Unable to install

[cheeseus]

Hello, I'm new to Linux and Kubuntu.
I have tried installing Kubuntu 4 times, all failed.
I tried both the Standard (32-bit x86 computers) and the 64-bit AMD versions. I tried it from a CD-RW and from a DVD-RW (respective download packages).
The initial menu loads and I get to choose from various options - so I choose "Install Kubuntu". The screen goes black with a white blinking cursor and that's it... Stays like this for 3-4-5 minutes, eventually the DVD-drive stops rotating the DVD/CD as nothing happens. I then have to use the Reset button.

Interestingly, I get -- I am guessing -- the same thing when trying to install Windows 7 - "machine_check_exception" on a blue screen. I am currently running XP and want to have a dual boot system.

It's likely that there's something wrong with my system. Here are specs:
- EPOX 9npa ultra at socket 939
- AMD Dual Core 4200+ at 2.21 GHz
- 3 GB RAM at DDR2
- ATI Radeon HD 4600 video, 1 GB
- I've got three hard disks SATA mode

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[arochester]

Re: Unable to install

I tried it from a CD-RW and from a DVD-RW ...

"Top 20 Kubuntu FAQs & Answers" - http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3099811.0

FAQ #1

don't even try it with a CD-RW -- they don't work

[cheeseus]

Re: Unable to install

I see. I checked the hash of kubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso - there is a match. However, the UbuntuHashes page does not contain a hash for kubuntu-9.10-dvd-i386.iso, which is the version I last attempted to install - so how can I verify?

WinMD5Sum tells me the hash for the DVD is: 7410516a6f1ab1f0ece96853abf9ec2e. Please let me know where to find the hash for this download version (I already tried Googling for it).

PS. I have just attempted to create a DVD from the above downloaded image file using InfraRecorder but it doesn't see to be able to write image files on DVD. It only accepts CDs (and I haven't got one at the moment )

[arochester]

Re: Unable to install

You might look at "BurningIsoHowto" - https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto

[dibl]

Re: Unable to install

the UbuntuHashes page does not contain a hash for kubuntu-9.10-dvd-i386.iso, which is the version I last attempted to install - so how can I verify?

I don't know about UbuntuHashes, but the actual download page has an md5sum for every ISO file. Look at the bottom of this page: http://www.kubuntu.org/getkubuntu/download

18ecb71bff567ce7a91443720a86473e kubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso

However, I can't help asking -- why install a version that is one week from being obsoleted by the LTS release? It seems far more sensible to get the Kubuntu 10.04 daily build ISO from here:

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/daily-live/current/

[cheeseus]

Re: Unable to install

I don't know about UbuntuHashes, but the actual download page has an md5sum for every ISO file. Look at the bottom of this page: http://www.kubuntu.org/getkubuntu/download

18ecb71bff567ce7a91443720a86473e kubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso

Er, well, shall I assume that the DVD iso release is the same as this? If they're the same, then the md5sum for the iso I downloaded from the torrents is no match. But how can they have the same md5sum when they are different files? I downloaded the DVD because I haven't any CDs here.

However, I can't help asking -- why install a version that is one week from being obsoleted by the LTS release? It seems far more sensible to get the Kubuntu 10.04 daily build ISO from here:

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/daily-live/current/

Answer is simple here: I didn't know about this. I was pretty starighforward here and expected to find a link to the latest version from the official download page at http://www.kubuntu.org/getkubuntu/download.

I will now download this version too. Thank you.

[cheeseus]

Re: Unable to install

There must be something wrong with my system. I've been suspecting this...

I tried the WUBI installer. After restart, it seems to start doing something but then freezes. Twice.
Here is what was on the screen, this might mean something to experts:

Completing the Ubuntu installation
For more installation options....

[Linux-bzImage, setup=0x3400, size=0x3bef40]
[Initrd, addr=0x37a5f000, size=0x590e71]

And here is the text from the first attempt:

[Linux-bzImage, setup=0x3400, size=0x3b26e0]
[Initrd, addr=0x37a71000, size=0x57ea25]

This would linger there for some minutes without anything going on... and I'd have to reset.

[Snowhog]

Re: Unable to install

You have an ATI video card. I'm inclined to think your problem is a GPU one. When you are on the initial Kubuntu Menu screen - where you can opt to 'try without installing' - there are function button options at the bottom of the screen. One of them - F4 or F6 - is for continuing in Safe Graphics (VESA) mode. You might want to try that.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Unable to install

Snowhog may be on to something. There is a Bug # 407652, which relates, among others, to Socket 939 which is no longer made and wasn't very popular.
One person solved it by

Specifically, I set the BIOS option for "Video Graphic Mode" to "SidePort", and the bug did not occur.

One reported that he upgraded to Lucid and that solved it. Perhaps the latest kernel in Lucid has eliminated the problem.

[cheeseus]

Re: Unable to install

Tried with lucid-desktop-amd64.iso. Got this screen after selecting normal installation:
[img width=400 height=300]http://cheeseus.org/images/Image164.jpg[/img]

But "Kernel panic - ... fatal machine check on current CPU" doesn't sound at all promising

Tried F4 (no option to choose Safe Graphics or similar). Tried F6 and it contains the following options, which mean nothing to me: acpi=off / noapic / nolapic / edd=on / nodmraid / nomodeset / Free software only.

I was unable to find this BIOS option for "Video Graphic Mode" to set to "SidePort". Some instructions would be helpful, e.g. which main menu item is it supposed to be under?

[toad]

Re: Unable to install

Does at least the live CD function? Unless you have exotic hardware try version 08.04 if you can.

[Snowhog]

Re: Unable to install

I agree with toad. Have you just tried running the LiveCD - not installing, but running it? If you can't even get it to run as a LIveCD - allowing you to 'try it out' - then, given that the LiveCD .iso passed the md5 check, as you say it did, and the burn also passed, you have a hardware 'problem' - an incompatibility as GreyGeek suggested.

[dibl]

Re: Unable to install

There's an error on the screenshot that relates to this:

http://lkml.indiana.edu/hypermail/li...0.0/00263.html

something about AMD processors -- let Google help you figure out the rest of it.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Unable to install

It does look like a computer hardware problem: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Check_Exception

A Machine Check Exception (MCE) is a type of computer hardware error that occurs when a computer's central processing unit detects a hardware problem.

Microsoft Windows displays the error using the blue screen of death containing the error message (the parameters inside the brackets vary):

The error usually occurs due to failure or overstressing of hardware components where the error cannot be more specifically identified with a different error message. Diagnosing the error message can be difficult, although Intel Pentium processors do generate more specific codes which can be decoded by contacting the manufacturer.

MCEs require a restart of the system before users can continue normal operation: they often indicate a long-term problem of a general nature.

Here are some things to look at:

Causes

Normal causes for MCE errors include overheating and/or incorrect hardware installation. Some specific manually induced causes could include:

* Overclocking (naturally increases heat output)
* Poorly fitted heatsink/computer fans (the same problem can happen with excessive dust in the CPU fan)
* An overloaded internal or external power supply, which can be fixed by upgrading.

Computer software can also cause errors in this way (normally by corrupting data they are reading or writing). For example:

* Software performing read or write operations to non-existent memory regions which leads to confusion for the processor and/or the system bus.

Decoding MCEs

As noted previously, decoding MCE errors can prove difficult. Normally the manufacturer (especially processor manufacturers) will be able to provide information about specific codes. Consult the Intel 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer's Manual[2] Chapter 15 (Machine-Check Architecture), or the Microsoft KB Article on Windows Exceptions[3].

So, if you have faithfully checked the md5sum of the iso, and of the burned CD or DVD, and the LiveCD still gives the panic, then you have a hardware problem.

[cheeseus]

Re: Unable to install

I tried running the LiveCD and got roughly the same screen of error messages. The gist of these was "Machine_check: processor context corrupt". So, I've got some really nice hardware problem.

Of course, I double checked the md5sum.

The processor (AMD Dual Core 4200+ at 2.21 GHz) is not overclocked - it used to be, up to 2.8 GHz but the system was sometimes unstable. However, even now I am having problems powering up the machine - often it won't power up when I press the button, or it will power up 5-10 seconds later. Sometimes I even have to switch off and back on the power coupling (from its dedicated button) and then the machine starts immediately. This perhaps means it's (also) a power supply problem - but it's a new and relatively powerful one, I guess, at 400W.

Anyway, hardware is beyond my knowledge and understanding, so I'm stuck to XP for the time being.

Thank you for your help.