Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

[induality]

Hello, I'm trying to install Kubuntu 8 KDE 4 alpha 6 on a x86-32bit machine (with Athlon XP 2200+ processor, 768MB DDR, and ATI Radeon 8500DV graphics) using the desktop CD image burned onto a CD. I can boot from the CD, however, when I try to select either the "Try Kubuntu..." option or the "Install Kubuntu..." option I am taken to a command line shell that says the following:

"BusyBox v1.1.3 (Debian 1:1.1.3-5ubuntu12) Built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands

(initramfs)"

Does this mean that something has gone wrong, or is the LiveCD supposed to boot to a command prompt? If it's the latter, what commands should I enter to continue with the install process?

Thanks for any help you could provide.

[dibl]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

Your hardware looks good.

Usually that means that (a) the CD burn is not a good one, (b) the CD ROM drive is a non-supported drive (unfortunately there are a couple of them), or (c) some other unusual problem with your hardware.

The CD needs to be burned at 4X speed only, due to the compression technology used to make the ISO image.

You might try a search on Ubuntu Forum, and check your CD ROM drive model there.

[induality]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

Thanks for the reply. I just tried reburning the ISO at 4x and I still get the same command line result. I also tried running the disc of the Kubuntu Gutsy ISO and again the same result. However, when I tried running my Ubuntu Gutsy CD, I can boot into the GUI just fine. Could it be something that Kubuntu does differently from Ubuntu that's causing my problem?

[dibl]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

Hmmmmmmmmm.

I don't think so -- but maybe there's something about KDM that is having a problem with your video.

[dibl]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

I guess you could install Ubuntu, then install the package kubuntu-desktop, and you could have your choice of desktop environments.


.... as opposed to spending the rest of the week figuring out why the Kubuntu CD won't boot.

[induality]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

Interesting, I tried doing that. I installed Ubuntu Gutsy and replaced GDM with KDM. Now when I boot the display goes into standby after the splash screen and everything stops. It looks like you are right, there is indeed something with KDM that doesn't work with my system. Is there some way that I can make the system go to a command line shell during boot so I can put GDM back?

[seangee]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

Hi

Did you ever resolve this? I have exactly the same problem. I am trying to install on the ff hardware (currently running PCLOS).

I am using the 64 bit KDE4 install.

ASUS M2N4-SLI MOBO
AMD Athlon 64x2 6000+
4G DDR2 RAM
Nvidia GeForce FX8800
2 x 500 Gb SATA disks (JBOD)
IDE CD drive installed on Channel 2 primary

Nothing wrong with the CD or CD drive because it runs and installs fine into a VM on the same machine

[hgfire]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

This problem is more wide spread than with just a few machines. The behavior is problematic even trying to run the live boot.

I plan on a clean install tonight but it maybe a bit more than just a straight install. I'm happy I have a machine set aside just to fool with any new install.

[Guest]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

Have problems booting into Kubuntu live CD since version 07.04 (and there is an issue with the alternate CD also).
Same is true for 08.04. (always amd64)

The result is as described by induality: the boot process stops and shows a command line.

My life saver is adding the following kernel parameters as boot options:

all_generic_ide pci=routeirq

(press F6 when you see the boot splash where you select between booting the live cd, install the system, etc. and add the two parameters instead of "splash quiet --")

This works fine for me since I first encountered this problem a year ago or so. Can't remember the reason after all the extensive googleing...

If this does not work try also "acpi=off" or "noacpi" since this could also be related to this behaviour.

Good luck
gp

[seangee]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

It was indeed the CD Rom driver in my case. As I was eager to get it installed and up and running I figured the easiest way was to turn my Live CD into a "Live USB stick". This worked like a dream.

Haven't actually tried the CD Rom drive since then as I have been away for the weekend and just started setting up the system.

[Kdar]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

Hello everyone.

I am having exact problem with installation or live run of Kubuntu 8.04

I get same error message

"BusyBox v1.1.3 (Debian 1:1.1.3-5ubuntu12) Built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands

(initramfs)"

Have anyone got any idea how to fix this?

I also was able to run and install Ubuntu 8.04 without any problems.. But when I try to install Kubuntu 8.04 DVD it give me this error (this is KDE 3.5).

[seangee]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

Mine was the CD / DVD driver. Set the nosplash option so you can watch it booting and see what fails.

[LaughingBubba]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

Hello all, I have exact same problem.

As best I can I've followed advice in this thread and have ruled out ACPI and have pinned it down to something to do with my SATA hdd and the way sata_uli driver works.

When I turn off Quiet mode the last message is:
hda: drive not ready for command

Sooo ... it thinks my sata drive is IDE (hda=IDE)

I know this because Gparted gives my drive an sda device enumeration. I actually used parted magic to partition the drive (ext, swap and ntfs partitions respectively ... and yes I'm currently using Win-xp from the 3rd partition) ps: under xp I had to use the uli m5287 drivers which makes xp think it's a scsi drive.

Before partitioning I had kubuntu loaded via wubi. I was able to boot into kubuntu fine with wubi and it too viewed the drive as an sda. (silly me, I thought scrubbing the drive and setting up the partitions juuust right was a good idea)

Anyway, as I boot the liveCD I can see various messages relating sata and uli but they scroll past too fast for me to read fully.

Is there anyway of being able to step through the boot messages line by line? Or throw the log to a file on a usb memory stick?

Also I've tried various libata.force options to get around the problem and even tried the scsi options shown in the boot menu to no avail.

Is there a way to suppress loading of the IDE drivers?

Any other thoughts?

Cheers and thanks muchly in advance.


PS: Here's some links I've been looking at that might help understand where I'm coming from:
http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/apcs04
http://www.mjmwired.net/kernel/Docum...parameters.txt
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...upport-340638/
http://osdir.com/ml/linux.ide/2004-12/msg00059.html
Check the note at the bottom of the first post.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...light=sata_uli
http://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php...ectronics_SATA

PPS: At this point I'm ready to abandon k/ubuntu if I can't get this going because there are downsides to running under wubi and I'm not a hardware guru.

[LaughingBubba]

Re: [SOLVED] Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

I used break=mount as a boot option when booting from the LiveCD.

Sure enough that's where it stops but when I entered 'exit' from the initramfs prompt it just kicked into continuing with the LiveCD boot.

Once that was done I just used the install application in the Live desktop and here I am on KDE4 running off the primary EXT3 partition on my hard drive.

I don't think it was the media I now suspect something cooky with the actual CD/DVD drive.

[Goran@aim]

Re: Installing Kubuntu KDE 4, LiveCD boots into command line interface

I had several problems creating the boot CD, after downloading the ISO file. The solution for me was to "write to disc" as an intermediate step before burnig the CD.

You can test the integrity of the CD when booting from it!

// Goran