Hi, I'm trying to boot ubuntu from a live CD, now Iv'e used it ok with my laptop, now I'm trying it on my pc. The install hangs after *Running Local Boot Scripts (/etc/rc.local) [ok] - the pc has two hard drives one with xp & the other win2000 (which is where I intend to install linux if I can find drivers for all the hardware) - need help to get past this point.

Cheers

What type of boot loader are you using for your windows setup or do you change the boot order in bios?

I changed the boot order in the bios - it does select language - boot from live cd then the orange coloured block going back & forth then the solid coloured line going from left to right, then we get the black screen followed by:

* Starting Deferred execution Scheduler atd
* Starting Periodic command scheduler crond
* Checking Battery State..............
* Running local boot scripts (/etc/rc.local)

curser then sits on the next line as if it's waiting for me to type something in??? & nothing happens

I am sorry, I did not realize you were trying to run it as a live cd, I assumed you were trying to install. I can not give you good help except I have read a few articles about changing a bios mode to turn off the acpi option. Let us hope some one else will come in with better advice.

You should be able to use the live commands from the startup screen,

It will usually say: "to start ubuntu, press enter, to see a list of options, press F2.." or something like it.

if you type the likes:

linux noacpi nopcmcia noapm lang=us dma

you can skip ACPI, PCMCIA detection, and you probably don't need APM in a liveCD either. I use the lang=us from knoppix a lot (otherwise the language is japanese or german), and the dma enables Direct Memory Access for your hard-drives etc..

There are several bugs with the ubuntu liveCD booter, its not the best TBH, you could try some of the more friendly live disks.. Knoppix is my personal favourite.

When you say type: inux noacpi nopcmcia noapm lang=us dma, where do I type this? sorry just used to running cd's etc & expecting them to work - this all foreign territory to me - I've heard a lot of good things about Linux & keen to check it out.

What is the difference between Ubuntu & Knoppix?

grizly is right about the live cds, my favorite is Mepis and the only reason is it has four disk partitioners, two GUI and two command line. That is not the only reason, you can also sign in as root and it was the first that I used and it became my left hand. I have used others but keep going back and its an older version. My 2 cents worth

Ubuntu is ok, just you need the "LATEST" liveCD to benefit. (as people bring up these bugs, they fix them, so the latest ones are better than the early ones)

Knoppix, or AcceleratedKnoppix have an awesome hardware detection algorithm, the puppy just flies on boot, and you almost never see it miss..

Almost

The difference? Knoppix was designed from the ground up to be a liveCD, Ubuntu is designed to be a mature, stable, 'easy to use and learn' operating system.. and they sort of "made" it into a liveCD.. which isn't always the best of ideas, but it's still cool.

I prefer knoppix, because they use cramfs, which can put 2700MB of programs and data on one 700MB cd, which you can boot from!

with a memory card, you can do even more.. (persistent sessions, install other apps, firefox extensions, encrypted home dir, retain settings between boots/machines, swap, faster etc.. on any machine with a cdrom drive!)

http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html