0

I installed Ubuntu 20.04 Desktop version on a very old (2007?) desktop Compaq presario SR5050NX. The installation succeeded, and I'm able to run Desktop Terminal Files Ubuntu Software Settings Libre Office Writer RhythmBox

However, the following don't work Firefox Chrome VS code basically, anything installed from Ubuntu Software I suspect there is an incompatibility with the graphics hardware (Intel GMA 950?) Here's a description of the system hardware. https://www.newegg.com/compaq-presario-sr5050nx-student-home-office/p/N82E16883107358R The apps that fail all present a black window and nothing else

Should I give up on this project? If not, where should I start to fix it?

Thanks for your help

MumblingFumbler
  • 31

1 Answers1

2

Your device does not meet the recommend system requirements for Ubuntu Desktop.

Notably, Ubuntu Desktop system requirements suggest that you need at least 4GB of physical RAM and your computer only has 1GB of RAM.

Fortunately, Ubuntu comes in several official flavours with different desktop environments.

Lubuntu and Xubuntu come with lighter desktop environments and tend to run better on older PCs that can't run Ubuntu Desktop with GNOME.

You can "Try Ubuntu" from installation media without installing anything. This can give you an estimate of how the operating system will perform on your device.

It's also important to have realistic expectations for performance. 4 GB of system RAM is really on the low end of the spectrum in terms of running a modern desktop operating system. RAM hungry applications, like Google Chrome, may run poorly across the board even if you are using a lighter desktop environment.

Nmath
  • 12,333
  • Thanks for your comments. The system was upgraded to 4GB. The desktop and the default apps run quite well and performance is decent. The problem seems to be compatibility with the Intel GMA 950. I'm wondering if I can scrounge a compatible graphics card. Obviously I don't want to sink any money into a system that has no value. But if possible I'd like to keep it out of the scrap heap. I'm shooting for installing VS Code and use it as a Python development system. – MumblingFumbler May 17 '22 at 00:57
  • Incidentally, this system runs Windows 10 no problem. I just wanted to have an Ubuntu adventure at a low cost. – MumblingFumbler May 17 '22 at 01:00
  • That iGPU should not be a problem. I suggest to start over. Redownload the most recent ISO. Be sure not to skip over verifying the ISO and follow each step of the official tutorial. Use the recommended installation options and make sure that you've checked the boxes to install proprietary drivers and that updates are downloaded during installation. This hardware is old enough and tested enough that there should be no issues if you're doing everything by the book. – Nmath May 17 '22 at 01:40
  • Resist the urge to install a bunch of software or make a lot of customizations immediately after installation. Many people who are new to Ubuntu get derailed by "tweaks" and making mistakes installing software, especially software not in repos or loading new software without first ensuring the system is fully up-to-date – Nmath May 17 '22 at 01:44
  • Thanks for the common sense advice--I'll do as you suggest. – MumblingFumbler May 17 '22 at 01:52
  • However the only one of the default apps that doesn't work is Firefox. When I try to run it from the terminal, I get an Gtk-Message: 18:53:30:501: Failed to load module "canberra-gtk-module", and then it hangs. I have no idea what the error message means. – MumblingFumbler May 17 '22 at 01:59
  • When I search that error here on Ask Ubuntu, it looks like one of the causes of this problem is installing 32-bit software. See: https://askubuntu.com/q/342202 -- Let's see if it's still a problem on a clean, verified installation – Nmath May 17 '22 at 02:17