I'm a bit lost

[Costascy82]

Hi guys, I just installed Kubuntu 9.10 last night inside Windows 7 using wubi. This is the first time I've ever used it and I seem to be having a few problems.

First of all I am using a HP DV7. When I start Kubuntu, the sound in the begining breaks up. Also when I try to shut down, restart or do anything under leave I get a window asing if I want to shut down then nothing happens (the window takes longer than I would expect to appear). I installed updates but it didn't fix these issues. I have searched for these issues but they just seem to confuse me as I'm new to Linux. Can anyone help?

[The Liquidator]

Re: I'm a bit lost

What version of KDE are you running? To find out you can run any kde application and select help/about kde. That will tell you the version.

Can you please load a terminal (quickest way is alt+F2 and then type konsole in the resulting box and click on the icon below) and in the terminal type

sudo halt

Hit return Then type in your password and hit return again.
It should go into shutdown mode straight away, bypassing any prompts. If it does, then it's a KDE/KDM problem rather than a system one - all fixable.

Let us know

ian

[Costascy82]

Re: I'm a bit lost

Hey thanks for the reply
I'll try and check it today or tomorrow (depends on when I find time).

[Costascy82]

Re: I'm a bit lost

Hi again,

just checked it.
KDE 4.3.2
and sudo halt works

[The Liquidator]

Re: I'm a bit lost

Okay we're part way there then

I assume because have only just done your first installation you haven't done an update yet.

Load a terminal and type

sudo apt-get update

Return
Password
Return
Watch the text fly by until you get prompt you had at the start.

To explain - sudo makes you (temporarily) super user (hence it invokes the password)
apt-get is the process that manages packages in ubuntu and other Debian-based distros
update - what you have told apt-get to do. It will check the ubuntu repositories for any installed packages for which they hold updated versions. There will be lots


Then type

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Return
(Note As you are already sudo you won't need the password again)

The system will then download and automatically all packages for which updates are available and is clever enough to know whether any apps have dependencies in which case it will download and install them too. Expect about a 200Mb download.

Once they have installed you will probably be prompted to reboot. Do so and I expect the issue you have may well be solved.

Now it may be that you will at some stage wish to take a look at what programs are available on the repositories. There are thousands. You should very rarely have to download and install something off the internet like in Windows as pretty near everything is in the repos. You need a package manager to help you there so you can make individual selections. One comes ready installed - kpackagekit. A far more capable one is synaptic. You can get it by the following terminal command

sudo apt-get install synaptic

Return
(Possibly password if your sudo time has expired)

Synaptic and its dependencies will be downloaded and installed automatically.

When it's finished you can close the terminal and either navigate the kmenu (like the windows start menu) - its in the system section or simply hit alt+F2 and type synaptic. You will need to type your password as its an administrators tool but explore what's available. As you grow more confident you can learn how to add extra repos to widen the application base etc. You can also use synaptic for routine updates but most of here find it quicker and easier to use the commands above.

Sorry to ramble

ian

[GreyGeek]

Re: I'm a bit lost

Adding to what the others said, the #1 reason for a bad installation is a bad ISO download. Be sure to check it with md5sum to verify it before you use it for an installation.

[Costascy82]

Re: I'm a bit lost

Hi, I tried those steps but I still get the same results
Anything else I can try?

[GreyGeek]

Re: I'm a bit lost

Dual boot with Kubuntu

or

Make Kubuntu your main OS and run Win as a guest using VirtualBox or VMPlayer.

[The Liquidator]

Re: I'm a bit lost

Okay it was a good try. Was neither the sound nor the shutdown fixed?

If you have fully updated KDE (I think you should now be running 4.3.4 or maybe 4.3.5 now) then the only thing I can suggest now is that it and windows 7 are not playing too nicely together. I don't claim to be an expert on running a Wubi installation of ubuntu, but you have after all merely installed 'buntu effectively as a windows program and it is entirely dependent on windows for its operation. Don't expect Microsoft to bend over backwards to ensure that Linux can run properly within windows 7. All I can say is that if you were running 'buntu on it's own I would have expected those issues to be fixed.

I assume you downloaded a live cd - did you try running it on a live basis before doing the wubi installation? If not, try doing so. Boot up with the cd and select the try without installing option. Things will be slower but it will be a proper test of it's compatibility with your computer, whereas currently you are merely testing its compatibility with Windows 7.

On the Live CD do things work properly? If so the dual-boot option as GG advocates may be your best bet and we can talk you through it.

HTH

Ian

[Costascy82]

Re: I'm a bit lost

Hi thanks again for the reply,
I will check tomorrow. How can I test the ISO to make sure it's ok? (md5sum says nothing to me).

[verndog]

Re: I'm a bit lost

Hi thanks again for the reply,
I will check tomorrow. How can I test the ISO to make sure it's ok? (md5sum says nothing to me).

Easy. Maybe Recent ISO had trouble displaying media check or you recieved nothing on the screen. I'm guessing that Kubuntu 9.10 is a LiveCD. If it is you should see media check on the boot menu. Click on that and it should relay if its good or bad.

If you don't see anything at all we can use md5sum. but that will come later.

Also you never mentioned, if your sound worked just using the LiveCD itself. Try that. We may be chasing a red herring otherwise.

[Costascy82]

Re: I'm a bit lost

I checked the cd for errors and it is fine. I also ran the live cd and I have the same problems. Also my KDE is still the same version even after the upgrade (4.3.2). I don't want to install it on another partition until I know it works. Last time I installed ubuntu and uninstalled it (I needed the space) I couldn't log into windows.

[GilGib]

Re: I'm a bit lost

I would try a dual boot. If you want to remove Kubuntu later you can use Gparted cd to resize your partition
then boot the windows cd and do a fixmbr from the recovery console. Fixmbr will overwite grub with the windows boot loader.

[Costascy82]

Re: I'm a bit lost

Well i put a ubuntu live cd in and it works fine. only kubuntu does these problems. I added a repository and updated to kd4.4.1. The problem still occurs. when i put aplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav in the kubuntu konsole I get a repeating "Frfrfrfrfrfrfrfrfr" that never ends. I don't think reinstalling will help since the problems occur on the live cd...

[GreyGeek]

Re: I'm a bit lost

I checked the cd for errors and it is fine. I also ran the live cd and I have the same problems. ...

While the ISO may pass an md5sum check it is also possible that the LiveCD made by burning it may not. LiveCD's should be made by DAO burns at 10X or less. You can check your LiveCD by using the option given on its menu for doing that, or you can use the techniques shown in this thread.