G'day all:
I am trying to install lubuntu 12.04 on an older desktop (limited 512K RAM) with the aim of running gambas 3. However, having downloaded the iso file and sucessfully burnt a CD with imgburn (on a Win XP desktop), I am not able to run the lubuntu file checking without finding some errors - varies between one and eighteen on disk attempts. I will now try a MD5 (windows) check on the downloaded iso file, but my question is: is it possible to make the istallation with perhaps an imperfect CD and then identify the files in error and replace them individually? This is a procedure I have used with Win 2K, for example, when I only had the one o/s disk. As the boot up complained about a few files, I just replaced them one by one from a good set.
I am taking the leap into Linux so that I might construct a more reliable embedded computer in a small aircraft that will operate without the benefit of display and mouse. I previous used a lite version of Win 98SE
Regards from an oldie.

"I am not able to run the lubuntu file checking without finding some errors - varies between one and eighteen on disk attempts."

Older optical media readers are poor at reading burned cd's.

First test download with md5 or shal and then burn it to a quality cd at the very slowest speed you can. Then try it again.
I have found that the black cd's perform the best.

You can't fix errors reported in boot to test cd. We don't know if the cd is usable or the reader can't read the cd.

If the optical reader is always at fault either from reader or controller or cable issue then a usb might be able to be created or a network boot or even remove the hard drive and load it remotely.

1 members found this post helpful.

Thanks Jefro:
Last night I repeated the process pretty carefully a number of times. I checked the downloaded iso file with md5 from a hasher against the value listed on site - all OK. I verified the CDR as burnt by ImgBurn on a fairly new burner at 8X (I also tried it at 4X) - all OK. However, I still end up with Lubuntu telling me there is one file in error. The option of loading the hard drive (an older 10GB HDD) remotely seems a way to go. Presumably if I can burn an iso file to a CDR then I can also wrire the iso contents direct to the HDD? I have no trouble swapping the HDD from one computer to another, although as I have the iso file on the destination computer at the moment and that has WinXP on another drive, maybe I can do that direct? I wanted that computer to have both XP and Lubuntu available to boot from different drives.
I just wondered if the "One file in error" message might be a little or no consequence - maybe its a start or finish file or something - seems strange I get it repeatedly. If the optical drive were at fault, I would expect more random numbers of files at fault.
Carl

That's possible. I've successfully installed a distro under those circumstances. The actual checking program may be at fault. For example, the ZevenOS checker (taken from Ubuntu) complains about a couple of missing items that aren't actually supposed to be there.

Try the installer and see what happens: the worst that could happen is that it wouldn't install or that something would be missing.

[QUOTE=jefro;4764632]"I am not able to run the lubuntu file checking without finding some errors - varies between one and eighteen on disk attempts."

Older optical media readers are poor at reading burned cd's.

Thank you jefro and I apologize for the time taken to reply. Similarly to David McCann. I have put a lot of hours over the last four days continuing to try to install, but without success. jefro was right about the CD reader plus IDE cable. Not sure which, but I replaced both and found there were no file errors on the CD. I had also confirmed that by md5 hash on the download and the verify on the CD burn, but the replacement CD reader said the same thing. In the meantime I had used unetbootin to write the install file to a CF card and booted the desktop off that with the same failed install result. With lubuntu, the install went through the whole procedure, thanked me nicely for installing lubuntu, then just hung with the little rotating cursor and nothing else. Waited up to several hours, but no file install activity - nothing. Would'nt boot either - did this both on a HDD of its own and alongside WinXP. Same result. Let me tell you, if there is one thing that makes me cross, it's a distro install that fails without even telling you that is has failed!

Tried again with full ubuntu, but similar result, except that the install had the courtesy, at the end, of telling me that it had "encountered a problem". On the occasion I had done this from the liveCD desktop, it also said it was "returning me to the desktop so that I might enquire further"! How?

The first mobo concerned was a DFI GCS65-EC. I don't think that is relevant, because today I resucitated an Intel D820 LP mobo with a P3 and 512 MB RAM - runs a small XP OS just fine - and tried to install Ubuntu. Same as before - goes smoothly through the whole procedure - thanks me near the end and then, while still copying files, tells me "I have a problem". Well, I know that now! My current question is - how do I find out the nature of the problem. Ubuntu at least gives me a functioning Ubuntu desktop back running from RAM until I turn the computer off.. I tried looking at a log file in /usr/log/install, but I didn't really know which one and what I was looking for. Should I copy this to the installation thread on this forum?
Regards
Carl

Hello.
I have had the same issue with certain distos, I found a solution here on this site about 6 months ago. Try downloading an older version like 10.04 and installing that, then upgrade one version at a time until you reach the newest version. Ubuntu is one of the easiest distros to do it this way. Finding a 10.04 or 10.10 version isn't that hard http://kat.ph/lubuntu-10-04-iso-t4838422.html you just need to torrent it to get it. I am a huge fan of qbittorrent if you don't have one already. Here's a link to lubuntu 10.10 http://kat.ph/lubuntu-10-04-iso-t4838422.html I hope this helps.
Jonnynitro138
Oh this process of going from one version to the next to the next takes along time.

[QUOTE=jonnynitro138;4769907]Hello.
I have had the same issue with certain distos, I found a solution here on this site about 6 months ago. Try downloading an older version like 10.04 and installing that, then upgrade one version at a time until you reach the newest version. ....QUOTE]

Jonny:
Thanks for taking the time to reply so quickly. That sounds like a promising process. I haven't any experience yet with bittorrent or qbittorrent - but nothing like trying! I may be a newbie to Linux, but I have been around computing for a long, long time. (Started programming in Fortran back in 1960 on an IBM 7090!). I wanted a Linux desktop that I could install Gambas into, looking ahead some time to making the transition from Win 2K running VB6 (with a touch screen) to a Linux running Gambas from a 2GB CF card in an embedded system with no display.
As an experiment, a friend just loaned me a SuSe Linux 10.0 DVD which I tried this evening. It installed perfectly where Ubuntu failed. The desktop may be larger, but I liked the way the install kept me properly informed that it was alive and well and told me what it was doing. So I know that there is no fundamental problem with my system; for me the problem has to be with the Ubuntu distro and the option you have suggested may provide the answer if I go back to spending time with Ubuntu. The latter sounded like a good match for installing Gambas 3, but the net tells me I could install a LXDE desktop with SuSe 12 and I should be able to install gambas. Luckily I have time to try these options, but for now I would have to say that the SuSe install has got the tick of approval. I also noted a distro called Vector Linux 7 Light that might be a good bet finally for an embedded system. I wonder have you any experience of it?
Must go to bed. Thanks, Carl

Hi Carlsnilsson, SUSE is a good choice too. And for sure you can install LXDE in SUSE also, As you already know LXDE is the graphical interface by default in Lubuntu. However to install any kind of software in SUSE the easiest way is to install them through YasT. Infact anything settings or whatever you would want to change in your SUSE installation YasT is the way to do it. To use YasT you will have to be root, so it is easy to mess up an installation too so do changes with moderation.
Ofcourse you can modify SUSE and install software using the Terminal but for now I would suggest the use of graphical tools and once you find your way around then you would want to become familiar with the terminal too.

Once you got LXDE installed you can select it from the loging screen. If you have questions using YasT just post them on here and I am sure there are more SUSE users out there.

Good luck and welcome to the world of GNU-Linux