Stability of Jaunty

[MAOexWimdows]

Hi,

I'm a very recent new Linux user and can you please tell me how you can use a system that is so temperamental? I loaded Kubuntu 9.04 for the first time less than 2 weeks ago, and have already had to re-install it twice, more often than not I have to shut down the PC by pulling the plug because it won't respond to anything, and now it won't load at all, apparently a fatal error has occurred.

Look, sorry to sound so negative but this is a little frustrating. I'm sure the fault is mine because I don't know what I'm doing. Windows may be far from perfect but at least it is easy to use. Any help for someone who has only ever used Windows (a word I seem to have difficulty spelling) would be much appreciated

[GreyGeek]

Re: Stability of Jaunty

Your problems are unusual, but you haven't given enough information to identify any potential problems, aside from the usual.

I can think of two causes which may be plaguing you:

1) Your downloaded ISO file did not pass the md5sum check, OR, your burned LiveCD did not pass the md5sum test.

2) You used the default EXT4 file system and it is does not work well with your Hardware. Perhaps EXT3 or ReiserFS 3.0 may work for you better. You can select the filesystem when you manually chose the partition you want to use, or when you use GParted to partition off some partitions to use with Kubuntu.

So, let's start of by you listing your hardware specifications so we know what we are dealing with. Make & model of computer, sound chip, video chip. The easiest thing to do is to open a Konsole and issue:

sudo lshw

and past what it tells you into your next messaage.

[MAOexWimdows]

Re: Stability of Jaunty

First can I say thank you for offering help and apologise for my abrupt tone before. My system is a Dell Dimension E520, just over 2 years old, with an Intel Viiv Core Duo E4300 processor, nVidia GeForce 7300 Turbocache graphics card and HDA Intel STA092xx Analog audio.

I ran the md5sum on the iso file (following a link to how to do this in Windows from "How to md5sum check the burned ISO CD " here. and is was OK. I booted the live CD and used the CD test at the start and that was OK. I did use the EXT4 the second and third times I installed Kubuntu. I think when I reloaded Kubuntu it was probably because it lets inexperienced users make potentially problematic changes easily by clicking thing when they don't know what they are doing and it is not always easy to change back. However I did find that the system stopped responding sometimes, even to the extent that I had to disconnect the machine from the power to shut down. (This happens in Windows too, so it could be me.)

After installing I followed on-line how-to guides to install several software applications. After a lot of searching I discovered that I had to install a driver for the nVidia graphics card in order to enable the 3D effects. The last thing I did before my system stopped working was upgrade to KDA 4.3, following some on-line explanation of the instructions on kubuktu.org front page.

The big problem I have now is that Kubuntu stops at the splash screen and says

A fatal error occurred.
The application Plasma Workspace (plasma) crashed and caused
the signal 11(SIGSEGV)

Clicking on 'show details' gives

Unable to create a valid backtrace
This backtrace appears to be of no use.
This is probably because your packages are built in a way which prevents
creation of proper backtraces, or the stack frame was seriously corrupted in the crash.

Clicking 'Close' just brings up a black screen with the mouse pointer and nothing else.

Can I get back to the working system without reloading Kubuntu again. Can the system be set to stop novices making fatal mistakes that they can't get back from?

Once again many thanks for your help.

[dibl]

Re: Stability of Jaunty

Can I get back to the working system without reloading Kubuntu again. Can the system be set to stop novices making fatal mistakes that they can't get back from?

*buntu Linux is many things, but "novice-proof" is not anywhere near one of them, I'm afraid. :P

Your experience is unfortunately not unusual -- probably it is a "video thing". The re-installations and troubleshooting methods that you learn will soon end your qualifications as "novice", if you can stand the experience.

Two tips to get you started:

(a) Review the FAQs in my signature -- they are approximately in the typical sequence that new users discover problems and ask for help.

(b) It's almost never necessary to "pull the plug" or press the Power button to shut down your system gracefully. Moreover, under many circumstances, doing that will damage the filesystem and lead to data/OS corruption. Instead of doing that, the next time you think it is "locked up", try this: press the Alt and SysRQ keys simultaneously, and while holding them down, press in slow sequence R S E I U B. Probably you will be delighted to observe your "hung" system shut itself down and restart. If you really want it shut off, use the power button when you see the BIOS splash screen, before the boot screen appears.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Stability of Jaunty

(This happens in Windows too, so it could be me.)

The same behavior under both Linux and Windws? This doesn't bode well for your hardware.

I don't know if E520 is very close to E510, but I put Linux on an E510 box and it ran very well.

IF your E520 contains a Core 2 Duo (which is 64 bit) then I'd try the 64bit version of Kubuntu 9.10. I am using it on my Sony VAIO VGN FW140E/H notebook and it is great!

[MAOexWimdows]

Re: Stability of Jaunty

Thanks for your help and advice, guys. It's much appreciated.

[rogue417]

Re: Stability of Jaunty

Have you gotten the "White Flashing Screen of Death" yet? I'm running the Jaunty on a Toshiba Satellite with 2 Gig Intel Pentium Centrino and more than enough RAM, but more often than not I too have to pull the plug, the battery etc. I've tried the REISUB soft boot - it doesn't work. With my limited experience I can say you may face issues intersecting hardware and software. I would call Jaunty the least solid Kubuntu distro I've run, except its the first I've run on something other than IBM ThinkPads; and in Linux hardware means a lot. Good luck!