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I have Ubuntu 14.04 loaded onto USB drive. {update - ubuntu loaded onto USB using pendrivelinux using a different PC} On startup I can select the USB drive for boot, get the Ubuntu menu, choose "try ubuntu..." and system hangs indefinitely.

Laptop is IBM type 1842 - R50E, with Pentium R 1.6Ghz Cpu, 1.24 Gb RAM, 32GB hard drive with 8Gb free space, XP professional OS. Using laptop keypad not mouse.

What should I do next to get Ubuntu operating? Which forum should this question go? thanks, Bernie

Bernard Feinerman
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4 Answers4

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Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! You don't have very new hardware, so why not try Lubuntu 14.04.1 LTS?

Lubuntu is the Low memory Little brother of the full-blown Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS (Long-time Support)

If you do try it out and run into problems using that, just post a new question with "Lubuntu" in the title as there are more users like you around here trying to get the most out of their hardware.

Fabby
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  • @find-me-in-the-woods: You've never worked in customer support, have you? ;-) It's sometimes good to make people feel welcome somewhere and to get buy-in. – Fabby Dec 05 '14 at 02:25
  • Your answer was technically better then mine (I bow to you!) but for an absolute beginner (not you, but the OP), mine will help more and give him a better end-user experience (install Lubuntu) and be implemented faster then yours (upgrade from 6.10 to wherever it takes him) Just food for thought. – Fabby Dec 05 '14 at 02:27
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    I just totally agree with you.... @Fabby... I dont like idea of upgrade from 6.10... There will be always better way to do things in Ubuntu or rather Linuxing..That's why we are here.. Happy Linuxing.!! – vinrav Dec 05 '14 at 02:35
  • I'd suggest Xubuntu, or a different distro that's supposed to be "faster" or "smaller" like CrunchBang (runs openbox) or even Puppy (though it's quite different) – Xen2050 Dec 05 '14 at 02:41
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    @FABBY i GUESS you are right – Find Me In The Woods Dec 05 '14 at 15:14
  • as an update, I tried lubuntu and did try the check for problems option. – Bernard Feinerman Dec 06 '14 at 16:10
  • Seems like my cpu is lacking a "pae" module and "forcepae" might, or might not work. Bernie – Bernard Feinerman Dec 06 '14 at 16:11
  • In the first Lubuntu boot screen, when it asks for the language, press [f6] and then add "--forcepae" (without the quotes) after "quiet splash" (also without). Source: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PAE – Fabby Dec 06 '14 at 16:27
  • However, if that doesn't work (some CPUs have PAE built-in but don't advertise it so it just looks like they don't, some really don't have PAE) you'll need to disassemble your TP and upgrade the processor! :( On the other hand you can find them for a few $ € or £... – Fabby Dec 06 '14 at 16:29
  • So, if adding forcepae works and the installation works I end up with lubuntu installed but no longer can go back to the XP OS. So I get lunbuntu without trying it first. I suppose there other problems may turn up.. – Bernard Feinerman Dec 06 '14 at 18:16
  • No, no, no... The two are completely separate. XP doesn't care about PAE. just shut down (cold stop, don't warm boot) when switching to XP. – Fabby Dec 06 '14 at 19:46
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Did you try the troubleshooting-type kernel options from the grub (Ubuntu) menu? Under "F6 Other Options" like nomodeset, noapic, acpi=off, etc? Often one or a combination of them get things going on older or odd hardware.

See this Q for more info, specifically the top answer "If you are trying to install Ubuntu" My computer boots to a black screen, what options do I have to fix it?

Community
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Xen2050
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Systems using Windows XP most often use PATA rather than SATA (The cables used to connect stuff) in a computer. Ubuntu 14.10 is not compatible with PATA. Your system may be too slow to run Ubuntu anyway. Even in try mode. But if you really want to try, install Ubuntu 6.10 and upgrade from there, all the way to 14.10 (if it even gets there). I tried it my self with a computer with the same processor speed, but better RAM and available space and it did not work.

Find Me In The Woods
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    I wouldn't recommend installing 6.10 (if you can even find it) and upgrading 16 times either, especially if you already say it doesn't work... – Xen2050 Dec 05 '14 at 02:30
  • @Xen2050 why not? – Find Me In The Woods Dec 05 '14 at 15:14
  • For one, you said it did not work. And https://ploum.net/203-upgrading-an-existing-ubuntu-the-kill-your-desktop-machine/ and http://askubuntu.com/questions/256241/upgrade-gone-bad-no-ubuntu-no-upgrade-no-windows and http://askubuntu.com/questions/518494/how-to-recover-from-a-bad-upgrade and dozens more, only times 16. And after all that, if it does upgrade to 14.04 he's still left with the original problem: 14.04 won't boot. – Xen2050 Dec 05 '14 at 15:28
  • @FindMeInTheWoods: From a theoretical POV, you're absolutely right: start from the lowest common denominator and then go up and be happy with what you got. From a practical POV: you're going to theoretically install 8 (eight!) OSes. Why not take a little brother and install one? Most end-users are not like us, hackers, they just want a computer to do stuff like e-mail, web, skype, ... They don't want a customized car: they just want a car! You know, key in the ignition and it works and drives you places. ;-) – Fabby Dec 05 '14 at 15:31
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    @Fabby but here is the thing. with the computer this person has it isn't that simple. Trust me, I've done it myself. Last time I tried that nothing happened. Heck, I'm not even sure Lubuntu would work for them! – Find Me In The Woods Dec 05 '14 at 19:15
  • No current debian-based linux may run on this guy's computer without some fiddling, whether it's 2 minutes to reboot with some kernel options, or a while to build up & customize from an older basic linux. We may never find out, Bernie may have left, leaving his 1 reputation behind forever ;-) – Xen2050 Dec 05 '14 at 23:43
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Mint, LXLE and others does not work on old Thinkpads. "Xubuntu 12.04 is the last of the family shipping with a non-PAE kernel. True, you can hack your way around, but from the official stand point, the vendor does not intend to support ancient processors beyond 2017." (http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/reviving-ten-year-old-laptop-linux.html) Most older distros are removed from downloads, no Xubuntu 12.04 anymore, also no torrent.

Anyhow I succeded finding an Ubuntu 8.10 and it WORKS! Took hours to get there, upgradings are now pending.

Lars Simonsen
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