I used DBAN disk to wipe my windows vista computer. I want to install Linux mint from a CD, but when I start the computer with CD in the slot, all I get is a black screen with "Boot from CD" in the corner. What am I doing wrong?

Welcome to LQ!

You probably aren't doing anything wrong.
Maybe try pressing Y or the [Return] Key?
Let us know how you get on....

Hi, Welcome to Linux Questions!

Can you tell us the maker and model of your computer which may help.

Booting Linux Mint from a CD? Hmmm... A DVD is more likely these days, Mint 18.2 Sonya is 1.6Gb which wouldn't fit on a CD. CDs have a max capacity of about 700Mb

Where did you get the "CD" from?

If you download an iso file from the Mint website you'll need to use some burner software to burn a bootable DVD from the iso image file.

Just copying the iso file to the DVD doesn't work (it just stays as an iso file )which sounds a bit like what you have happening.

Also... Does your computer have a DVD drive? The message you get displayed suggests it doesn't. You may have to go down the USB memory stick route if your computer has the option to boot from one.

Play Bonny!

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Welcome to Linux!!! You'll 'get there' Since you booted (&created?) a DBAN cd, it -might- be a new glitch.
Feel free to post details on the PC model, ram, how Mint cd was 'burned', if it seems to read any of it,
and then there's a whole (www-search) topic of interrupting the bootloader, to pass 'kernel parameters'.

One other LQ 'secret' is the 'GoAdvanced' button, to Edit #1, to change Title, to more specifily detailed.

No luck using either keys.

You'll need to post answers to the other questions asked above if you want help. In particular where you got the iso (Mint site), how you got it on the DVD if you are using a DVD. You need to use software designed for the purpose and choose the option to "burn as an image". Details on your hardware would be useful information.

I have a Dell Dim E521, A64 X2,3800+. OK.. it's a DVD (I call all these disks CDs). I bought the Linux DVD at the same time I bought the Dricks Boot and Nuke DVD (same site). My computer does have a DVD drive.

I'm slow at writing, so others will likely beat me to this (again LQ'ers love to help)

There seems to be a bunch of stuff from this web-search (but I haven't dug thru it yet):
E521 boot linux

1 more idea: you can paste www-links of search results you've tried, to save writing, and so people can 'see' what's happening

Oh, IF you don't hit 'any' key fast enough, it defaults to the hard drive, and does nothing!!!

Ooops, I see you read my post, before I (slowly) added: maybe you didn't hit Y fast enough...
Try seeing that dban disk still boots ok!!!

P.s. Extreme hack: maybe there's a way to just load dban to memory (not run it), get a shell, swap dvd, 'examine' the mint dvd... It's possible they shipped a 'blank'. When what 'can't happen', happens, then maybe it isn't (happening)

I have a Dell Dimension E521 that I actually just did a fresh Debian 9 install on yesterday. I used the Debian netinst CD (yes a CD - the netinst disc image is small). What can I say? It booted up just fine and the installer completed all steps without any issue.

The key to get into the BIOS is F2. You have to be a bit quick with it, but it works. Once you're in the BIOS, you can set it to boot from the DVD drive first. Maybe adjust the SATA controller mode on the DVD drive (I don't know if this could help at all, but it is a possible thing to try).

Oh, one other thought - the BIOS on the Dell E521, like many other Dell machines, is finicky about SATA interfaces which aren't disabled but also don't have any drive attached. If there are any non-disabled SATA interfaces without an attached drive, the BIOS will complain upon POST.

As such, the usual thing is to disable any SATA interfaces which don't have a drive attached. This becomes a "gotcha" if you ever install a new drive or move a drive from one SATA port to another. The new or moved drive isn't seen! Why? Because someone explicitly disabled the SATA port to avoid the BIOS complaining upon POST.

This probably has no bearing on your issue, but it's something to watch out for.

@!!!

Hitting the key is a waste of time, just wears out the key mechanism. Hold the key down, at this point the system is scanning the keyboard to see if there's a key being depressed. Hitting the key is just playing "now you see me, now you don't"

Play bonny!

Is UEFI active or disabled in your BIOS? I would think that most newer flavors of Linux are UEFI compatible, but I haven't used Mint in a very long time. Also, Is your optical drive set as the boot disk?

The Dell E521 is a Windows Vista era machine. I don't think UEFI was even a thing back when these things were manufactured (not 100% sure about how long the model was in production, though). Back when I ordered mine the OS options were Windows Vista or "downgrade" Windows XP.

After taking a long break from the old computer, I tried using the USB that came with the DVD. Reset the BIOS to us the USB as boot device. No luck with that either. Tried the DVD again after resetting the BIOS. I now have "Boot from CD :" in the upper left corner of the black screen. Figured it would come up with the same stuff that it has had all along. BUT...after 5 or 6mnutes it added ISOLINUX 6.03 20151222 ETCD Copyright (C)...... There is a flashing _ under that line that has ISOLINUX. Is it just taking a long time to the next thing or what. I am no computer expert. Just wondering.