Lots Of Problems: Ubuntu 7.10/6.10 Installation on old system

[CadCrazy]

I tried to install Ubuntu 7.10 on my friend's system with following Configuration

P4 3.00 GHZ, Intel 845G Mobo, 256 Mb Ram, 80 Gb IDE HDD.

Ubuntu main screen not loaded from live cd. System just freezed after ubuntu loading progress bar disappeared. I rebooted the system and this time i waited for ubuntu main screen to load. After odd 45 mins i got the screen n the shortcut to install. Clicked on it again the waiting session started. After around i had to reboot again as nothing seem to happen.
This time i choosed install in safe graphics mode. After the warning window(configure resolution) i clicked next n again black screen but this time with blinking cursor. Waited for long time and rebooted again.
I checked cd for defects and to my surprise it was ok.

Then i tried to install 6.10. Choosed default option to install ubuntu. Again progress bar came, disappeared and blank screen but this time with blinking
monitor light and nothing more.
Finally i choosed install in safe graphics mode in 6.10. This time i managed to install it . Now when i choose to boot from default option same thing happens again i.e. blank screen after progress bar with blinking cursor. It take some 3 0r 4 min to display login screen. But if boot in recovery mode then i type "exit " @ command prompt to start the graphics mode which is now only good way to srart UBUNTU 6.10
I have heard that 7.10 can work on 256 ram without any problem but here even 6.10 is not working properly. Also I am not getting the widescreen resolution 1680X1050. The maximum resolution i am getting is 1024x768. I installed 915resolution package to enable widescreen resolution on older intel chipsets but still not getting it. Also graphics performance is not so good.

I convinced my friend that 7.10 is way better than windows. Help me save my face. Please..................

[mehulved]

Use alternate install cd, live cd requires min. 512mb of RAM. And go for Xubuntu rather than ubuntu.

[debsuvra]

Originally Posted by CadCrazy

I tried to install Ubuntu 7.10 on my friend's system with following Configuration

P4 3.00 GHZ, Intel 845G Mobo, 256 Mb Ram, 80 Gb IDE HDD.

Ubuntu main screen not loaded from live cd. System just freezed after ubuntu loading progress bar disappeared. I rebooted the system and this time i waited for ubuntu main screen to load. After odd 45 mins i got the screen n the shortcut to install. Clicked on it again the waiting session started. After around i had to reboot again as nothing seem to happen.
This time i choosed install in safe graphics mode. After the warning window(configure resolution) i clicked next n again black screen but this time with blinking cursor. Waited for long time and rebooted again.
I checked cd for defects and to my surprise it was ok.

Then i tried to install 6.10. Choosed default option to install ubuntu. Again progress bar came, disappeared and blank screen but this time with blinking
monitor light and nothing more.
Finally i choosed install in safe graphics mode in 6.10. This time i managed to install it . Now when i choose to boot from default option same thing happens again i.e. blank screen after progress bar with blinking cursor. It take some 3 0r 4 min to display login screen. But if boot in recovery mode then i type "exit " @ command prompt to start the graphics mode which is now only good way to srart UBUNTU 6.10
I have heard that 7.10 can work on 256 ram without any problem but here even 6.10 is not working properly. Also I am not getting the widescreen resolution 1680X1050. The maximum resolution i am getting is 1024x768. I installed 915resolution package to enable widescreen resolution on older intel chipsets but still not getting it. Also graphics performance is not so good.

I convinced my friend that 7.10 is way better than windows. Help me save my face. Please..................

Do you have a AsRock MoBo? I also have that brand's mobo with AGP and it stucks with the AGPGART of any new Linux Distro.

If you want to know about AGPGART solution, then specify it in reply post.

[CadCrazy]

Originally Posted by debsuvra

Do you have a AsRock MoBo?

No its intel mobo

Originally Posted by debsuvra

If you want to know about AGPGART solution, then specify it in reply post.

yes wana know more

Originally Posted by mehulved

live cd requires min. 512mb of RAM.

Ok but also tried on another friend's system with AMD 3000+,ASUS M2N Mobo,512 MB Ram but almost same thing happened

Originally Posted by mehulved

And go for Xubuntu rather than ubuntu.

No No can't do without eye candy

[mehulved]

Originally Posted by CadCrazy

No No can't do without eye candy

What do you mean? What more eye candy will GNOME give over XFCE, specially with just 256MB of RAM?

[CadCrazy]

i have heard that it is very light on resources with less eye candy

[mehulved]

http://xubuntu.org/tour
http://xubuntu.org/press#screenshots
http://www.xfce.org/about/screenshots
http://lunapark6.com/overview-of-xfce-44.html
Just a few examples. Google can show you more about the how good XFCE can look while using less resources.

[quantum]

i dont think RAM is sufficient enough for GNOMe 2.2 if u can get your friend an older version like 6.06 with the repositories

[cynosure]

6.06 will work fine, its will be supported for 5 years. Go for it if you want to install ubuntu. 7.0x will need atleast 512MB RAM.

[CadCrazy]

I currently installed Ubuntu 6.10 on his system . Tell me how to enable 3d/transparency effects. I have searched in synaptic with word compiz and installed all the packages under the search but still i am not getting the compiz configuration manager.

Also even 6.10 is not working properly through default boot option. I had to boot through recovery mode to get it working. Any possible cause/solution to this problem

[mehulved]

6.10 won't have compiz fusion. But luckily it has beryl. But, what graphics chipset does it have? And believe me go for xubuntu over ubuntu.

[ray|raven]

Gnome is so damn sluggish on 256megs,
Go for xfce dude.its a lot better considering the low RAM.
Besides you wont feel any loss of looks either.
But on 256 megs Ubuntu itself feels sluggish.
Try something based on slackware if u really want speed.

Regards,
ray

[CadCrazy]

Originally Posted by mehulved

But, what graphics chipset does it have?

Intel 845G
Oh XUBUNTU haf to downlod it .

[ray|raven]

Nah,Xubuntu isnt much but Ubuntu base with a set of apps for lower end machines,
Install Ubuntu and then remove
ubuntu-desktop and install
xubuntu-desktop.

Might be wrong names,used ubuntu quite some time ago.

Regards,
ray

[CadCrazy]

is it
install xubuntu-desktop and then remove ubuntu-desktop
or vice versa

[mehulved]

Yeah. xubuntu-desktop should be around 50MB package at the max. So, you can add it to your ubuntu install and thus have both GNOME and XFCE in the install.

[ray|raven]

Originally Posted by CadCrazy

is it
install xubuntu-desktop and then remove ubuntu-desktop
or vice versa

I think if u select xubuntu-desktop for installation it automatically selects ubuntu-desktop for un-install.
Anyways its better to do this in init3 IMO.

Regards,
ray

[praka123]

^No.all co-exists/be it kde or xfce(xubuntu)

[ray|raven]

Yes,If you install the DE.
I think in Ubuntu only one desktop type package is available at once.
You can install the rest of the packages to make the DE available but if u install the desktop package its made the default DE and the previous Default DE is removed.
That's as i know in Ubuntu 6.06
Havent really used ubuntu after that.

Regards,
ray

[abhinandh]

hey xfce is only a 14.3mb of download!!!
i have both gnome and xfce coexisting.

[din]

Do not want to hijack this thread, but 256 + 512 (two RAM modules) MB Ram will be OK for Ubuntu 7.10 ? I mean smooth running of desktop version.

[ray|raven]

Hell yes.
What do u think Ubuntu is Vista?
For needing gigs of RAM

Ubuntu 7.10 should run smoothly with all compiz effects turned on.

Regards,
ray

[mehulved]

Originally Posted by rayraven

I think if u select xubuntu-desktop for installation it automatically selects ubuntu-desktop for un-install.
Anyways its better to do this in init3 IMO.

Regards,
ray

It shouldn't really do this but I believe it's a bug in gutsy which is causing this. AFAICR it was the person nicknamed slytherin on irc.freenode.net #ubuntu-in who had faced this too. Just try asking this there if anyone of you face it.

[ray|raven]

Hmm,i dont know.
But i havent used gutsy.
Last i used ubuntu was version 6.06.
And i remember it selecting ubuntu-desktop for removal on selection of xubuntu-desktop for installation.
Might be wrong as it was some time ago.

Regards,
ray

[infra_red_dude]

Originally Posted by din

Do not want to hijack this thread, but 256 + 512 (two RAM modules) MB Ram will be OK for Ubuntu 7.10 ? I mean smooth running of desktop version.

More than enough!

Actually one of my fren runs 7.10 on 256MB DDR (some amount shared for vram), intel 865 comfortable widout compiz fusion. At least with the prev. release hafing GNOME 2.18, he was using beryl without much problems.

[QwertyManiac]

Originally Posted by din

Do not want to hijack this thread, but 256 + 512 (two RAM modules) MB Ram will be OK for Ubuntu 7.10 ? I mean smooth running of desktop version.

Like rayraven said. 512 is just enough for a smooth experience. You can enable the Desktop Effects and get all the effects available too. (Depending on your Graphic Chipset)

And it'll all run smooth, right from startup to playing videos, etc and even Shut-down.

[mehulved]

Originally Posted by rayraven

Hmm,i dont know.
But i havent used gutsy.
Last i used ubuntu was version 6.06.
And i remember it selecting ubuntu-desktop for removal on selection of xubuntu-desktop for installation.
Might be wrong as it was some time ago.

Regards,
ray

I had xfcd + kde + gnome + ratpoison + fluxbox + xfwm + gnustep together on 6.10.

[CadCrazy]

So guys what you say Xubuntu 7.10 will work on system with 256 mb ram. I recently installed xubuntu-desktop on ubuntu 7.10 but it is still sucking. Take too long time to start.
Will the standalone xubuntu 7.10 be better or should i settle for some lower version of it .

[ray|raven]

Ubuntu is a bit slow on 256 megs as i said before.
And a stock xubuntu install wudnt speed things much either.
If u want a really speedy boot go for a slackware based distro like Vector or Zenwalk.

Btw,did it select ubuntu-desktop for un-install on selecting xubuntu-dekstop for installation?
I'm kinda confused and a clarification would help.
Thanks.

Regards,
ray

[CadCrazy]

Originally Posted by rayraven

Btw,did it select ubuntu-desktop for un-install on selecting xubuntu-dekstop for installation?

I am not sure as started installation in the night and found xubuntu installed in the morning