Ubuntu

Xubuntu starts but does not accept user input

Asked by JontomXire

I had Xubuntu recommended to me, so I downloaded and burnt the latest "Feisty Fawn" release to CD. I select option one. After a long long time I see what is presumably the Xubuntu desktop. In the middle of the screen is a pointer.

Moving the mouse has no effect. Pressing keys on the keyboard appears to have no effect (although this may be because there isn't an open window with the focus).

I'm guessing that Xubuntu is incorrectly identifying my mouse. When running the Puppy Linux Live CD it does the incredibly intelligent step of actually asking me what sort of mouse I have and when I tell it, lo and behold, the mouse works.

Anyway, I wasted an hour or so downloading Xubuntu and burning it to CD, so I thought you might as well get some benefit from my experience.

I forget the details of my system but it's an Intel processor with 128Mb RAM (as far as I remember). If you want more details, feel free to email me. I assume your system allows this.

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Wrwrwr (wrwrwr) said : 		#1

I hope you've got alternate xubuntu cd (text mode installation). Unfortunately, with 128mb of operating memory it's probably the only thing that will work.

The minimum requirements say that you should use it when you have less than 192mb, but from my experience even 256mb is sometimes not enough for standard installation.

For help with installation check here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation

If you get through installation, 128mb should be enough to run xubuntu. Unless you have some really rare mouse, it should just work.

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JontomXire (jontomxire) said : 		#2

If Xubuntu uses so much memory just for install, presumably it needs even more to run. I was looking for something fairly lightweight as it is quite an old system I have. It is possible that I have 256Mb in the machine. I forget exactly. All I really want is a webserver with a really lightweight desktop. I'm fed up of Fedora and Redhat installing all sorts of multimedia and CD burner software that I don't want because it's impossible not to have it due to dependencies from Gnome and KDE.

Anyway, as far as the mouse problem goes, it was nothing to do with installation. I didn't even get that far. As soon as Xubuntu ran as Live CD, the mouse wasn't working.

I have another thing to try and will update when I have a chance. I'm a bit busy to do any more today.

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JontomXire (jontomxire) said : 		#3

Actually take that back. I figured I might as well boot it up while I was packing. The mouse now works fine. I think it may have been a dodgy connection at my KVM. The mouse was fine with my Windows PC and I double checked the connections at the Linux PC end. As the KVM switch hadn't been touched I didn't figure it as a problem source, but I woggled the connections and now the mouse is fine with Xubuntu.

Sorry to have wasted your time.

And thanks for the advice on memory limits.

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Wrwrwr (wrwrwr) said : 		#4

Glad you got it working. Note that you need more ram for installation (a lot more) because the whole system is placed in it, it can't use hard disk (sometimes can't even create swap, virtual memory on disk).