Mint Install from live CD - can't remove hardware acel or reset password
Hi,
I am about at my last straw and really don't want to abandon my Linux attempts but see little alternative. Trying to install Mint (tried 11 and 12) from Live CD ISO. Install hangs at "copying files" if not right after. Other sources read indicate it might be a hardware acceleration problem, so trying to delete ubiquity-slideshow-mint as instructed (actually only see usr/share/ubiquity-slideshow and dozens of sub-slideshows; happy to delete all the slidshows as I have little interest in watching them). Unable to save changes to that file. Accessing it from terminal yields message unable to locate that package. Additionally, tried apt-get remove the files in terminal but asked if I am root. I do not recall setting a root password but tried to follow instructions for removing password via Grub. Problem: cannot access Grub boot options. There is no prompt of loading Grub after Post so cannot select "e" for edit there. I just want to install Mint. Happy to try whatever will work - unafraid of typing in code - but I am a Linux newbie and don't know all commands. Please be as specific as possible if you know a solution. I am on a Dell Dimension L10000R 2 hard drives - both Western Digital, 1 -- 40 G, 1 - 200 G where Linux will go. All properly partitioned waiting for install. Trying to dual boot with Win XP (no dual boot option comes up w/Mint CD; option worked fine for awhile with Ubuntu) Please help. I'd like to stay with Mint and enjoy the dual boot but have just about had enough with the problems and the need to learn a new language with little return. Thank you! Charla |
Do you have more than 1G ram available to run the live and the installer at the same time?
Did you start off by running memtest for a few days or at least 24 hours? Start all over. Get the latest ISO or double check your ISO image for md5 or shal to see that it is correct. Burn the to a high quality disk and at the slowest speed your burner can test. If you start mint it might offer a way to test disk but I am not sure about that. If you have set bios to over clocking then you should return all that to stock default type settings. Then try to install it again. If you did have this machine working with ubuntu it should not fail with mint. Mint is maybe 98% the same. |
Update (no info)
Hi,
I have just 512 M RAM No overclocking (I'm not even sure what that is) The ISO checks out to the correct MD5sum and the disk was burned at 4x. Install is running from the live CD with no other software running while it tries o install. I have not run memtest. I can do that if you think it will help. Alll othe tests check out fine, no erros. |
It never hurts to test memory. In some cases a fail is not a bad thing. Use other tests. For example, some dell systems fail because of a usb setting in bios but most computers ought to pass for a day without any errors. Some people say stuff like only 3 errors but that is not good.
Your system is or may be too weak to run Mint. I know it says you could run it with 512 but the newer distro's are getting to where the live cd and the installer will just fail without 1G worth of ram. Some systems use a lot for internal and video so what is left over causes an issue. Might try a distro designed for lower resource systems. Generally the window manager is the issue. Mint offers I think lxde or maybe xfce or something like that. Try those maybe. I like mint but sometimes you just have to use what works. Ubuntu is so much like mint there should be no problem to go back. |
Update
Hi,
I am trying to install Mint LXDE (tried 11 and 12) If those could run it would be great, else I guess I'll try going back to Ubuntu. However, if I could get my other questions answered -- how to delete the slideshow when I can't seem to get access to saving the changed files once located and how to get rid of the root user password when I can't get a Grub edit option at boot -- that would also be great. If anyone else has more guidance I will gladly take it. This has been an exceptionally long battle (we're into months now; I thought Mint would be the answer). I will look at my options for installing more RAM. Thank you very much for your analysis and the explanations on these newer distros. Alas, onward. Charla |
Updates
Hello,
Ok, today is it - the last straw. I have wanted to believe in Linux, but this business of not being able to located a distro that can even properly load, the problems finding answers to questions that includes the correct command language used for any given distro. and generally conflicting info from all fronts makes this process virtually impossible. I'm a newbie but reasonably intelligent and, though good at languages, this process if like trying to learn a new language where no one seems to be able to agree or supply correct info on its components. Last time: I have tried Linux Mint, Ubuntu 12.04, and Lubuntu (incl. alternate install) MD5Sums check out fine on all ISOs Disk error checks by Linux before install are fine Installs report unrecoverable disk errors but no info is supplied at return to live CD. Computer setup is described in 1st post. Memtest has been run with no issues, chkdsk /r complete no problems. Results from my last boot-repair un are located here:http://paste.ubuntu.com/1159556/ Please, I'd like to be able to give this a fair shot and just need some correct answers. No one wants to suddenly have to become a programmer, just looking for a reasonable tool to continue getting normal work done. Thank you for your assistance. Charla |
I understand you are frustrated but let's look at things. I googled the specs of the machine you reference. It seems to be very light on resources to run Linux Mint. You said it has 512MB of RAM. Does it also have shared ram on-board video? If so, that reduces what you have to work with to run the O/S.
You may wish to take a look at Salix, Vector Linux, Puppy, or even Zenwalk as they tend to run well on systems with more modest specs. |
Updates
Thank you jkirschner; I have downloaded Puppy and so far I like it. Much lighter for my older PC and excellent guidance and instructions in Englishfor those of us who love computers but don't wish to convert to codespeak-as-a-2nd-language just to get work done.
Generally, I think I understand much of what I need to get done, but still having trouble getting this XP and Linux dual boot up and running: Setup: Drives partitioned first using EaseUS Partition Master (for labelling simplicity and GUI simplicity then finished w/in Puppy during install to create /boot, /swap, and / partitions Drive C: - 40G, XP on this drive, linux-designated /dev/sda1 Drive D: - 200G; Linux Puppy on this drive: Partitioned /boot Drive E: /dev/sdb1 -- 10G /swap Drive F: /dev/sdb2 -- 10G / Drive G: /dev/sdb5 -- 185GObviously made some mistakes on 1st install as bootloader would not boot any OS although I did get the nice choice menu ( as though I would succeed). Error: (I think) no boot device found. I had edited menu.lst according to instructions found in the Puppy Linux Manual http://puppylinux.org/main/Manual-English.htm but I could have screwed up exact names of the partitions from Puppy (hdX v. sdX) as well as precisely how/where to tell it to find/launch XP. Any better guidance, a specific listing of how menu.lst and any other required files should be edited if necessary, and any other specific tips will be massively appreciated. Thank you very much, Charla |
It's not clear from your last post if you are actually able to boot Puppy from the hard drive. Are you? If so, boot it. If not, boot the Puppy Live CD. In either case, go to the site below and after reading the instructions on the bootinfoscript, download it and run it and post the results.txt file here. It will give you information on your drives/partitions and boot files which should help someone to help you.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/bootinfoscript/ |
Current problem
Okay, so now we have the Linux Puppy 5.4.3 Live CD.
Unfortunately, it is all that will run. I cannot boot Puppy or XP. My menu.lst file is posted at pastebin as wll as here are its contents (sorry for length but desperately looking for help. # Frugal installed PuppyCan someone please tell me what's wrong here. Excepitionally frustrating to 1) have been working on this for so long; and 2) to know that everything I need is, in fact, located onthe computer and I can't access it. The correct answer will be deeply appreciated. Thank you for your time and your dedication! Charla |
Boootinfoscript Results
Hi all,
As instructed by Yancek, following is my result from Bootinfoscript. As I know I have no idea about what's going on/what's gone wrong right along here, I've taken no stab at reading/interpreting it. Yancek, thank you and if you're aboard, please help if you can. Wish me luck --- I'm still hanging on by a thread and trying to give this a chance. I believe it could be good if I can just get things up and running. Thank you, Charla Boot Info Script 0.61 [1 April 2012] |
Changing Thread Title
To ensure I try to get help from appropriate folks, I'm reposting the salient details and changing this thread to reflect that I'vm now trying to get Puppy up & squared.
Thanks everyone for your help so far, please take a look at http://www.pastebin.com for 2 posts titlede FitBoot, uploaded 8/27/12 about 4:15 for my menu.lst file and the text ouput f4rom Bootinfoscript. Thanks and have a great day (pls respond and help!) Charla |
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