. I've never seen graphic Linux display on that laptop in my life! I really don't know...

Thanks for your responses... Whatever I decide, I think I'll put it on the back burner for now... Perhaps there will be some more responses, someone who has had the same problem. (That's the strange thing, I didn't see a single thing on the Net that seemed to match what I'm experiencing!)

Oh! The processor is an AMD Athlon XP-M (1565 MHz)