Linux won't boot
 

I am trying to boot Mepis from a CD. My computer starts and reads the disc and it asks me what i want to boot and i go to primary boot and instead of booting it, it restarts the computer and goes back to the same screen. I have tried it on 2 other ocmputers and it works just fine. The same thing happened when I tried to boot knoppix from a cd about a month ago. My bios are set to boot from CD and now I don't know what to do. Any help is appreciated. Thanks :Pengy:

When you say "primary boot" are you saying that after you choose to boot the CD-ROM, or this is the first boot after a full install from the CD-ROM?

I had similar problems with a Linspire CD.

Actually I never got it to boot properly from the CD.

I have Windows XP & SuSE set up on my computer in a dual boot configuration.

I tried the same on my son's computer which had Windows 98, had the same problem and ended up just installing the Linspire on his computer.

What kid of system are you running?

If you are using a Live CD, one that runs on CD without being installed into the hdd, then all you need is

load the CD and boot to it
When you see the first Linux screen hit enter
go to make tea
By the time you have a cup of tea you should have a full working Linux system to play with.

If you want install into the hard disk, search the incons there should be one on the screen or in the system tools.

A Linux need 2 partitions to install. A 5Gb for itself and and 0.5 to 1Gb for a swap partition. The latter is once only and can be used for all later Linux. Use the cfdisk program to do the partitioning.

When I select primary, its the actualy linux part of it not the bios, I am running windows xp home on compaq computer. Saikee, I tried doing that but after I hit enter at the first linuz screen it just restarts and goes back to the linux screen. I am not trying to dual boot either, simply trying to run it off the CD, im not trying to install it on the hardrive

You can't dual boot a Linux without it installed in the hard disk first!

To dual boot you need to place a boot loader in the MBR first so that on power up the BIOS go to load the MBR and the boot loader then offers you the booting choices.

No Linux, who is going to perform the dual boot?

what do you mean by primary though? when you turn the computer on with the disc in, if your bios is set to look at the cdrom first, mepis should present you with a boot screen.

thats what i meant, it does present me with a boot screen. And on it it asks me if i want to boot the primary, alternate and many other options, and I said I wasn't trying to dual boot

In the time I last answered your question (to make tea!) I have loaded Pocket Linux 1.2 and Simply Mepis 3.3.2 into my hard disk.

Mepis screen has an icon called "Install me" if you don't want a hdd installation or just use it as a Live CD.

May be there is something wrong with your CD. Did you check the MD5sum after the download? I don't think I checked mine but I did have a few daft CDs before.

I can't get to an icon because it wont boot! And The CD is fine, it came in a book and I have used it just fine on 2 other computers.

Cut the loss. Go to download Slax, Knoppix or Ubuntu.

Knoppix and Ubuntu won't boot either! Do you not understand what I am saying? No Linux distro will boot

whats your computers specs I hope your not trying to run an x86 livecd on a mac lol.

This is a hardware problem to me. May be you have a 3rd party boot loader ot disk formatter/partitioner the uses the hard disk in a way outside the PC standard or something like that. Linux could not install in it because it could upset the arrangement in your current setup.