Linux on laptop instead of windows

llwayneio · 2 Jul 2008 at 18:57

.walls said:
Puppy isn't as light as DSL, but has substantially more in it. Also, if you're using that spec of hardware, I'm surprised you noticed any difference!!

with regards to the acpi=off comment - that's added to the kernel line in the boot loader. When the GRUB menu appears, press "e" and you can then edit the commands. add acpi=noacpi at the end of the kernel line.

whats the GRUB menu? i really dont understand why it wont install.

craptakular · 2 Jul 2008 at 19:00

llwayneio said:
whats the GRUB menu? i really dont understand why it wont install.

Im not the most educated man on these boards regarding linux but, GRUB is a bootloader, meaning you can add in lines of text (commands?) that will allow you to boot several O.S. like windows XP and ubuntu say. It can also be sued to add special boot parameters that will allow you to boot the Os or indeed Live CD if your having problems.

llwayneio · 2 Jul 2008 at 19:03

Oxy said:
Im not the most educated man on these boards regarding linux but, GRUB is a bootloader, meaning you can add in lines of text (commands?) that will allow you to boot several O.S. like windows XP and ubuntu say. It can also be sued to add special boot parameters that will allow you to boot the Os or indeed Live CD if your having problems.

okay so essentially a command prompt of sorts. any idea how i get to it? cos when i put in the disc it just goes straight to this screen that says like, try and install..install..check memory... but nothing i could see that mentions a GRUB menu.

.walls · 2 Jul 2008 at 19:06

llwayneio said:
whats the GRUB menu? i really dont understand why it wont install.

The boot loader menu - where you get the option of what to boot. I imagine that it has a nice picture with lots of colours (I'm used to plain black and blue / green or red).

Any Ubuntu users here want to elaborate on what it looks like?

If you were getting ACPI errors, turn ACPI off in the kernel. to do this, you need to add the above line (or acpi=off - I think that acpi=off may have replaced acpi=noacpi) to the kernel line during boot.

your grub commands will look something like:

Code:

root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 ro vga=773
initrd /whatever.img

you just have to add either acpi=noacpi or acpi=off to the end of the line starting with kernel.

llwayneio · 2 Jul 2008 at 19:12

but i dont get any screen that gives me an option to type anything.

.walls · 2 Jul 2008 at 19:18

Try this.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

:Edit: I heard a lot a while back about people having to append the "nosplash" option as well, but I don't know if that's still a problem.

.walls · 2 Jul 2008 at 19:22

Oxy said:
also if you find that command fixes your problem to keep it added in all the time laucn terminal from the menu then type:

Code:

sudo gedit boot/grub/menu.lst

and add acpi=off to the line that launches linux.

That's an excellent tip - but we have to get the system booting first

llwayneio · 2 Jul 2008 at 20:13

okay so i press F6 and i get that line of txt, so where eactly do i add the acpi=no command? I tried putting noacpi after the -- but it didnt work. do i put it b4 the -- ? .... hmmm i put acpi=off after the line ( -- acpi=off ) and i didnt get the error msg but it just went to a black screen and did nothing. Anything else i can do?

.walls · 2 Jul 2008 at 20:19

llwayneio said:
okay so i press F6 and i get that line of txt, so where eactly do i add the acpi=no command? I tried putting noacpi after the -- but it didnt work. do i put it b4 the -- ? .... hmmm i put acpi=off after the line ( -- acpi=off ) and i didnt get the error msg but it just went to a black screen and did nothing. Anything else i can do?

acpi=noacpi

somewhere on the line that starts with "kernel"

llwayneio · 2 Jul 2008 at 20:24

i cant see any line that starts with kernal. where abouts am i meant to be looking? .. hmmm im going to try puppylinux lol hopefully i will have more luck with it. I have wanted to get into linux for ages i never thought it would be a hassle

will have to get used to it and then dual boot it on my desktop some time.

craptakular · 2 Jul 2008 at 20:48

give me 10 mins & ill load up my ubuntu disc and post full instructions!!! I want you to get this working lol. I aint going to bed till 2ish so I have the time and patience if you do?

craptakular · 2 Jul 2008 at 20:51

ah ok, re-read your post again, it syays your using ubuntu 7.10, have you tried ubuntu 8.04 Hardy?

.walls · 2 Jul 2008 at 20:52

puppy is more obvious - it gives you a place to type commands by default, but it would be better to wait for Oxy's instruction, as running a full time OS off a cd sucks.

llwayneio · 2 Jul 2008 at 20:56

Oxy said:
give me 10 mins & ill load up my ubuntu disc and post full instructions!!! I want you to get this working lol. I aint going to bed till 2ish so I have the time and patience if you do?

okay dude thanks, im actually trying to run xubuntu as thats apparently better for a lower spec machine. Il download the latest version of xubuntu and then let you know when i have. should i download the lice cd version?

.walls · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:01

xubuntu is ubuntu with a different window manager (xfce instead of gnome - same as kubuntu uses kde by default). if you get more ram for that beast, you can try other desktop environments/window managers.

xfce is very nice, but lacks some of the functionality that I use (but saying that, I also use fluxbox from time to time!).

Using the latest version of ubuntu, you should be able to follow the instructions that have been posted and get it working (I can help with general linux questions, but not ubuntu specifics, as I have never used ubuntu).

llwayneio · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:02

okay but for 256 ram xubuntu is my best bet right? or shall i know try ubuntu lol.

craptakular · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:05

Hi,

I am successfully posting off my ubuntu 8.04 live cd.

As walls said really, down load Xubuntu 8.04.

By using the latest 8.04 that may saolve it, I know I had huge trouble getting 7.10 to work on my then new 8800GT, I had to add loads of launch parameters to get ubuntu installed and then to boot.

Download, burn, & try to install Xubuntu 8.04. Are you likely to do that tonight dude?

If you can, and it doesnt work I have just scribbled instructions down on paper for the posibility it doesnt work, I wont post until you say 8.04 doesnt work either. Just so we both dont get confused

EDIT: MAKE SURE ITS 32 BIT FOR SIMPLICITY

llwayneio · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:06

well i have tried the 8.04 one before i tried the 7.10 one after just to see if an older version would work. But yeh i will do it now, im downloading as i type.

craptakular · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:08

llwayneio said:
well i have tried the 8.04 one before i tried the 7.10 one after just to see if an older version would work. But yeh i will do it now, im downloading as i type.

So you tried 8.04 first? It didnt work. Then tried 7.10 and that didnt work also?

llwayneio · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:14

Oxy said:
So you tried 8.04 first? It didnt work. Then tried 7.10 and that didnt work also?

yep, one time on 7.10 it got to 75% and then got an error and stopped. Il try 8.04 again once its downloaded following your instructions and hope that works. I just want to give my brother an os thats fairly easy to use and will let him browse the internet, chat, watch films, mp3 and be a lot faster than xp is on his low spec machine i was really hoping linux was the answer but maybe a stripped down xp would work best. anyway before i become too depressed il try 8.04 in a bit.