I have installed Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS and 17.04, Mint 18.3 and Fedora 26.

Ubuntu will install but then it freezes and I have to restart. Then it freezes again. It takes this endless cycle.
Fedora I can't even get to boot into the installation.
Mint will install without a hitch like Ubuntu but then I get the busybox on it, leaving me with a prompt that just has '(initramfs)'

I have never has issues like this before and I have no idea what to do next. It is a brand new computer I built which isn't my first, I have been building computers and installing linux for many many years.

my specs:

MB: MSI X99A GodLike Gaming Carbon
HDD: Seagate ST2000DM001
SSD: Corsair Force Series 480GB Internal SSD - M.2 2280 - MP500
sumsung 850 evo 500gb
Neutron Series XTi 1tb
optical: LG WH16NS40 Super Multi Blue (in external bay)
video: gtx 1080


please help I have no idea IF I can even use Linux on this computer with the luck i have been having

The computer is basically sound, or Mint and Ubuntu wouldn't install. I think that the error message from Mint may be a valuable clue. We need to know exactly what it was, though! My first thought was a video problem, but the Mint message might suggest a drive error. What CPU and graphics processor do you have?

I'd
1. Enter BIOS and check that the PSU is delivering correct voltages. I admit that's unlikely, but it's best to get the question out of the way.
2. Run the memory test from one of the live disks; I think Mint offers one in the start-up menu. Again, unlikely but best to be sure.
3. Check the drive with the installation on it, using fsck from the live Mint.
4. Install Mint again and give us that command-line message.

That's not to say any of those developers &c are testing on that newer hardware... something I know nothing about? I'd try a netinst (installing, I like setting up the network then unplugging my WiFi so the rest of the install gives me just enough, CLI, to instll more (maybe Aptitude) from turnning the WiFi back on after installed) with KDE, stretch/sid: https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...8/#post5763339 <plus links-link> what builds Ubuntu and Mint so to text,,, cut out the middlemen.

https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/u...y-live-builds/
https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/u...weekly-builds/

parts that have been on the market for less than a year can be problematic under linux, because linux development needs some time to catch up with hardware development.

maybe if you could install the newest kernel. or a distro that ships with it.

GeForce GTX 1080 Graphics Card

(why can't i press tab in this damn window?)

is advertised as linux available. make sure your kernel and xorg are recent enough (see nvidia website) and that any required kernel module get loaded (see if nvidia website has any install instructions for linux - workaround that are not normal?)

X99A GODLIKE GAMING CARBON

motherboard has an intel "x99 express" chipset - i assume you got as far as being able to read/write disk through the motherboard

Killer E2400 Gigabit LAN controller

ubuntu used to barf if your lan/wifi driver was un-supported. unsure if that's still true

(please others who've recently installed comment on what would happen if lancard was not detected by ubuntu these days)

?? google: networking - ubuntu 14.04 network adapter Atheros Killer E2400 - Ask ...
https://askubuntu.com/questions/6703...-e2400-drivers

Killer Wireless 1535 module ... "Supports 2x2 802. 11a/b/g/n/ac with advanced features". I did not look this up.

NOTE: PLEASE BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT when each freezes (what your seeing and any messages)

> "I get the busybox on it, leaving me with a prompt that just has '(initramfs)' "

busybox is too small to to talk about - in the past it didn't even have a boot USB and I have no idea what the kernel might have (not) enabled on such a thing.

did you try Knopix (runs linux completely off of USB ostensibly without needing network attachment for installation) ?

ANOTHER QUESTION: do you have any old network cards and or video cards hanging around to throw in the box to see if those are a cure?

don't expect linux to "leverage technology" you bought to work as well in linux as in windows 10

manufacturers like keeping their hardware secrets (kernel blobs) and "leveraging" software (ie, soundfront software for sound cards). they are giving out kernel blobs to linux (but are they "the same and full?")

leveraging will NOT be the same. what i mean hear is that the manufacturer likely (for pay) gave win10 drivers that take advantage of features you paid for that other hardwares do not have (x99 features for example).. "can directx take advantage of the 3D sound capabilities your soundcard has?" (ie, for older sound cards no - linux did not support gaming sound card features)


software leveraging is like: is their sound software that lets me edit (music, midi, other) that's quality, and moreso is there a utility installed that shows feature options of that sound card in desktop Settings ?

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if your buying new stuff you should definitely consider buying used (return the new stuff) or buying things linux actually can do (ie, a wicked sound card would not be a good purchase since linux does not have DirectX - a better purchase would put the money into extra cores or something linux can use)

UBUNTU? in my opinion they "heavily market" (in the past, recently i'd have to look) ...they tell people everything works, distros tend to support specific makers/people: and when many many people i've seen in past had install issues "the victim was blamed" and case closed, or ignored and closed, and etc. You wouldn't be the first with an ubuntu install that didn't work and a community that denied the issue existed and "locked you out of commenting about it".

That being said i wouldn't say ubuntu isn't the best to install and don't mean to start a distro argument. It has a large user base and allot of capabilities.

If you have at least one working distro, you could at least try installing a new distro or two as a VM.

Note that nVidia support on Linux for the gtx 1080 was only issued about a year ago.
I assume you wouldn't want to bother installing this until it's actually working.
Assuming inxi is installed, tryThis will report all kinds of essential info. Many parameters are available...