kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

[lakeyboyben]

I have quite a recent laptop (Asus, 1 gb ram, celeron d processor - 2.0 GHz.. bought about feb 06) and downloaded kubuntu gutsy from the kubuntu wesite. downloaded the installation cd. burnt the iso image as a bootable cd and it boots fine. i choose to start and install kubuntu from the initial menu and then the flashing underscore / cursor appears. nothing happens. left for 2 hours and nothing happens... was wondering if there is anything i am missing or if i need something on my laptop to make sure it works... checked the BIOS and everythign seems fine to install kubuntu but it doesnt want to run the installation... (i have windows xp prof sp2)

please help me

[dibl]

Re: kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

Welcome! Perhaps this will help:

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3085112.0

[lakeyboyben]

Re: kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

I will try this and see if this works, if it does, Thankyou so much... if not, would you have any other ideas cos i am a bit of a noob

sorry

[lakeyboyben]

Re: kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

Just to add a note, i havent even been able to install... i put disc in, screen shows with the multiple options of what you would like to do.. i press start kubuntu which should take me to live CD but doesnt and i get the problem which i told you about above.

[lakeyboyben]

Re: kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

sorry dibl. didnt work.. the keyboard is tottally unresponsive... tried alt f1 and ctrl alt f1 and nothign happened... then used the fn key and numlok to see if i could activate anything on the keyboard and i cant even put on numlock...


open to ANY suggestions as i Really want LINUX

[dibl]

Re: kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

Try the Alternate Install CD, instead of the Live CD. Burn the ISO image at no more than 4X speed. The problem is detection of your video card. It may be that one of the boot options on the Alternate Install CD will let us see what's going on (VGA mode, maybe) and get the basic installation done. Once you get the system installed, then you can deal with the video driver.

What is your graphics card?

[lakeyboyben]

Re: kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

ATI as far as i can see...

Its an asus A6 Series entertaintment notebook

er... i did bring up a screen somehow, cant really remember how i did it but i got a message saying about a panic kernel or something...

i cnt put the image in atm but it says :

"vfs: cannot open root device "<NULL>" or unknown block(104,1)
[ 84.732357] Please appened a correct "root= " boot option; here are the available partitions:
[ 84.732415] Kernel Panic - not syncing: VFS: unable to mount root fs on wn-block(104,1)

any ideas?

[dibl]

Re: kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

That's bad. Was this when you were trying to run a live CD, or after you installed it?

If running Live CD, this means we're gonna have to talk about your optical drive:

"vfs: cannot open root device "<NULL>" or unknown block(104,1)
[ 84.732357] Please appened a correct "root= " boot option; here are the available partitions:"

[lakeyboyben]

Re: kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

live cd... downloaded from kubuntu.com and its the cd version... probs the live cd.

and by optical drive, you mean my cd drive? cos i have an external burner whcih reads cd's and dvd's so i can try that if it might help?

[dibl]

Re: kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

Well, I have seen threads on this and other fora that indicate there are a few species of optical drives (CD and CD/DVD) that simply "lose" their hardware identity at a point after they boot the CD, but before the installer sets up to install on the hard drive. In other words, it's "hello Mr. Hard Drive, now where did I lose that CD drive?".

But, if you're not even getting to the splash screen, it's possible that a boot option might remedy the situation. Did you try "safe graphics" mode? Is there a "VGA Mode" or a "VESA Mode" (it's been awhile since I actually had my hands on a Live CD).

[lakeyboyben]

Re: kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

Well i tried in safe graphics... nothing, and if i press f6 i can choose which resolution to run at. it says VGA and then alot of resolutions... i can access the cli fromt he first screen, and if i press esc, i can access the text based install (i think thats whats its called) but if press esc, it tells me im leaving the gui install

[dibl]

Re: kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

If you can get to the "character mode" installation routine, as used in the Alternate Install CD, I find it pretty easy to use. It's not really "text mode", as in a CLI session, it has menus and boxes to "X" and stuff like that. If you can get the OS to install, then I think we can cope with the video issue and get a driver installed.

If the ONLY thing you can get to is the CLI, then I guess you can log in as "demo" and the password is "demo", and then issue this command to see if you can configure a VESA display:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

On the first screen answer "NO" to the autodetect question, then on the second screen choose "VESA" as the display type. You can accept defaults on everything else until you get to the Monitor -- on that you want to "X" only a single resolution that will be comfortable on your LCD or CRT, like 1280x1024 or 1024x768. Then on the refresh rates, pick safe ranges for your LCD or CRT. When it dumps you back to the CLI, enter "startx" and you should get a GUI desktop.

[lakeyboyben]

Re: kubuntu wont install... left with a flashing underscore

sorry, my bad... it wasnt a cli... i get the message "boot:" and then i can type in some boot options...

i tried the boot: live vga771 noapic no lapic... and no joy with that... im jus boggled as to why it wont work. It will install and run on other pc's but not mine... i tried the external CD/DVD drive and that didnt work either... i think it might be my laptop.. it just doesnt seem to want to load anyting other than windows.

If any help can be made, i would appreciate it so much because i love linux to peices. i have used it before and stopped for some reason... dnt know why, but i want it back.