General :: Can't Get Any Distro To Work On Laptop Or Desktop
Jul 26, 2010
I have an old old laptop and wanted to try Linux on it. I know next to nothing about Linux and slightly more than nothing about Unix. I made a pen drive with Ubuntu on it but the laptop won't boot from a USB device. So I downloaded several distros. I tried to boot a Ubuntu CD but it won't go past the splash screen. I tried DSL and it won't boot that either. So it's still running Windows 98SE at this point.
I tried several of the distro's under QEMU on my desktop and they seem to work... so the distro's are OK I think. Then I tried burning Knoppix on a DVD and booting the PC. I get the splash screen and it get to the point of saying something like "running dbus" and just hangs forever. I waited 40 minutes and still nothing. Tried booting the PC instead with a distro called "PCLinux Phoenix XFCE" that I burned onto CD. Once again splash screen and then nothing. Finally got a message saying it can't configure video and do I want to do it by hand. Really? Like I can do that. So I booted Win XP again and somehow THAT manages to run both monitors.
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Jan 7, 2011
my laptop, which i run ubuntu on, is getting a bit old and i find it's getting slower and slower at running applications. My desktop computer is stronger, but I can't give up on the portability of my laptop.I was thinking of installing a HD drawer for both my laptop and desktop. and when I come home just pull the HD from the laptop and plug it into the desktop.
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Oct 7, 2010
what is the diffrence between desktop ubuntu 10.04 lts and Laptop ubuntu 10.04 lts distro?i've try'd kubuntu 9.04 x64 on mi desktop cpu e6400 2gb ram 2x 500gb,1x250 gb and GF8600gt with 512mb ram the cpu overclocked to 3.0ghz and fsb from 1066 to 1200+ with ram from 800 to 960 mhz.it was flying.now after solving mi previous problems with grub. i decided to instal 10.04 lts x86 /32 bits ubuntu to mi toshiba laptop A100-529 1.6 ghz celeron 1gb ram@533 80 gb.it's mooving verry verry slow.
also i have to admit that this version is full of apps an enviroment features..but still on minimal visual effects it's running like mi granpa' anny syggestions ?
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Mar 27, 2011
What Linux Distro will run smoothly on the following hardware?
Pentium II
233 MB of RAM
6 GB hardrive
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Jan 19, 2011
I currently have a Toshiba Satellite C655 laptop running windows 7. What would be the best distro for a laptop? I would prefer that it installs with a windows installer, because I don't want to try repartioning to be able to keep windows. I've tried Ubuntu's "wubi" and Mint's "mint4win". However, I wasn't able to connect to wifi on either of them.
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Aug 23, 2010
in the linux world i have a old thoshiba laptop 2550cdt.im wondering if you can post me some suggestions about the distros. which one i should download for my laptop?
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Jan 4, 2010
I have an Acer TravelMate 2300 and I was wondering someone could advise me a distribution and configuration that would run smoothly on the system. I have been trying to install the latest version of Mint (no. but it seems to be too much and tends to lag out.
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Jan 17, 2010
I have an Averatec Laptop, the screen was broken so we took it off an hooked it up to a small "E" flat monitor and it works fine. We run the Laptop as a desktop now. It has Windows XP service pack 3 on it and runs using a DLink wireless adapter. Our Averatec has a 1.39 GHz processor with 224 MB of Ram and 27.9 Gb of Hard drive.I burned an ISO CD of Puppy Linux and ran Puppy from the CD. It installed well but when I went to use an online game called Farmville the whole screen froze and I had to turn the computer off to get it going again.
Farmville worked on the computer when it ran XP could it be that Puppy Linux is not the right Distro for my computer or do I need a distro that has Java or flash applications on it and if so where or how can I do this?
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Jul 5, 2011
I got a new laptop with 320 gb hdd,2 gb RAM and intel core i3 processor...the manufacturer is lenovo..its pre installed with windows 7 ultimate pack..i'm interested to install a linux distro..so i wanna know which distro suits my laptop configuration.in a best way.
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Nov 16, 2010
Used ubuntu a little, few days ago tried booting with puppy linux on usb drive.
I was amazed by its speed, since everything runs in ram, its not comparable with w7. That is the key feature im looking for.
I know, that the most common recommendation here, is to "try out different *nix based OS-es and find the one that suits".
I hope i can rely on other people experience, who have comparable system and silmilar hopes.
What i expect?
-working infrared
-speedstep
-hibernation?!
-support for canon camera
-ACPI (crucial, since t41 has "fan always on" issue)
-quick boot
-constant saving (puppy saves data to memory, which is a problem is power-cut happens)
Im sure puppy can fill out most of these requirements, but still im looking word from you guys.
Ive heard a lot good about algo zenwalk, vector, MijnPup, igelle...
Oh, maybe even tinycore will work...
There are simply so many of them, but i would like to sort out one which has periodical updates and has fulfilled my requirements. Also, Gnome interface would be nice.
I state that, i wont be needing bundled software, because i can get what i want later on and i don't want excess trouble uninstalling software.
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Jun 17, 2011
i got given an old IBM think pad R40 laptop with a broken HDD and im looking for a linux distro for it, its got 128 mb of ram and a mobile P4 - M 1.80ghz processor all im gonna use it for is basic word processing/taking notes in the field etc. but i would like to have a reasnoble GUI ive tried Puppy, DSL and SLITAZ but their GUI's are rather crude.
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Jan 7, 2011
I need to install linux for my acer 4741 laptop. Anyone who did this before and managed to solve the device driver problems please share your experience with me. I already installed the backtrack linux and I able to make it work the both wireless and wired network connections and also the sound card is also working. But the problem is that I unable to configure 1360x768 resolution of the display. The display looking really flat and ugly under that linux. some help ? can you guide how to correctly configure the /etc/X11/xorg.conf ?
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Jan 19, 2010
I got a laptop for free. It's an old POS, but it was free, and it basically works for pretty much what I am going to use it for. Web Browsing, Cloud Computing type stuff.NOTE: I am an extreme Google Whore. To paraphrase Jay-Z: Google Mail, Google Docs, all Google Everything. lol. when considering my question, please keep this in mind.anyhow, this is what I am working with:
HP Pavilion zt1130
Windows XP SP3
Intel Celeron Processor 1133MHz
684MB RAM
S3 Graphics Twister 16MB
20GB Hard Drive
DirectX 9.0c
Linksys Wireless-G Network Adapter
as I mentioned above, I use Google Stuff for my primary computing Needs. GMail, Google Docs for Office stuff, Reader for RSS, etc. with Google Gears to make these apps usable offline. I also use LastFM, Twitter, etc. My preferred browser is Chrome, but I can settle for Firefox if necessary. I am trying to figure out if getting off of Windows XP, and switching to Linux might help with boosting the performance of this old, crappy machine(does the OS even matter in regards to this?), and maybe push it more towards being more of a Cloud Computing machine. and which Distro would probably be best for me and my computer.
I know absolutely nothing about Linux beyond common, basic stuff. So anything that requires some complex set up is not what I am looking for. I'd also need a decently easy to use GUI. But I am unsure about hardware compatibility and things like that. I don't wanna wipe my HD, and break the computer trying to install Linux,
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Jul 22, 2010
I'm having a lot of trouble finding a good Linux Distro that will work with my Toshiba A505-S6020. Here are some specs
i5-430M Intel Processor
4 GB RAM
NVidia Graphics Card
Realtek Network Adapter
One of the big problems I'm having is with the Network Adapter. It won't work with Ubuntu or any Ubuntu based distros. Backtrack 4 won't even start for me (there's a problem with the ACPI, and I'm not sure how to turn it off on Backtrack). Is there any distribution that I won't have to mess with the Kernels too much (I tried Gentoo, but that was a bit over my head)
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Jun 5, 2011
Hi ya
I thank you all for previously helping.
NOW, I'm looking for a non-Ubuntu, but still easy to use, download, and install via USB drive distro that's user-friendly.
Any help? It's for an Acer Aspire 7741Z-5371
It has a 64bit processor, but i generally use 32bit 0Ses. 250 GB hard drive, 3 GB DDR3 RAM.
I'm just sick of Ubuntu and want to branch out a bit, as a new user
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Sep 6, 2010
I have a linux box set up as a multi-purpose server for my home with three Windows client PC's. The linux box is based on a slightly modified Slackware 9.0 distribution using Linux 2.4.20 and an unfortinately old, slow AMD processor with a miserable 512Kb RAM. The linux box serves the CIFS file system to the Windows boxes, runs the SQUID HTTP proxy, the Apache web server, a print server, does masquerading, mail serving and a very effective firewall using iptables.
This system, although slow, has run perfectly for several years.Let me say that again - This system works perfectly.I had decided that now is the time to upgrade the hardware, so I bought a Gigabyte LGA775 motherboard which has two 1Gb network interfaces on it, an ASUS 256Mb PCI-E display card, 2Gb of DDR3 RAM, an Intel Core2-Quad processor and a bunch of 500Gb SATA drives to set up a RAID5 array (but I intend that the system boot off one of several 40Gb PATA drives I have).I set up the processor, motherboard, display card, RAM, a SATA DVD Drive and a 40Gb PATA hard disk in a "breadboard" layout and installed distro 13.1, being careful to set up the static IP for the local network, dhcpcd to get an IP address from the cable modem (my internet connection) and to enable ip_forward in the network configuration.
Then I installed a script invoked by /etc/rc.d/rc.local which installed all the SAME iptables rules as my old Linux box. There was one minor glitch when I had to change 8 occurrences of "-d ! $LOCAL_NET to" "! --destination $LOCAL_NET" but that was no problem. I also set up /etc/resolv.conf, /etc/hosts , the BIND server files etc. etc. exactly as in the old box.
I am able to ping mirror.aarnet.edu.au (this is at the heart of Australia's internet hub network - if it's down the whole bloody thing is down) and have the system find the correct IP from the designated nameservers and contact that server with a return trip time of 35ms. I am able to run a telnet session from one of the Windows boxes and edit files on the Linux server. So both network interfaces work and I've got them the right way around.I am able to run FTP on one of the Windows boxes and connect through to mirror.aarnet.edu.au, although it seems to hang when I try a DIR (but then so does the old linux system).
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Nov 25, 2010
Have just been given a Desktop with an 80GB Hard Drive and 256 of RAM. Would someone like to tell me of a Linux distro that just might run on the desktop.
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Jul 18, 2010
I'm looking for the best way to identify what distro the user is running and what the desktop environment is running. I'm building some pipeline tools for a visual effects studio and need some generic commands for passing paths to the user's file manager from within Maya and Nuke. The workstations I have access to are FC12 with xfce4 so for that I'd pass a system command :
Code: ("thunar "+$path)I've been identifying Fedora workstations with:
Code: # cat /etc/issue
Is there a command to identify what the current window manager is? Preferably something generic that'll work on the other distros as well.
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May 16, 2010
I am looking for a distro with an extremely simple desktop interface. I am looking for something as simple as the iPad where you can only run 1 application and it gets maximized. You click an icon and... you get that. Also the hardware is well described as "Aging," it is not dual-core, and may be as low as 64mb of RAM.
This is because the computer will basically be used as a simple game machine, and by game I mean Minesweeper and Solitaire. For Multiplayer games maybe virtual board games on a single screen, no LAN type stuff. Also I do not want the primary users of this computer to be able to access anything besides exactly what I determine they are supposed to. Basically what we want is something that is Child-Safe and Child-Simple. There will be no internet browsing or document creation or anything complicated.
Now I am not saying however that there won't be a possible user login that does have access to a full complement of software programs, just that I need to be able to setup at least one login that meets the criteria I specified. I have used Ubuntu in a few iterations, I can use a terminal with some internet help, and consider myself "Technical." Primarily I will be managing the software.
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Mar 5, 2011
I'm a low-demand home desktop user concerned mainly with OS stability and simplicity. Current setup is dual-boot PC with Ubuntu10.04+Mint9. I use my PC mainly to write, using Word on Wine. Even more boring: I connect to net via external dialup modem. Both Ubuntu10.04+Mint9 seem excellent but have tons of features I don't need.
Is there a distro that will trade off advanced features in exchange for stability and reliability? I've read that Mepis is among the most rock-stable distros, with no attempts to be cutting-edge. Is this the case? Is there another distro emphasizing stability and simplicity? Must be a simple install, like Ubuntu+Mint. Must work well with Wine and dialup.
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Apr 3, 2011
ive tried 3 different distro's and i get the same issue with all 3, kubuntu 10.10, lubuntu 10.10 and opensuse 11.3... ok i know kubuntu and lubuntu are practically the same but on all the disks when i boot them i get exactly the same problem, they are all 64bit.
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It seems to take the desktop from my windows install, im booting off the CD, it shows the screen and the crashes. my system is an AMD phenom 8850 triple core, gigabyte ga-m6bm-s2, 4gb ram, XFX GT 240
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Oct 27, 2010
if you ever got the syntax right to get mfstools to work inside a distro?
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Apr 24, 2011
I am thinking of using slackware 64 bit with awesome 3 wm. The thought process behind this is that I will learn a lot of how things work, which I am anxious to do. I like speed but knowing what is going on under the hood is paramount to me. I like knowing all my processes and knowing where all my files are and exactly what is on my computer but where I run into trouble is that this might just be too complex for me. I'm not too great at programing so...
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May 5, 2011
I upgraded my ati 9200 with the HD5830. It was brand new from overclockers.On windows 7 it runs great, playing games for hours without any issues at all.But I cannot get it to work with any Distro at all. All I get is garbled graphics from the live cd's, mouse is garbled to.
I have Tried 64bit Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Opensuse/Mepis and 686 version of antiX.I will attach a screenshot of what a screen looks like from the live CD. The card is new and works in win 7 so the card is not faulty, but why can I not use any live CD with it? If I manage to work out the garbled graphics and install a distro its the same. Sometimes if I add "nomodeset" to the boot line I can see the screen perfect. But then trying to install ati drivers boots me to a command line.
EDIT: PC specs
Q6600 @3.0ghz
4gb DDR2 @833
HD5830 xtreme 1GB GDDR5
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Sep 25, 2010
I am trying to start using linux, and am new, so sorry if this is dumb. I started out trying Ubuntu, but that didn't work. After that I had tried Mint, and had several problems besides the Network Connector. Now I'm trying Fedora, but if that doesn't work is there a different Linux distro that will work?
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Jan 12, 2011
I've tried to do the installs using Unetbootin, LiveUSBcreator, and Startup Disk creator and the Install program from within the distros themselves, regardless of installation method the same problem returns. So I do not think the problem is related to method of installation.
Maybe it's hardware? I've tried a total of four different motherboards, (an MSI, 2 Gigabyte and an Asus) all with updated BIOS, all 4 of which work perfectly fine with normal Linux installations to the HD. I have no troubles running any of the above distros when installed to a hard drive.
The problem comes when I install to a thumb drive. Which thumb drive? Take your pick. I've used Sony, SanDisk, Kingston and a handful of cheaper brands in sizes from 2G up to 16G. The problem always returns regardless of the hardware involved. Therefore I do not think the problem is related to hardware.
I want a fully functioning installation of Linux on a thumbdrive. (I do not simply want a Live CD copied to a thumbdrive.) This will allow me to make changes to the software/settings and have those changes remain after rebooting. I'm able to do this just fine, and everything works perfectly until the third, fourth, or fifth reboot. At this point I enter my password and my password is no longer accepted. Sometimes the screen flickers a little, sometimes it just reloads the prompt. But it doesn't let me in. At this point it's Game Over. All the hard work installing and tailoring the install is down the drain. Yes, I've searched and found threads of this similar problem. Many of them go back to 2005 or 2006. The vast majority of them are people begging for help, receiving a few suggestions, finding no resolution and then the thread just dies. Honestly I've spent many, many hours following outdated advice that has, on occasion, worked, but only temporarily. The problem always returns. Something is seriously screwed up and I can't be alone.
So here I sit with a brand new 4Gb Sandisk that up until last night had a beautifully running Ubuntu 10.10 installation. And yet, voila, my password is now no longer good enough. It simply will not let me log on. I enter it, hit enter, and the log-in screen simply reloads itself.
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Jan 6, 2010
I just receive a very thin laptop but pretty old, it has 2 hard drives or kind of hard drives... of 16 GB each, I don't know about the RAM, probably 512 Mb, maybe 1 Gb (I don't remember how to see that on windows) and an intel core duo.It's currently running a legal windows xp (I specify legal cause it's pretty rare), it's not "slow" but it could be a lot faster, it still takes a few seconds to load IE and stuffs.
I'm a mac user, I'm only using debian server version for web servers and databases so I don't know how it works with a user interface.I've heard about Archlinux, it says it's pretty fast but do you know which one is the fastest one ?
I'll be using the laptop for taking notes only, probably on google docs but it'd be cool if I could store some images and stuff without waiting 10 secs to open a new window.By the way, if you could quickly explain me how do I install the GUI and which one is fastest cause when I've installed Ubuntu, Gnome was already installed by default.Finally, there is no way to insert DVD / CDs, it's like the Mac Book Air, so I haven't installed any linux distro from a USB stick either.
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Apr 15, 2011
I have installed Ubuntu (both 10.10 and 11.04 pre-release) on my laptop but my battery is not recognized and it is detected as a desktop system rather than a laptop. I have tried the cat /proc/acpi/battery/BAT1/state method but the directory doesn't exist. I have tried another guide to paste the battery info into this directory but it doesn't allow me to do that and says that the directory doesn't exist, even though I'm trying to make it. I tried it in root nautilus and even on an install of Lubuntu (with a root file manager) but it still failed to budge. I really don't know what to do as I have tried all the guides on the internet that I could find.
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Jan 9, 2010
nominate a disastrous distro from past or present that was simply AWFUL and what exactly was so bad about it?
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Nov 18, 2010
I was just wondering how I could remote control my desktop running windows7, I have enabled remote connections on my desktop. I also tried using the rdp program given with linux but am lost after that.
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