linux installation problem with older PC
 

I am currently running ubuntu on my personal computer and have tried others. I am trying to install some sort of linux on my parents computer. I have tried many linux distros on it and it will only recognize ubuntu and kbuntu. It freezes on ubuntu and has an error installing base hardware for kbuntu. I've also tried dsl cause i heard it would be good for older pcs but when attempting to install it my screen went completely black. Any help is greatly appreciated, the computer runs like hell on xp. thanx in advance


--Rain4ever

To have any hope of helping you, we need to know what hardware you are trying to install on. Make, model, harddrive type and size, memory, type of video card, and how are you trying to install? From a CD you burned, or from a file?

Have you had a look in the HCL list to see if your hardware is supported?

Does DSL boot as a live CD?

ok the computer is...

Compaq Presario
Intel Celeron 2800 MHz / 400 MHz
512 Ram
128 Cache Ram
Don't quite know what the video card is but the adapter is PCI but that probably dont help any

the video card is capable of directx 9 so its decent

I have been attempting to install these by burning CDs

DSL boots as a live CD but again when i pressed install the screen went black. Now the computer actually has no operating system whatsoever any more. I think one of my siblings got into it or something. So to even use the computer i need some sort of linux distro that works for it.

I'll take a look at the HCL list right away...

Before installing did you perform a media check
Even live cd has that option any how suse 10.3 has it If you do so you have better chance that media is use full
Did you check Md5
In my opinion it must be possible to install a linux distro on this machine


all the

newb here... how exactly do you perform a media check???

Some not all distro's will give you a option to check the cd, usualy at the first boot screen asking what you want to do. One thing I have found, is if I burn a bootable cd at a higher speed I will get random errors. Try burning the image at lets say 4 or 6 speed. Also I had an issue installing a linux OS to a laptop I use because of the PCMCIA modem card, I removed the card everything was fine.

Oh ok thank you... I'll post results when i get around to it. thanx again

yeah thats what was wrong i wrote too fast, though i still am kinda curious why ubuntu freezes when i start it with that computer and not any other computer...