I don't know if anyone here can help but I hope someone else has faced this problem before. I recently upgraded my motherboard and chip after my old mobo stopped working. I feared not being able to use Linux with core 2 duo but all the info I gathered claimed that it could. Even Hulu demands core 2 duo or above to use their desktop app.

So today, I put the desktop system back together with these new items:
*Intel DG41CN motherboard (new) -->There's a green light that is on all the time unless I unplug the power cord. Never had a motherboard made by Intel before, so not sure if that is normal. And I am now using the on-board video card, before I used a Nvidia gaming level card.
*Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz socket 775 (used)
*Corsair memory 2 GB, 240-pin 800mhz (used)

When I try to boot Linux Mint 10 Julia, I get this message after the initial screen that shows the OS loading.

And when I boot Linux Mint 12 Lisa I get a very different looking log in screen (it looks like Ubuntu) and a login interface that shows my name and a section to input my password, BUT below it says "Guest Session". When I do log in it looks bizarre and sometimes turns into black screen with extremely fast moving white text, like a terminal run amok. Whenever I login I get either the terminal-like messages moving too fast to read or just a bunch of desktop items, and even then the text screen thing will start up out of the blue. And I can't run any programs that I've been able to try so far, except terminal. Attempting to use Firefox leads to

When I try using the recovery mode, for either OS, I can't update grub, because I am not allowed to access the file, because I am not seen as the owner. Even when I get into LM12 and use a terminal I can't update grub as "su" because (I assume) I am not considered the owner/user!

I assumed I may have to reinstall the OS because the core2 duo is completely different from P4, even though they are both 64 bit chips. BUT none of my live disks are fully loading. I have tried:
Linux mint 10 (32-bit and 64-bit--> which in on hdd 1),
Linux mint 12 (32-bit, which is on hdd 2)
Linux Pear 6 (32-bit),
Ubuntu 12.04.1 (64-bit), Debian 6.0.4(64-bit).
They hang there forever and I give up.
How long is too long too wait for a live disk to boot?

Can anyone tell me what is going on here? Why is this happening? Is this a sign of a bad CPU? Memory? Is Core 2 duo simply not as Linux friendly as I was led to believe. Would appreciate any advice on the topic.

BTW, just now I ran a second memory test and both times the computer shut down. When I restarted the computer both times the message said "Processor Thermal Trip". Is it the heat from the cpu, or is it just the memory or is there something else going on? I've never had this experience before. And this shutdown ONLY happens when I run a memtest.

Some BIOS versions cannot boot ISOLINUX ISOs.
Did you install the CPU on the MB properly? particularly the thermal compound?

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The fact that your systems won't boot, after you change the main board is no shock. You have changed every piece of hardware, so the old systems do not have the correct drivers loaded to work with the new system. The fact that you can boot one system, and get some where, is a good sign. If you are committed to using your old drives, then a clean install is probably the easy way out.

Linux will run on a dual core Intel board, or an AMD dual core for that matter. My main system is a AMD dual core, had it for about two years now.

The only thing you said, that I find a little disturbing, is the Processor Thermal Trip. That is a concern. Make sure your fans, heat sinks are on properly. Memory. Most common problem is making sure the memory snaps in properly, and the contacts are clean. You didn't touch the contacts, right? If you did, you can try using a piece of clean bond paper, double it over, and carefully rub the contacts. Make sure you ground yourself before you touch anything. Static can destroy anything.

Hope this helps.

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The green LED is normal, and found on most ATX motherboards.

Mint 10 is end of life and shouldnt be used.

Intel DG41CN should support linux no problems-

http://www.intel.com/support/motherb.../CS-031709.htm

If your old 'nVidia gaming card' is PCIe I'd probably use it over the intel onboard video (provided the PSU can take it).

"Processor Thermal Trip" means 'your CPU overheated and was shut down to prevent damage'.

Do you have a heatsink installed and did you use thermal paste?

While it shouldnt be causing this problem, using a power supply from a P4 with newer systems can cause problems.

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I took the heat sink off and applied more thermal paste. I only applied a rice grain sized amount the first time. I have always been told not to use more, but this new chip probably needed more. I will try memtest again later. The computer was not on more than 5-7 minutes when I did the memtest the 2nd time. Yet I have had the computer on for more than an hour and it did not shutdown without my shutting it off, so that confuses me.

Also, I can't boot a live disk to reinstall OS. I don't know why. I'm going to clean memory like you suggest and see if that helps. I already changed the slot and it did not change anything as far as that goes. I'm going back in to follow the suggestions I've received. Hope it works.

I know LM 10 is no longer being supported but I LOVE it! I am willing to use LM 13. I am using it right now on my new laptop. It doesn't run Gnome classic as it should be run, but I can live with cinnamon. None of my live disks work. They start booting and then get stuck, so to speak. Their initial menus always work, but never get to the live desktop stage.

I will put in the nvidia gaming card and see if that helps. I have a heatsink and I added more paste. Will try memtest again later today. Also, the computer was originally built by me, so I'm not sure why you think using the PSU that was used with the P4 will negatively affect the new chip? The wattage is more than I need for my 3 sata drives (2 hdd and 1 dvd rw) and it works fine. It's only 1-1/2 years old and 650 Watts (I think). Nope, 585 Watts.

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I just booted the Linux Mint 12 and the desktop is missing the panels, so I can't access most of the programs. I tried playing a movie from the Media drive and it asked me to install missing drivers. I almost never use 12 so I wasn't surprised. The program Totem movie player opened and began to play but the screen turned into a terminal -- and I can still hear part of the opening title song looped over and over-- and I don't know why.

I believe that my bios does accept live disks because it has a boot order for that purpose. And Intel is and always has been Linux friendly. Can I install from a install only disk without any functional memory?

I went back in and tested with memtest and there were bad areas of the module. Now I have to get new memory and see if the rest of my problems were memory related too. Find that a little hard to believe. The keyboard lights for cap and scroll lock were blinking like crazy when I tried and failed to install Debian 64-bit after choosing the install only part selected off the disk menu. After I get new memory I will try again. Thanks again for all the suggestions. think cleaning the memory actually helped even though it was still a defective part. Oh, well.

Contacted the memory seller from Amazon.com -- claims the memory was only used for 2 weeks and is in perfect working order. Says bios may need to be updated. Is that a good idea in Linux machines?

If your memory tests are failing, something is wrong. Any chance of putting the memory in another machine for a test?

New BIOS will not hurt. I don't think that has much to do with your problems. BIOS flashing on some systems requires a DOS or Windoze system. It is possible to create a bootable CD and run the BIOS flash program from the CD. I would leave the BIOS alone, until you are sure the memory problems are resolved.

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As for the system booting or not, I still am wondering if you are trying to just plug in your original hard drives and run them or whether you have bothered to install a fresh/clean hard drive and reinstall your operating system.

If MemTest is failing that is not a good sign.

You have to be careful when you handle CPUs or RAM by hand. A simple shock of static electricity will destroy either of these. It's very important to discharge any static electricity that may have built up on you your body by touching a grounded piece of metal before touching any of these components.

If you've never managed to get the memory working properly, it may well be that the seller damaged the chip when removing it from their system. Let's hope you don't get into a dispute with them.

Try the MATE version if you really want gnome 2.X.

Pentium 4 era power supplies have different outputs to newer power supplies and using P4 era power supplies can cause issues with newer systems.

A rice grain sized amout is probably fine for Core 2 duo chips.

Getting a thermal trip within 5-7 minutes in memtest means that something is seriously wrong. I'd guess its he memory, could be the motherboard, outside chance its the CPU.

Thats the ebay equivalent of 'low mileage, owned by a little old lady who used it for shopping'. Could be true, more often its bulldust.

I really doubt that a BIOS update will help at all.

I'd check the BIOS version, its more than possible you have the newest BIOS version already.

No. My other computer is a laptop. I have decided to simply return the memory to the seller. There's no point in risking the well-being of a brand new mobo for the sake of testing a used memory module.

Even if I were willing to discard my Media and Backup drives for the sake of installing on a fresh drive (because otherwise I won't have room, as I intend to use a 2nd optical drive soon), I can't even boot an install disk well enough to install anything. I don't want to give up my data, and I should not have to. 2 years ago, when a single drive I bought failed, I mailed it to Western digital for replacement and used a live disk exclusively until I received the replacement drive, so I know that hard drives can't stop a live disk from working. They only need memory, unless they are now being made differently for some reason.

When I used my 64-bit Debian disk I got so far as partitioning the 2nd drive before it froze and stopped 1/3 of the way through. That's another reason that I believe it is the memory. Everything seemed perfectly fine until it started doing something that required RAM caching. Just like when I logged into the desktop of LM 12, except the install disk didn't turn into a text console. It just froze. Even the cursor would not move.

I also believe that the seller damaged the module, as the box he sent it to me in was undamaged. I have a few old memory modules I'm thinking of selling that still work like new, so I know that if that memory he sold me worked in his machine and now it doesn't, something happened when he removed it from his machine. Despite his claim that memtest is often wrong, I have NEVER had a memory module fail memtest. Not a single one in all these years. But I have never bought used memory before. I should have listened to my brother; he said to never buy used memory, but I thought, 'If my used memory is in perfect working order why wouldn't someone else's?'

The seller has agreed to take it back and refund my money, but he certainly fought it for a while there. I hope that he keeps his word.

Is MATE able to use Gnome themes? I've never used it before or even seen it.
As far as my PSUs go, all of them were bought new between 1-3 years ago and all work fine. I would be using the 450W PSU (which is the oldest) if it had a PCIe power plug on it. I don't need as much power as the current supply provides -- I bought it a year and a half ago.

I checked the INTEL website and the on-board BIOS version is just fine. It can handle up to 8 Gb of memory -- up to 4Gb in each channel, so 2 Gb in one channel is not going to be an issue. Tomorrow, I will order a brand new 2 Gb module from Newegg.com and I'll post how it goes as soon as I install the new memory. I suspected that I'd need to reinstall my OS when I upgraded my system, but never anticipated not being able to even use a live disk. I hope that memory alone will solve the live boot / install problem.