dell 450 install kubuntu

[vinnywright]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

no your looking for some vga vesa or safe graphics option.

VINNY

[askrieger]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

At this point, I would
(1) Test the memory -- Believe it or not, a half hour to an hour of memtesting has, for totally unknown reasons, fixed problems on my computers on a couple of occasions. I have no idea why or how this works.

(2) Try another installation disk. You can either order a free one from Canonical, (and wait until you're as old and grey as I), order one from a mail-order house for a few shillings (Do Brits still use shillings?) and get it in less than a week, or burn another copy yourself by CAREFULLY following the instructions you will find on both this site and the Ubuntu Community Help Wiki with regard to checking MD5 sums for ".iso" files and burnt CDs. Please, check BOTH the iso filie, before burning, and the burnt CD.

[Snowhog]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

This certainly is sounding like he doesn't have a LiveCD, at least, not one that behaves the way we know it should. :P

I would be taking askrieger's advice and either downloading a "Kubuntu 10.04 LTS LiveCD .iso" or ordering it from Canonical through the ShipIt program. If you opt to download the .iso, then when you burn it, be sure to verify the md5sum to ensure that the downloaded .iso is without error. Then burn the .iso to CD using either TAO (Track-at-Once) or DAO (Disk-at-Once) option.

Not all CD manufacturers are equal. Purchase quality discs, or you are likely to create a lot of coffee coasters.

[citrus]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

hi .. the installation cd is from canonical and it worked fine on another (much slower dell machine) ...

on this other machine the install did generate the sexy mac desktop .... tho I am surprised at how slow is runs .... there is only so much linux can do with old hardware i guess !

so I know the cd is good ...just not good on the dell 450 i have.....which is a shame as it is/was a good machine ...

[citrus]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

askrieger>

I used the disc to check the disk (or the memory) ...one of the functions and it did take some time but reported no issues ...just to be 100% I will run both diagnostics from the cd again.

then try and launch the cd ...

[citrus]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

ok so going with ubuntu and using this usb stick pathway ..

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/univers...easy-as-1-2-3/
http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download

now its boots fine from usb stick ... but at no point do we get the gui installer asking where we live etc etc

as seen on
step 4 "Install it!" on this link
http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download


just back to the same ubuntu@ubuntu prompt !

so back on the same loop ...

any other suggestions ?

[citrus]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

also let me know if you need any output of /var/tmp/logs ...

might be some hints in there (if only i knew what to look for) ..

[dibl]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

Two suggestions:

1. Run

 lspci

-- and post the "VGA compatible controller" line, in its entirety.

2. Download the "Desktop Alternate" CD ISO (32-bit): http://www.kubuntu.org/getkubuntu/download You can make your USB stick with that one, just the same as you did with the "Live" CD. Check the md5sum of the download and the CD, of course.

It looks to me like the Live CD is gagging on your graphics chip, and until we know exactly what it is, it's not going to be possible to determine what boot options are required to get past it. The Alternate CD has options that will help, I think.

[citrus]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

Hi dibl ..

1. lspci | grep VGA returns ...
06:01:0 VGA compatible controller: Texas Instruments TVP4020 [permedia 2] (rev1)


(someone else suggested running the memory test ..it was running 18hours and passed every test before I gave up and run the above command !)

2. Will try the desktop alternative ....now ..stand by

[citrus]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

ok created an alternate i386 kubuntu usb stick ...

ran the installer and hurrah ..

now have a linux machine but despite asking to install a kubuntu desktop ...

we still end up with a command line interface

user@hostname

..but I certainly have an install now ...

just no desktop I can kick off ..

so how do i launch a browser ?

or launch a desktop ?

tia

[citrus]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

looking in /var/log...

there are some errors in kdm.log

VESA Driver cant support depth 24
Screens found but none have a usable configuration
Fatal server error: no screens found ....

...is this why I dont get a desktop ?

[citrus]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

Hi,

Any ideas on where to go next to get a desktop functioning with this machine ?

should I try again with some new video card ?

should i persevere and try to get some drivers or config to get this current one
. lspci | grep VGA returns ...
06:01:0 VGA compatible controller: Texas Instruments TVP4020 [permedia 2] (rev1)

working ?

Yours in hope
Citrus

[dibl]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

06:01:0 VGA compatible controller: Texas Instruments TVP4020 [permedia 2] (rev1)

That's a new one on me. Google suggests that the "glint" driver is what you want (package "xserver-xorg-video-glint"), but I also turned up an issue:

http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=486786

It is apparently not common -- you might search on Ubuntu forums and see if you can find anything. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[vinnywright]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

Hi,

Any ideas on where to go next to get a desktop functioning with this machine ?

should I try again with some new video card ?

should i persevere and try to get some drivers or config to get this current one
. lspci | grep VGA returns ...
06:01:0 VGA compatible controller: Texas Instruments TVP4020 [permedia 2] (rev1)

working ?

Yours in hope
Citrus

when trying to find info on that card/chip set I see nothing but trouble with it and linux........I would get a diferent card.

that sead what are the specks for that box as far as CPU and RAM ......

VINNY

[citrus]

Re: dell 450 install kubuntu

ok folks ... will take it on the chin and get a different video card ....

stand by for the next update (and thanks for your patience) .....I am learning a lot !!