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    Cannot get ANY Linux to install - Please read and help?!?!?

    I'm really stuck all. This has never happened to me in the 10 years I've run Linux. I'm posting here because Kubuntu is what I really want to run.

    I have an Acer Aspire 5040 laptop. Runs WindowsXP just fine. Dual-boot setup is intended here. A quick rundown on the specs:

    Phoenix BIOS
    AMD Turion 64 ML-32 Processor
    80GB Seagate HDD
    ATI Mobility M200 GPU
    Broadcom 802.11g Wireless LAN (BCM4318 chip)
    Realtek RTL8169 Wired LAN
    Realtek High-Def Audio
    DVD-RW

    Notes from various Linux installation trials:

    Slackware 10.2:
    ---------------
    The default kernel will boot but the system seems to lock up at adding the swap partition which is the first step.

    Freespire:
    ----------
    The default kernel will boot and I am able to install the system. Wireless does not work and the sound works for a bit and then starts to sound like scratching while sound is playing. I have to reboot to get the sound back to normal. Then only works for another minute or so, then back to scratching sound.

    Kubuntu 6.06 32-bit:
    --------------------
    I have to pass the 'noapci' OR (I forget) the 'apci=off' option to the kernel in order to get the kernel to boot on install. I can get the system installed OK but wireless again does not work. Cannot get wireless to work using ndiswrapper. Kernel boot reports 'no microcode found' for the BCM43xx and cannot load the module. The only fix I have found on the net for this wireless controller is for Kubuntu/Ubuntu 64-bit. Power management does not work and is greyed out.

    Kubuntu 6.06 64-bit:
    --------------------
    Again, I have to pass the 'noapci' OR (I forget) the 'apci=off' option to the kernel in order to get the default kernel to boot. I can get the system installed OK but neither wireless OR wired LAN work. On 'ifconfig eth0 up' I get device or resource busy. Power management does not work and is greyed out. Cannot get the wireless controller to work even with ndiswrapper. Kernel boot reports 'no microcode found' for the BCM43xx and cannot load the module.

    SuSe 10.1 64-bit:
    -----------------
    SuSe is simply fat and cumbersome to work with. I cannot seem to get the hang of how YaST works. Updates shown down at the bottom-right of the screen seems to hang and not work. Running YaST from the CLI did work, and then YaST in the GUI worked and updated the system. Wireless does not work and cannot get working using ndiswrapper.

    Fedora Core 5 64-bit:
    ---------------------
    Fedora was the worst. Did not autodetect my sound controller at all. No sound. Wireless did not work. Stopped there as adding sound to my hacking list was simply too much.

    PCLinuxOS:
    ----------
    PCLinux did boot and install OK. Wireless does not work and the system will not shut down properly. The screen goes blank and the system does nothing. After I force a shutdown, on the reboot it complains about the filesystem and wants to run a check. Obviously the system is not shutting down.

    E-Live .5:
    ----------
    The system boots OK and I am able to install the OS. Wireless does not work and cannot get it to work using ndiswrapper.

    What do I do? I need help getting Linux installed properly and then getting this darn wireless to work.

    Frustrated. Your turn...

    #2
    Re: Cannot get ANY Linux to install - Please read and help?!?!?

    I guess what you really want is someone to tell you how to get your wireless to work - sorry I can't do that but I do have one word of advice to save you this constant install/reinstall nightmare. Nearly all distros come with live CD evaluation versions. Try those before install.

    Your problem seems to appear on Ubuntu forums though (although I have no experience of it) Try this
    http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=155289

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      #3
      Re: Cannot get ANY Linux to install - Please read and help?!?!?

      Thanks for your reply. I posted this on the 64-bit forum as well as I was not sure if this is a 64-bit only problem or not. I have 64-bit 6.06 installed on the machine now and have more information on the 64-bit Kubuntu forum. Please continue reading there.

      Thanks to all again!

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