Am I at the right forum?

A newbie to Linux. Have been trying to learn one of the various Linux distros for two months. Tried Puppy Linux for about 2 weeks and LXLE for 6 weeks. Have to give up LXLE because 1. cannot install it, and 2. cannot get help. I am now trying my luck to lean Xfce and hope to get help here.

Am I at the right forum? Why such a question? Because I will ask dumb and stupid questions. If this forum is a college and I am just a first grade pupil, all my questions might be dumb and stupid. I am at a wrong forum.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by Jofto A newbie to Linux. Have been trying to learn one of the various Linux distros for two months. Tried Puppy Linux for about 2 weeks and LXLE for 6 weeks. Have to give up LXLE because 1. cannot install it, and 2. cannot get help. I am now trying my luck to lean Xfce and hope to get help here. Am I at the right forum? Why such a question? Because I will ask dumb and stupid questions. If this forum is a college and I am just a first grade pupil, all my questions might be dumb and stupid. I am at a wrong forum. Thank you.

If you tried to install LXLE and could not, be advised that you must not have the pc that you are trying to install it to connected to the internet in any form at all. No wired or wifi connection should be connected to the pc. If it was connected when you first tried the install, disconnect it and try the install again. Good luck.

Welcome to LQ.

In my experience, it is one of the most welcoming Linux forums.

Before you ask a question, though, you might want to read this: How to ask a Linux question.

Originally Posted by shortarcflyer If you tried to install LXLE and could not, be advised that you must not have the pc that you are trying to install it to connected to the internet in any form at all. No wired or wifi connection should be connected to the pc. If it was connected when you first tried the install, disconnect it and try the install again. Good luck.

Thank you.

Have tried installing LXLE a dozen times, with and without connecting to internet, the result was the same:

"The installer encountered an error copying files to the hard disk
[Ermo 30] Read only file system: '/target/boot/vminus-5.0.4-113 generi'

This is often due to a faulty hard disk. It may help to check whether the hard disk is old and in need of replacement or to move the system to a cooler environment.

We're sorry the installer crashed. ....."

The key point of this message: [Ermo 30] Read only file system: '/target/boot/vminus-5.0.4-113 generi'
I do not know at all what this is referring to.

Changed USB flash stick, low level formatted the slash stick, re-created the bootable USB live stick ... could not install LXLE.

Originally Posted by frankbell Welcome to LQ. In my experience, it is one of the most welcoming Linux forums. Before you ask a question, though, you might want to read this: How to ask a Linux question.

Thank you.

Yes, I have read that and will abide the rules and regulations.

People trying to help me are nice. It is just that I am so ignorant to Linux that I do not know how to put words and terms right in my questions or that I ask questions which are of nonsense to the advanced users and experts.
This is why I ask first before I post any questions.

The read only filesystem could be because you are trying to install to the wrong device. If you are booting from a USB that you have written the iso to, that will be a read only filesystem. Are you familiar with Linux drive/partition naming conventions? Do a web search on that? Or it might be a bad drive.

Is the hard drive you are installing to empty? If not, what is on it? How old is this computer? Can you post some specifics on the hardware?

Originally Posted by Jofto A newbie to Linux. Have been trying to learn one of the various Linux distros for two months. Tried Puppy Linux for about 2 weeks and LXLE for 6 weeks. Have to give up LXLE because 1. cannot install it, and 2. cannot get help. I am now trying my luck to lean Xfce and hope to get help here. Am I at the right forum? Why such a question? Because I will ask dumb and stupid questions. If this forum is a college and I am just a first grade pupil, all my questions might be dumb and stupid. I am at a wrong forum. Thank you.

We often get beginner questions, just give us as much details as possible when asking - computer, distro, what you've tried, etc.

Welcome aboard to freedom for you & your machine.

First it could be a bad download - check the md5/sha256 signatures.

Second, it could be how you put/wrote the .iso onto your pendrive - it needs to be 'image' written, not just copied to it.

Third point, XFCE is a common desktop environment available on many distros - I suggest trying MX Linux.

Fourth, try using a 'live' distro on your computer to see what you like.

Originally Posted by yancek The read only filesystem could be because you are trying to install to the wrong device. If you are booting from a USB that you have written the iso to, that will be a read only filesystem. Are you familiar with Linux drive/partition naming conventions? Do a web search on that? Or it might be a bad drive. Is the hard drive you are installing to empty? If not, what is on it? How old is this computer? Can you post some specifics on the hardware?

Thank you.

"The read only filesystem could be because you are trying to install to the wrong device."
There were only two USB flash sticks on the system, one 2GB stick running the LXLE bootable, the other one 16GB stick onto which trying to install LXLE. This would be the wrong device if LXLE could not be installed on USB flash stick or the stick was a bad one. Don't know whether it is good or bad but it can be used for almost everything else.

"If you are booting from a USB that you have written the iso to, that will be a read only filesystem."
Yes, I was booting from the USB bootable and trying to install LXLE from the same USB bootable stick. I knew no any other way.

"Is the hard drive you are installing to empty? If not, what is on it?"
There was no any HDD, just 2 USB flash sticks.

"How old is this computer? Can you post some specifics on the hardware?"
I will post the system or hardware by another post.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by fatmac We often get beginner questions, just give us as much details as possible when asking - computer, distro, what you've tried, etc. Welcome aboard to freedom for you & your machine. First it could be a bad download - check the md5/sha256 signatures. Second, it could be how you put/wrote the .iso onto your pendrive - it needs to be 'image' written, not just copied to it. Third point, XFCE is a common desktop environment available on many distros - I suggest trying MX Linux. Fourth, try using a 'live' distro on your computer to see what you like.

Thank you.

"We often get beginner questions, just give us as much details as possible when asking - computer, distro, what you've tried, etc."
Regard the computer.
It is not a regular computer, but some old parts put together as a system which can barely ran a simple OS such as Win XP or Win 7.
Regard the distro.
It is Linux LXLE. It ran smoothly as a USB live bootable. But could not be installed onto a 16GB USB flash stick.
Regard what I have tried.
Have tried its USB live bootable many times. It ran smoothly as a bootable.
Have tried a dozen times installing LXLE onto a 16GB USB flash stick and failed a dozen times.

"check the md5/sha256 signatures."
I know nothing of the md5/sha256 signatures.

"Second, it could be how you put/wrote the .iso onto your pendrive - it needs to be 'image' written, not just copied to it."
The LXLE ISO was first made a USB live bootable by PowerISO, then, tried to install the LXLE from the same USB live bootable.

Third point, XFCE is a common desktop environment available on many distros - I suggest trying MX Linux."
As a newbie or beginner to Linux, I think I ought to it as simple as possible. MX Linux might heavy for me and my hardware setup. I'll try Xfce first to see if my junk setup can run it.

The system I have is not a regular PC. It is a "put together" or "setup" of some left overs from old PCs:

The motherboard:
G45T AM2 V:1.0
Manufactured in 2007, Acer Aspire M5700's motherboard, running Windows Vista.

The CPU:
Intel Core2 Quad
This is the CPU Acer aspire M5700 used to rung Windows Vista.

The RAM:
Apacer DDR2 800 SDRAM 4G (2G x 2 sticks)
Bought from a 2nd hand parts store 10 years ago and used for running Windows 7.

The PSU:
Corsair RM650x
Only its 24pin cable, CPU cable, and optical drive cable can be used, other cables can not be used because of the loose connections which might causing damages.

The GPU:
On board Intel G45
The G45T motherboard has its own on board GPU.

The BIOS:
American Megatrends V.02.16
This is on board of G45T AM2 V:1.0
It's never been updated and do not know how to update it.

The CR2032:
New. The only part new.

Flash sticks:
One, HP c330 w, a 4GB USB2 flash stick. This is the Xfce USB live bootable running now.
Two, ADATA 16GB USB2 flash stick. This is the flash stick on which Mint will be installed.

The above said parts are put together on top of a wood bench, without a case.

My questions:
1. Is the system as said above able to run Mint?
2. Have learnt that Mint has three editions, Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce. Which one of the three can tolerate and run on the system as said above?
3. Can any one of the three Mint editions be installed on a USB flash stick, 16GB USB2, ADATA brand?

Thank you.

Your system should be capable of running those distros, I don't know ADATA, but suspect that they will work OK.

I'm not familiar with Mint, so I'll leave it to someone who knows that distro to guide you further.

This thread has now converged with another by the same OP (https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...nt-4175722019/). No problem but I suggest we close one of them and continue with the other. That way we keep all the good advice in one place .

Thread closed per above.