Installation disc/USB does not launch installer

[Spectrum]

Hi! I have trouble installing Kubuntu 16.04.

I have downloaded the image kubuntu-16.04.2-desktop-amd64.iso and burned it to a DVD. When I boot from this disc, I see a little icon at the bottom of the screen that looks like a USB key. It stays there for some seconds. Then my screen goes dark. From there, the monitor occasionally says "no signal". Nothing ever happens. It does not reach any kind of menu.

I have also tried to "burn" the ISO to a USB key. This gave the same result (so I don't think it's just the DVD that is bad).

K3b checks the checksum and reports no errors, so my ISO does not look corrupt.

I've tried the same process with an old DVD containing Kubuntu 14.04 (I think the image is kubuntu-14.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso). That works fine, and I was able to install. But I have read that it is not advisable to upgrade from 14.04 to 16.04 and that I should do a clean install.

My system is 64-bit according to getconf LONG_BIT.

Can anyone advise me? What could be wrong?

Thanks in advance!

[vinnywright]

when you used k3b to burn the DVD ,,,,,, did you burn as a data disk (wrong) or write image to disk (correct)

how did you "burn" to USB ,,,,with dd , or a disk creator program .

VINNY

[citizen]

Hi! I have trouble installing Kubuntu 16.04.

Can anyone advise me? What could be wrong?

Thanks in advance!

I have had this problem many times. Sometimes the download is corrupt, you need to download it again.
Sometimes the DVD shows that the iso is on there, but the computer trying to install balks that something is wrong, or... dead space, a blinking cursor that does nothing. Even though the disc looks like all the files are on it.
The other bad thing that can happen is a bad usb drive. They work fine as a drive but have issues as an iso install device. Some A-Data "My Flash" branded drives (1G and 4G), just do not work properly. But I have an actual A-Data 15G that is just fine. I have a Sony 4G that is awesome. I have also had some bad luck with some Super Talent branded Pico 2G drives when used to install Distros.
Because I use the USB drives so often I have to delete the old iso's before adding a new distro. If the hidden file ".disk" is not deleted before a new iso is loaded on the USB drive, you will have trouble.

I would think an overwrite message would occur, but no.
And the last annoyance is Unetbootin. I have had varied luck with the repo versions on multiple machines. Now I just use the PPA for the latest version regardless which distro I am doing this on.

So;
Download the iso again
Use a different USB drive
Make sure the USB drive is clean, including hidden files (you can leave trash can on there, no issues -but empty it first)
Use an up to date version of Unetbootin.

Tip: use a USB drive with a feedback light in it. My Pico drives are just a flat shiny chrome stick with no indicator lights. Pretty but unhelpful when you want to know if the computer is reading the USB.

Good luck.

[Qqmike]

Puzzling, as you didn't have any problems with 14.04. If your computer boots by UEFI, you want to make sure you boot the computer from the 64-bit DVD/USB by UEFI (not by the older, standard means). It seems I recall seeing that "little icon at the bottom of the screen that looks like a USB key" in an instance where the boot mode was not chosen correctly (but I can't quite recall). Anyway,

UEFI Simplified, a quicker version
The section titled
Installing the OS in UEFI mode
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post379977

Also, Vinny's questions, in Post #2.

[chimak111]

One thing that changed in 16.04 is that AMD graphics maybe an issue.

What are the specs of the destination machine?

Also, if your machine is oldish, you may want to start off with *buntu 16.04 from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/re...enial/release/ rather than 16.04.2 because the latter will use kernels more suited for newer machines. There's more info at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/LTSEnablementStack

[Spectrum]

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

when you used k3b to burn the DVD ,,,,,, did you burn as a data disk (wrong) or write image to disk (correct)
I used "Burn image" like I always do with ISO files.

how did you "burn" to USB ,,,,with dd , or a disk creator program .

I used guidus, but I am not sure I used it correctly.

I tried command "i" (install) followed by "l" ("live only or Linux installer from ISO file").
I also tried command "i" (install) followed by "c" ("cloning ISO file, [compressed] image file or device").
Both gave the same result. It is possible that I am using guidus wrong.

I would think an overwrite message would occur, but no.
And the last annoyance is Unetbootin. I have had varied luck with the repo versions on multiple machines. Now I just use the PPA for the latest version regardless which distro I am doing this on.

So;
Download the iso again
Use a different USB drive
Make sure the USB drive is clean, including hidden files (you can leave trash can on there, no issues -but empty it first)
Use an up to date version of Unetbootin.

Thanks. I did not use Unetbootin, but maybe I should have.

One thing that changed in 16.04 is that AMD graphics maybe an issue.

What are the specs of the destination machine?

My machine is oldish. It is from 2010. What specs do you want?

Also, if your machine is oldish, you may want to start off with *buntu 16.04 from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/re...enial/release/ rather than 16.04.2 because the latter will use kernels more suited for newer machines. There's more info at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/LTSEnablementStack

I will try that other image. Thanks!

[Spectrum]

Also, if your machine is oldish, you may want to start off with *buntu 16.04 from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/re...enial/release/ rather than 16.04.2 because the latter will use kernels more suited for newer machines. There's more info at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/LTSEnablementStack

OK, I tried the image kubuntu-16.04-desktop-amd64.iso instead (from the source that chimak111 recommended). I used guidus again, trying both "l" and "c" as above, with the same result as before. I tried to different flash disks.

I don't understand how to use Unetbootin. When I format a flash disk with guidus, it creates a big /dev/sdd1 partition and a small /dev/sdd2 partition. When I then try to write to that same flash disk with Unetbootin, it only allows me to write to the small /dev/sdd2 partition, and then fails due to lack of space. I tried to get rid of the partitions using fsisk, but that only made the flash disk unreadable for Unetbootin. (I could still reformat the disk using guidus again, though.)

Could you please give me some more advice? What do I need to do to those partitions before Unetbootin can successfully write to the flash disk?

Tomorrow I will try Qqmike's advice regarding UEFI.

[citizen]

Could you please give me some more advice? What do I need to do to those partitions before Unetbootin can successfully write to the flash disk?.

I never format the USB drives. The ones I use are already formatted, so I can't address that particular task. I use them on windows as well as Linux, so they are probably fat32.
Unetbootin is usually very easy (in the GUI). Mount your USB drive first.You just go to the bottom of the box, Type: is USB Drive and Drive: is /dev/sdb, then choose Diskimage, search your drive for the iso you downloaded, choose it, then hit ok to burn it to USB. When it asks you to reboot, say no. Unmount the USB when done and it's ready.

Edit: it looks like the drives are vfat, not fat32.

[jglen490]

The lowest common denominator for install media (other than DC/DVD) is going to be a FAT-based file system. So there is typically no need to format an off the shelf USB stick or SD card, and in fact I believe the installer program is expecting a FAT file system.

It works the same with Android. I just put Android 7 on my Nook Tablet and the instructions for building the installation on an SD card specified FAT32.

[Qqmike]

Could you please give me some more advice? What do I need to do to those partitions before Unetbootin can successfully write to the flash disk?
Tomorrow I will try Qqmike's advice regarding UEFI.

If your machine is 2010, UEFI issues probably do not apply to your case here, so disregard my suggestions above.

Sure sounds like the problem could be HOW you are making the USB/DVD live Kubuntu installer.

I have heard that Unetbootin might have some problems, maybe someone can chime in on the current status of that.

When in doubt, some of us here use the command-line function dd, but you must be comfortable doing so as it can screw up many things if misused.

Building a Kubuntu live USB flash drive installer using dd
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...712#post378712

But, gee, please use with caution. If you have experience with dd, then fine, no problems.

[Spectrum]

In the end I gave up. I plan to replace this whole computer soonish anyway. I will live with Kubuntu 14.04 until then.

Thanks for all the help!

[jlittle]

... When I boot from this disc, I see a little icon at the bottom of the screen that looks like a USB key.

I've seen something like this, some years ago. In the middle of the screen at the bottom. I had to press the space bar, I think, to get past it. Had me gnashing my teeth, cursing, till I did that.

Regards, John Little

[Spectrum]

I've seen something like this, some years ago. In the middle of the screen at the bottom. I had to press the space bar, I think, to get past it. Had me gnashing my teeth, cursing, till I did that.

I don't think this icon is the problem. When I boot the 14.04 installer I get the same icon, and that installer works fine.

[jglen490]

You're right. The installer actually starts, but can't continue to its next processing step, which means that either the executable that comes next doesn't exist, or is in itself bad, or the .iso image as burned to disk was bad.

[vinnywright]

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

I used guidus, but I am not sure I used it correctly.

I tried command "i" (install) followed by "l" ("live only or Linux installer from ISO file").
I also tried command "i" (install) followed by "c" ("cloning ISO file, [compressed] image file or device").
Both gave the same result. It is possible that I am using guidus wrong.

possibly ,,,,I just made a walk through for mkusb/guidus @hear https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...754#post402754

have a look

VINNY