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**finifly** · Feb 18, 2008, 07:34 AM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

1. Haven't figured out how to download Kubuntu because the downloads I find are for longer than our internet stays up.

If you cannot download Kubuntu, you can have a CD shipped to you. See this link;

https://shipit.kubuntu.org/

2. Nor have I figured out how to clean off the disk before installing once I get Kubuntu.

You wont have to. When you get your CD, Kubuntu will boot and enter a what is called Live Desktop. Basically you will enter a GUI that is Kubuntu but it is not installed on your computer... yet. From here there is an icon on the desktop that lets you install Kubuntu onto your HDD and one of the steps is to format the entire disk. So all of those pesky viruses will be blown away.

Hope this helps and welcome to the forum.

**trident_2008** · Feb 18, 2008, 07:45 AM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

Well, unless you can somehow get better connection and/or FTP client that understands how to resume download after connection was broken... You need to get it on CD/DVD.
You can buy CD online ( http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/purchase#distributor ), it lists at least one distributor in China.

You can ask for free CD (https://shipit.kubuntu.org/), but it takes about 2 months to be delivered, and you still may need to pay asny customs-related expenses.

As for your second question, - Kubuntu installation has a tool for that. Since you won't care about preserving existing partitions (EDIT: if it is indeed that you want. note that it is rather drastic, and would wipe not just Vista, but all your documents too. It's not that Kubuntu installer tries to do by default. ) and you can always boot from a CD there should be no problems at all.

(EDIT:/ADD: By the way, with Kubuntu CD and USB drive you maybe still can rescue some of the files on that HDD, if you're lucky. )

**dibl** · Feb 18, 2008, 08:32 AM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

There's a very useful hard disk drive utility called "Hiren's Boot CD" -- the download file is only about 90MB, so maybe your Internet will hold up long enough to grab it. It comes as a .rar file that you un-archive to get the ISO out of it. You'll have to chase around a bit with Google to find the actual download itself -- it moves around because there is non-free content in it.

Hint: This one works today.

I prefer the GParted Live CD, but it's too big for your intermittent internet situation.

**hosenosepete** · Feb 18, 2008, 10:27 AM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

Thank you all, Finifly, Trident, and Dibl! I heard about Linux people being willing to help, but Wow!

I checked out the China supplier and found they offer:

kubuntu-7.10 desktop i386 LiveCD
kubuntu-7.10 alternate i386 InstallCD
kubuntu-7.10 i386 LiveDVD
kubuntu-7.10 desktop amd64 LiveCD
kubuntu-7.10 alternate amd64 InstallCD
kubuntu-7.10 amd64 LiveDVD

Can you recommend the one most suited to this task?

More issues:

1. All data on the Vostro is backed up to an external drive.

2. I failed to order a partitioned drive when I bought the Vostro.

3. The Redhat CD I bought at a local shop asks me to choose which drivers I want to install. It offers a huge list, but I have no idea which drivers to choose. If I buy a Kubuntu disk and it does the same, how can I know which of the many to select?

**finifly** · Feb 18, 2008, 10:40 AM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

If you have an Intel processor (i.e. 32 bit) you want the kubuntu-7.10 desktop i386 LiveCD or the kubuntu-7.10 i386 LiveDVD, and if your processor is AMD (i.e. 64 bit) you want the kubuntu-7.10 desktop amd64 LiveCD or kubuntu amd64 LiveDVD.

You can partition your drive as need be after installing Kubuntu. And there are other posts dealing with it. Like this one:

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3090704.0

**dibl** · Feb 18, 2008, 11:34 AM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

As far as I can tell looking at Intel's mobile Core 2 Duo processors, they are all 64-bit. So, assuming that's what is in your Vostro, you could install either the 64-bit or the 32-bit OS. The only thing that doesn't presently work on the 64-bit OS is Java Runtime Environment (JRE), as far as I know. Some other packages (Flash, Google Earth, Skype) require some workaround/patches to get them to work because they are only offered as 32-bit.

I personally prefer the Alternate Install CDs (e.g. next-to-last on your list above) -- they seem to provide more visibility and control during the process.

You should not have to select any drivers during the installation -- *buntu is very good at finding the right ones ....

EXCEPT video! (which no Linux is all that good at, IMHO). So if there's a problem with the video display when you try to install, use the F6 button on the first splash screen to try different "VGA" and "VESA" modes, and post here for help.

**trident_2008** · Feb 18, 2008, 11:51 AM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

Originally posted by hosenosepete

Thank you all, Finifly, Trident, and Dibl! I heard about Linux people being willing to help, but Wow!

I checked out the China supplier and found they offer:

kubuntu-7.10 desktop i386 LiveCD
kubuntu-7.10 alternate i386 InstallCD
kubuntu-7.10 i386 LiveDVD
kubuntu-7.10 desktop amd64 LiveCD
kubuntu-7.10 alternate amd64 InstallCD
kubuntu-7.10 amd64 LiveDVD

Can you recommend the one most suited to this task?

kubuntu-7.10 desktop i386 LiveCD seems to be most safe bet. although alternate CDs are indeed more flexible, this may be problem, not an advantage for a new user. DVD can work both as standard and alternate CD but you need your laptop to be able to boot from DVDs.

As for 32 vs 64 bits, - although situation with 64bit desktop Java is nowhere near as grim as some people say it is, I'd advice to still stay with 32-bit, especially on laptop, unless there are some applications you know for certain would benefit from 64-bit OS. (Anything doing lenghty calculations is a good candidate, like scientific packages or 3D art. )

Originally posted by hosenosepete

More issues:

1. All data on the Vostro is backed up to an external drive.

Excellent

Not everybody has that kind of foresight, keep it up.

Originally posted by hosenosepete

2. I failed to order a partitioned drive when I bought the Vostro.

For all practical purposes all drives are partitioned somehow (or would be on the first use). Simpliest partitioning is when entire HDD is a single partition, so-called "disk C:" in Windows. In linux there are usually 2 or 3 partitions used, but that's not something you should be worrried about.

Originally posted by hosenosepete

3. The Redhat CD I bought at a local shop asks me to choose which drivers I want to install. It offers a huge list, but I have no idea which drivers to choose. If I buy a Kubuntu disk and it does the same, how can I know which of the many to select?

It won't, and usually it guesses necessary drivers on its own rather well, although laptops are notorious for hidden driver problems, so your mileage may vary.

**hosenosepete** · Feb 19, 2008, 09:20 AM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

Progress Report 02/19/0810:38:39 PM

You're advice has moved us two steps closer to a usable machine, and I'm hoping you can show me how to get this third step in motion.

1.I found this thing called “µTorrent,” which downloaded kubuntu-7.04-desktop-i386.iso regardless of interruptions.
2.InfraRecorder then burned it to a CD. (Both processes were ahead and back several times, learning enough of the ropes to get it done.)
3.When I boot from the CD it burned, the only menu option which works is the Memory Test. All others return this screen:

BusyBox v1.1.3 (Debian 1:1.1.3-3ubuntu3) Built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

/bin/sh: can't access tty: job control turned off
(initramfs)

When I enter 'help,' it says:

Built-in commands
------------------------
: alias bg break cd chdir command continue.....(the list goes all the way to) ....umount uname uniq yes

(initramfs) _

To prepare for success, I'm typing this on OpenOffice Writer.
Thanks for your help! I'm all ears.

Hosenosepete

PS – I downloaded Hiren's utility disk, but both attempts to burn to a CD have failed. I'll try again...

**arochester** · Feb 19, 2008, 09:40 AM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

Have you seen this? At http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...493/page4.html

" Here's what worked for me.
Regarding /bin/sh: Can’t access tty; job control turned off

Apparently, there are a bizillion reasons that this error occurs, but in my case, it was because the Ubuntu Live CD couldn't recognize some of the hardware on the machine I was installing to. (I was able to install it successfully on other machines--it was just one troublesome machine).

Here is what worked for me:

1. When the bootup screen appears, press F6
2. Type the following: acpi=off irqpoll
3. Press the Enter key.
4. View the Live CD and install Ubuntu.

You have to make sure that this problem is resolved when Ubuntu boots, too. To do that:

1. Boot your computer so that GRUB is displayed.
2. Press the "e" key to go into edit mode.
3. Press "o" to add a new line to the script.
4. Type the following: acpi=off irqpoll
5. Press the Escape key.

In the event that acpi=off doesn't work try replacing the entry above with one of the following:

* acpi=force irqpoll
* nacpitimer irqpoll

You may have to revisit the second set of steps when you upgrade ubuntu.

I hope this helps."

**hosenosepete** · Feb 19, 2008, 01:01 PM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

Progress Report 2

Hi arochester,

Thank you for your input. I tried all three, but no go.

After F6ing the CD during boot up, I have:

Kubuntu [logo]

Start or install Kubuntu
Start Kubuntu in safe graphics mode
Install with driver update CD
Check CD for defects
Memory test
Boot from first hard disk

[Plus just above the bottom screen menu is this line:]
Boot Options file=/cdrom/preseed/kununtu.seed boot=casper initrd.gz quiet splash --

To this I appended the codes you suggest - one at a time. Each one returns a box that says, "Loading Linux Kernel." Then Kubuntu [logo]. Then the error message from my last message.

Patience!

hosenosepete

**trident_2008** · Feb 19, 2008, 01:53 PM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

Originally posted by hosenosepete

Hi arochester,

Thank you for your input. I tried all three, but no go.

After F6ing the CD during boot up, I have:

Kubuntu [logo]

Start or install Kubuntu
Start Kubuntu in safe graphics mode
Install with driver update CD
Check CD for defects
Memory test
Boot from first hard disk

[Plus just above the bottom screen menu is this line:]
Boot Options file=/cdrom/preseed/kununtu.seed boot=casper initrd.gz quiet splash --

To this I appended the codes you suggest - one at a time. Each one returns a box that says, "Loading Linux Kernel." Then Kubuntu [logo]. Then the error message from my last message.

Patience!

hosenosepete

try to change splash to nosplash and remove quiet
This (in theory, never tried on LiveCd) should replace kubuntu logo with detailed information about boot process. Post a few last lines from those, it should give an idea where problem is.

Also, are you sure your CD burned OK? there should be "check CD" option there.

**hosenosepete** · Feb 19, 2008, 08:22 PM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

Progress Report 3
02/20/08 - 09:36:17 AM

Thanks, Trident. Every step feels like progress.

1.I put the CD in another computer and ran the Check the CD option. It's good.
2.Login Details

I changed splash to nosplash and removing quiet, and here are the last lines of the login details:

[ 6.252000] ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:09:00.0[A] → GSI 17 (level, low) → IRQ 17
[ 6.584000] eth0: Tigon3 [partno(BCM95906) rev c0002 PHY(5906)] (PCI Express) 10/100Base-TX Ethernet 00:19:8b:fc:80:2a
[ 6.584000] eth0: RXcsums[1] LinkChgREG[1] MIirq[1] ASF[0] Split [0] WireSpeed [0] TSOcap[0]
[ 6.584000] eth0: dma_rwctr1[76180000] dma_mask[64-bit]
[ 6.584000] ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:03:01.0[A] → GSI 19 (level, low) → IRQ 18
[ 6.636000] ohcil1394: fw-host0: OHCI-1394 1.1 (PCI): IRQ=[18] MM10=[fe4ff800-fe4fffff] Max Packet=[2048] IR=IT contexts=[4/4]

BusyBox v1.1.3 (Debian 1:1.1.3-3ubuntu3) Built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

/bin/sh: can't access tty: job control turned off
(initramfs) /./

What do these lines mean please?

Hosenosepete

**trident_2008** · Feb 19, 2008, 08:46 PM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

Ok, I'm not that good at reading the stuff, but the last line suggests that autodetection of FireWire ports and devices has something to do with it.
1) Have you any FireWire devices plugged? (like CDrom/external disk/scanner, etc?) Try to unplug them.
2) If that fails, disabling FireWire in BIOS may be a solution at lest for a while.
(can't give detailed instructions without knowing that your laptop uses for a BIOS, though.) ]BIOS is Basic Input-Output System, - a piece of sowtware that controls things like HDD detection and system clock. Setting wrong options MAY physically damage computer. Usually BIOS manufacturer (AMI, Phoenix, etc,) is shown for a few seconds immediately after power-up (when your computer tests its memory and detects disks.)
3) Wait for someone who is better than me at boot-prompt judo to reply.

(I don't know about kubuntu in particular but usual kernel option is nofirewire, - try to add it like you added nosplash) maybe even noacpi nofirewire

**hosenosepete** · Feb 19, 2008, 09:12 PM

Re: How to put Kubuntu on a Dead Dell w/ Vista?

RE: 1) Have you any FireWire devices plugged? (like CDrom/external disk/scanner, etc?) Try to unplug them.

Nope. Nothing is plugged in. It's just a lonely laptop sitting here waiting to run Kubuntu

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