Help with installing Linux

[unwashed potato!]

i have 2 quesions regarding Linux.

first being that i am trying to install linux on my old old pc but i am having no luck. I burnt this file, ubuntu-5.10-install-i386, onto a CD and then inserted that into my old PC like told to by someone here but nothing happened. I tried to explore the CD in hope of finding some autostart thing but i couldnt so now i am stuck. anyone know what i am to do?

Second is that is it possible to have My Media centre PC that has the internet plugged into it, connected with the Linux PC so that i can have internet on both? they are right next to each other if that helps

 

[Tican]

have you been in the bios of the old PC to set it to "Boot From CD"?


Edit: im no good with networking BUT you will need to setup the windows PC using the network config thing within windows, so its setup as the "server" then have a cross over cable going from windows to linux PC. Im not sure what else is needed, but I know it wasnt easy when i tried

 

[unwashed potato!]

have you been in the bios of the old PC to set it to "Boot From CD"?

thanks for the reply, will give that a go now

 

[Vonhelmet]

Did you burn the file to the disc as a regular file, or did you burn it as an iso image?

If you're not sure what that means, put the disc in your Windows machine, open the CD drive in My Computer and tell me what files are on the disc.

Let me know that, and I should be able to help you.

 

[unwashed potato!]

ok i managed to install Linux, problem now is that it is stuck on some black screen i think asking me for something.

It asks for ubuntu login which i do, then it says how ubuntu comes with no warranty, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

then says adam@Ubuntu:~$

This is where i get stuck as i have no clue what i am to do. i have clicked enter and nothing, anyone know what to do?

 

[Vonhelmet]

Sounds like X hasn't started for some reason. That's odd.

Try hitting Ctrl-Alt-F7 and see what happens. If that does nothing, try typing startx and pressing enter at the command prompt.

 

[unwashed potato!]

Sounds like X hasn't started for some reason. That's odd.

Try hitting Ctrl-Alt-F7 and see what happens. If that does nothing, try typing startx and pressing enter at the command prompt.

yeah it says:

"the x server is now disabled. Resart GDM when it is configured correctly."

How i sort that out?

also after hitting crt alt f7 i now no longer have any control of my keyboard :S ow do i get it back?

 

[Vonhelmet]

Wow. That sucks. Is that what you see when you hit Ctrl-Alt-F7? Does it give you the option to view detailed XServer error output? That might help.

What video card are you using? My initial guess would be that it doesn't have the drivers for it.

 

[unwashed potato!]

nope no options of more details, i did before but they were nonsense to me so i just firgured if id click ok, it would be ok.

i think im usuing something called hercules3d prophet 32mb or something like that. i have the old place to plug the monitor into, would that help? i believe the old place is some MB graphic thingy maybe if thats possible.

how do i get the use of my keyboard back? it has completed gone

 

[Vonhelmet]

nope no options of more details, i did before but they were nonsense to me so i just firgured if id click ok, it would be ok.

It might help to see some of the nonsense, though I doubt you fancy typing it all out!

i think im usuing something called hercules3d prophet 32mb or something like that. i have the old place to plug the monitor into, would that help? i believe the old place is some MB graphic thingy maybe if thats possible.

Is the hercules a geforce? That should be well supported. You can try the motherboard one instead and see if you have better luck.

how do i get the use of my keyboard back? it has completed gone

Hit Ctrl-Alt-F1

 

[unwashed potato!]

It might help to see some of the nonsense, though I doubt you fancy typing it all out!

How do i find that nonsense again? i have no problem in typing it out, just dont know how to find it.

Is the hercules a geforce? That should be well supported. You can try the motherboard one instead and see if you have better luck.

i havent got a clue on what type it is, probably geforce but no clue. So to change the monitor should i turn off the pc and restart it once it is in place?

im off now so wont relpy till later

 

[Vonhelmet]

How do i find that nonsense again? i have no problem in typing it out, just dont know how to find it.

Restart the PC and then hit Ctrl-Alt-F7 to get to the bit that tells you gdm couldn't start. It should give you the option of viewing the detailed error output. We'd need to see any lines that start with E or W, as I recall.

So to change the monitor should i turn off the pc and restart it once it is in place?

Yes, try that.

 

[leezer3]

Sounds to me like Ubuntu has decided to use the NV driver, but the card is too old to be supported. From the command line run:

sudo passwd root
**Enter a root password**- DO NOT LOOSE THIS!!! (Ubuntu has no root password and thereby root access disabled by default)

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Folllow the dialog boxes, and for the video driver select vesa- This is the absolute standard video driver which should drive anything that outputs to a monitor.
Reboot and hopefully you should be running (Albeit with no 3d acceleration)

-Leezer-

 

[unwashed potato!]

Sounds to me like Ubuntu has decided to use the NV driver, but the card is too old to be supported. From the command line run:


Folllow the dialog boxes, and for the video driver select vesa- This is the absolute standard video driver which should drive anything that outputs to a monitor.
Reboot and hopefully you should be running (Albeit with no 3d acceleration)

-Leezer-

ok? ill give that a go once it finally starts up, taking a very long time

So could you type out exactly what i need to type in, put each time i hit enter on a new line, if possible as i didnt really understand what parts i have to put in. thanks again for all the help recieved

[EDIT]
ok i have typed in sudo passwd root, then hjit enter then it asks me for a password but i cannot type, anyone know why? if i hit enter then iget like 1 second to type something but it then says after not even a sec, sorry try again. what am i to do?

 

[unwashed potato!]

Restart the PC and then hit Ctrl-Alt-F7 to get to the bit that tells you gdm couldn't start. It should give you the option of viewing the detailed error output. We'd need to see any lines that start with E or W, as I recall.

when i hit ctrl-alt-F7 i just get a black screen now, with only a lilttle line blinking as though i should tpye text howerver i doesnt allow text to be typed

no wonder windows is the most used

 

[leezer3]

ok i have typed in sudo passwd root, then hjit enter then it asks me for a password but i cannot type, anyone know why? if i hit enter then iget like 1 second to type something but it then says after not even a sec, sorry try again. what am i to do?

Hiya,
The nothing appearing when you type is actually one of the more paranoid security features for enterprise level usage.
Type in the password you want for root, press enter and type it again before pressing enter once more- Should work (Need to be a little careful as you can't see the length)

Hope this helps.

-Leezer-

 

[unwashed potato!]

ok i think im getting somewhere, im stuck though where it is asking me what X.Org server modules that should be loaded by defult?

well icouldnt wait no longer so i went for GL something something, and now im click ok for some other things and i get stuck once again. Now i get this messege: xserver-xorg postinst warning: overwriting possibly-customised configuration file; backup in /etc/X11/xorg.conf .20060560015

and then i get back to the black screen and with adam@Ubuntu:~$ which i have no clue on what to do now. anyone? help asap as its getting alte and i dont want to have to turn off the PC but i will have to to sleep

 

[enragedchip]

Well to start x and gnome you can type at the prompt

sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start

this starts the gnome destop manager and lets you login to gnome.

You didn't need to type

sudo passwd root

Ubuntu doesn't use the root password, the root password by default is scrambled and anything the requires root access is done using the password you set during install and using the sudo command.

 

[unwashed potato!]

Well to start x and gnome you can type at the prompt

sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start

this starts the gnome destop manager and lets you login to gnome.

You didn't need to type

sudo passwd root

Ubuntu doesn't use the root password, the root password by default is scrambled and anything the requires root access is done using the password you set during install and using the sudo command.

i typed in what you said, it then asked for a password so i typed in my password, it then said: " * Starting GNOME Display Manager..... [fail] "

Any clue on what to do?

Also after typing startx i get loads of things pop up and then it says somehwere that there is a fatal server error and that no screens found. Please consult the x.org foundation support at http://wiki.x.org for help

please also check log file at /var/log/Xorg.0.log for additional information on XIO

Gosh i already am not liking Linux

 

[leezer3]

Well to start x and gnome you can type at the prompt

sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start

this starts the gnome destop manager and lets you login to gnome.

You didn't need to type

sudo passwd root

Ubuntu doesn't use the root password, the root password by default is scrambled and anything the requires root access is done using the password you set during install and using the sudo command.

Twiddle.
If the guy don't have access to desktop, he has no root access without setting a root password!
The fake root access provided by Ubuntu is via GKSudo, which is part of Gnome. He needs to set a root password so he can use sudo from the console, without this he cannot reconfigure the X-Server.

Please don't spout off with inadequate info!- Earlier in the thread it had already been established that the X-Server/ display driver configuration was up the spout, and therefore attempting to start GDM will do absolutely nothing except confusing the situation.


Back to the problem at hand, no screens found means that the setings for the screen you set in the reconfiguration of the X-Server were not right for your screen- What you need to do is to find the specifications for your screen, and use the advanced configuration to set the refresh rates and available resolutions manually.
Hopefully this will help

-Leezer-