[Deaf-lug] Ubuntu Won't Work on a laptop
JGJones
mailinglist at gwallgofi.com
Tue Mar 11 01:47:32 GMT 2008
Sorry - first line should read "I wouldn't use Ubuntu on the *aging PC*"
And now I should drag my sorry arse off to bed!
JGJones wrote:
> I wouldn't use Ubuntu on the laptop...
>
> It'll run...but horribly slow (Gnome/KDE just isn't suited for that)
>
> However if you're willing to "play"...if you can get a copy of Linux
> Format magazine from a store (supermarkets even stock them nowadays) -
> they've got a DVD with 10 or 12 different distro's on it - some of them
> are suitable for slow and old PC's
>
> DSL (Damn Small Linux) will abosolutely SCREAM on your old old PC (it's
> actually designed to run well on a 486 with 16Mb!!) - although it does
> lack a bit in features...it'll load *fully* in RAM as you have 320Mb so
> it'll be really fast.
>
> http://damnsmalllinux.org/
>
> However you'll obviously want a tad more features than that...so I could
> suggest a slightly different DSL - DSL-N - http://damnsmalllinux.org/dsl-n/
>
> It use more updated features so it's not as fast, but will still be
> really fast with your old PC.
>
> HOWEVER I'm aware that the two suggestions above aren't as
> "user-friendly" as something like Ubuntu is...so I could suggest you
> check out Xubuntu - which is Ubuntu, but using XCFE as the window
> manager (take up much less resources than Gnome/KDE)
>
> http://www.xubuntu.org/
>
> Bear in mind that they will *not* have the full features of its bigger
> brother - however I use Xubuntu on a Sony VAIO - which is a P3 1GHz with
> 512Mb and it works very well - good enough for casual web browsing etc
> (in my case as I have SiS graphics...I have to disable Flash cos it's
> simply just awful with that)
>
> HDD sizes:
>
> You've got 30GB free - Ubuntu'll work very very well with that space and
> you can dual boot XP/Ubuntu (remember that while installing, don't
> select the option to let it use entire HDD!! That means it wipes off XP
> - just tell it to use free *available* space)
>
> However I'm guessing that obviously that 30GB free space you talk about
> is in a partition - so you'll need to edit the partition (it does have a
> nice easy to use partition editor) to resize your 2nd HDD to free up
> that 30GB of space.
>
> before doing this - defrag your HDD!
>
> Hope that's clear? A bit late here so I might not be explaining stuff
> properly so do feel free to ask any questions!
>
> Cheers
>
> Paul Johnston wrote:
>> Hi again,
>>
>> Apologies for not replying before now. Been real busy. Such is
>> life, with a full time job and 3 young kids :-)
>>
>> Joe, you are right. Upgrading the good old memory to 2GB on the
>> laptop solved the problem.
>> Been playing with Ubuntu on the laptop and my old PC. Really like
>> it. So would like to install this on my ageing PC. First step to me
>> becoming a full blown Ubuntu convert :-) Any recco's for
>> partition/disk sizes for Ubuntu? This PC is really old (8+ years old,
>> 500 MHz Pentium 3 with "mere" 320MB memory).
>>
>> This old desktop has 2 HDDs. One is whopping (!) 13GB. Shows my PC
>> age!! 7Gb free if it helps. 2nd HDD, bought 3 years ago or so, is
>> 75Gb ish, prob 80GB with system files etc installed. Can't
>> remember!! 30Gb free.
>>
>> Question is do I have enough disk space for dual XP/Ubunto boot up
>> options? Fret not if I haven't. I am prepared to replace the 13GB
>> HDD with a bigger one (160GB for £25ish!!, amazing how cheap they are
>> nowadays) if this would help with the performance etc of Ubuntu.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Paul.
>> -----Original Message-----
>> *From:* deaf-lug-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk
>> [mailto:deaf-lug-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk]*On Behalf Of *JGJones
>> *Sent:* 26 February 2008 23:52
>> *To:* deaf-lug at mailman.lug.org.uk
>> *Subject:* RE: [Deaf-lug] Ubuntu Won't Work on a laptop
>>
>> Ah I see your problem now...
>>
>> It's the Intel graphics - it's *very* well supported in Ubuntu
>> (Intel make open source drivers for them after all) - BUT it use a
>> part of your system memory as its graphics memory.
>>
>> Booting from Live CD chews up memory a lot (since it's not touching
>> your HDD) so this might explain why you're not getting a graphical
>> screen. However since you've ordered 2GB, so as soon as you plug
>> that in, you'll be able to run Ubuntu on that laptop just fine
>> without issues - everything supported (apart from wifi, I don't know
>> which model it is if you have it, but most are getting supported
>> these days now) as you'll have plenty for graphic memory as well.
>>
>> With more memory, all is well. I've got 2GB on my laptop and Ubuntu
>> just flies (although I do have a Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz with 4Mb cache to
>> go with it(!)) - am planning to get 4GB for it (I actually run out
>> of memory a lot - I run a few Virtual Machines on it) and when I
>> do...it's time to upgrade to my first 64bits OS.
>>
>> On Tue, 2008-02-26 at 18:47 +0000, Paul Johnston wrote:
>>> Hi there, The laptop is actually an ordinary one
>>> purchased off Dell 2 years
>>> ago. No extra hardware or anything like that. Minimum spec.
>>> Memory is 256MB (which is indeed on the low side so I have ordered
>>> 2 gig for it) DDR2 SDRAM. CPU is Celeron M 1.4Ghz. Graphics is
>>> indeed bog standard Intel (915GM/910GML if this means anything to
>>> you). I have left my Hardy Heron CD at work so this will have
>>> to wait
>>> until tomorrow. Cheers, Paul.
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> *From:* deaf-lug-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>> [mailto:deaf-lug-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk]*On Behalf Of
>>> *JGJones
>>> *Sent:* 26 February 2008 17:31
>>> *To:* deaf-lug at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>> *Subject:* Re: [Deaf-lug] Ubuntu Won't Work on a laptop
>>>
>>>
>>> Paul
>>>
>>> IF possible can you give us the hardware specification for the
>>> Dell Inspiron 1300 laptop? What CPU, memory, graphics etc?
>>>
>>> Dell Inspiron are quite well supported in Ubuntu so it's
>>> unusual to hear of a live CD not working on a Dell Inspiron,
>>> so it's possible you've got one with some funky hardware that
>>> Ubuntu sadly doesn't have the drivers for but I really doubt
>>> that! :) I'm looking specifically for the graphics bit (which
>>> *should* just work - Intel graphics is open source, nvidia and
>>> ATi both are well supported with open and closed source
>>> drivers, SiS graphics even is supported and even VIA's
>>> UniChrome graphics is supported too although not as brilliant)
>>>
>>> Regarding downloading Hardy Heron - you're right that it's
>>> still in beta, however it's passed the feature freeze phase
>>> now - meaning that all software version that you'll get with
>>> that is frozen at that moment and won't go any further and
>>> from this point on it's all just bug-fixing so you'll get
>>> increasing stability with it (plus it's to be the LTS (Long
>>> Term Support) version as well - which is I think 5 years for
>>> desktops?) - no harm in testing that with your laptop - I am
>>> going to be upgrading to Hardy myself quite soon too on my
>>> primary laptop (I can live with any errors etc during the beta
>>> phase and often help with bug-fix testing anyway)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, 2008-02-26 at 09:12 +0000, Paul Johnston wrote:
>>>> Hi Ben,
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for this. The alternate desktop CD does not seem to
>>>> have the demo option? I would like to try out Ubuntu first before
>>>> installing it on the laptop.
>>>>
>>>> I have yet to try the CTRL + ALT +F1 or connecting the
>>>> laptop to an exteranl monitor though.
>>>>
>>>> In the meantime I am downloading the Hardy Heron version of
>>>> Ubuntu. To see if this will work ok on the laptop. I know this is
>>>> still a beta version but is the final one, so should be relatively
>>>> bug free.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers,
>>>>
>>>> Paul.
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----
>>>> From: Ben Fletcher <enlightenedtux at googlemail.com
>>>> <mailto:enlightenedtux at googlemail.com>>
>>>> To: deaf-lug at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>>> <mailto:deaf-lug at mailman.lug.org.uk>
>>>> Sent: Monday, 25 February, 2008 12:38:38 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Deaf-lug] Ubuntu Won't Work on a laptop
>>>>
>>>> re corruption... yes however drivers used on your computer
>>>> may be
>>>> different to drivers used on your laptop, and one of these
>>>> drivers for
>>>> laptop (e.g. driver for display) may be corrupted on the CD.
>>>>
>>>> When you get to the blank screen, does CTRL + ALT + F1 bring
>>>> you to a
>>>> console prompt? Asking you for your username and password?
>>>>
>>>> Have you tried connecting the laptop to some external
>>>> monitor, and
>>>> using that instead of laptop's screen, for the installation?
>>>>
>>>> The alternate desktop CD is here:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
>>>>
>>>> towards the bottom, you should see a checkbox to tick.
>>>>
>>>> Rgds, Ben
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 25/02/2008, Paul Johnston <gingerdeafman at yahoo.co.uk
>>>> <mailto:gingerdeafman at yahoo.co.uk>> wrote:
>>>> > Hi Ben,
>>>> >
>>>> > Thanks for this. The model is Dell Inspiron 1300 (over 2
>>>> years old).
>>>> >
>>>> > CD corrupted? I wouldn't have thought so as it works
>>>> fine on my other PC.
>>>> >
>>>> > Alternate desktop CD? News to me. Where could I get
>>>> hold of one? (URL).
>>>> >
>>>> > Cheers,
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Paul.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > ----- Original Message ----
>>>> > From: Ben Fletcher <enlightenedtux at googlemail.com
>>>> <mailto:enlightenedtux at googlemail.com>>
>>>> > To: deaf-lug at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>>> <mailto:deaf-lug at mailman.lug.org.uk>
>>>> > Sent: Monday, 25 February, 2008 10:40:38 AM
>>>> > Subject: Re: [Deaf-lug] Ubuntu Won't Work on a laptop
>>>> >
>>>> > Got name of the laptop model? Is the CD not corrupted?
>>>> How about
>>>> > giving the alternate desktop CD a try? It has a text
>>>> based installer
>>>> > which may give you a better idea of what the problem is.
>>>> When you
>>>> > download the CD, you can tick a box to ask for the
>>>> alternate desktop
>>>> > CD:
>>>> >
>>>> > "Check here if you need the alternate desktop CD. This CD
>>>> does not
>>>> > include the Live CD, instead it uses a text-based
>>>> installer."
>>>> >
>>>> > Rgds, Ben
>>>> >
>>>> > On 25/02/2008, Paul Johnston <gingerdeafman at yahoo.co.uk
>>>> <mailto:gingerdeafman at yahoo.co.uk>> wrote:
>>>> > > Hi again,
>>>> > >
>>>> > > I have created a Ubuntu bootable CD that works fine on
>>>> my ancient desktop PC but doesn't work on one of our laptops.
>>>> > >
>>>> > > It boots up ok, showing Ubuntu screen with the orange
>>>> progress indicator bar and then reaches beige screen with mouse
>>>> pointer which can be moved. Just that blank beige screen, no
>>>> "swirly" desktop image or task bar. Any ideas? 256MB not enough
>>>> perhaps?
>>>> > >
>>>> > > Cheers,
>>>> > >
>>>> > > Paul.
>>>> > >
>>>> > >
>>>> > >
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