Problems with starting the installation

ok put in the cd. BEFORE you simply hit enter, do the following:
hit f6. there's a very scary bar there with an option to write something :-) write in noapic. as simple as that :-) and report back!

Dear Andrea,

thank you for answering, but regrettably, the proposed solution didn't
work. Pressing the F6 key only led to a normal start of my Windows system.

Yours sincerely
Gunnar Sjöö

ANDREA pisze:
> Your question #17188 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/17188
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> ANDREA proposed the following answer:
> ok put in the cd. BEFORE you simply hit enter, do the following:
> hit f6. there's a very scary bar there with an option to write something :-) write in noapic. as simple as that :-) and report back!
>
>

ok but before it would boot from the cd reporting the problem you mentioned? Basically you should get it to offer you those regular options off the cd (that is the menu "install ubuntu or start live system" etc.) and at that point instead of hitting enter hit f6 ... i don't exactly know why that shouldn't work.

"how" did windows boot, i mean did you first "start" from the cd with the options and hitting f6 lead you to windows? (that would be weird) or didn't it start from the cd at all?

Dear Andrea,

I'm sorry that I have to bother you again. My earlier attempts to
install Ubuntu all resulted in the same message independently of which
type of action i was choosing;
Start or install Ubuntu
Start Ubuntu in safe graphics mode
Install in text mode, or
Check CD for defects,
they all resulted in the following message:
69.2059771 MP-BIOS bug: 8254 timer not connected to IO-APIC.
69.3844911 Kernel panic - not syncing: IO-APIC + timer doesn't work!
Boot with apic=debug and send a report. Then try booting with the
'noapic' action.
69.3845311
After receiving your last advice, I didn't use any of the above
alternatives, but pressed the key F6 instead. Then the following text
appeared:
Boot options: casper initrd=/casper/initrd.gz quiet splash -- |
I then discovered that it was possible to write further text as you
informed, so I added "noapic" at the end of the above message.
Installment then was a piece of cake and was soon finished. After
installment I took out the installation disk from the disk station,
restarted the computer and in GRUB I selected the alternative "Ubuntu,
kernel 2.6.20-15-generic".
This resulted in a black screen and I had to use the Reset-button again.
I am very good at this nowadays.
Another restart, and this time I selected the position "Ubuntu, kernel
2.6.20-15-generic (recovery mode).
This time I got the following message:
67.1967401 MP-BIOS bug: 8254 timer not connected to IO-APIC.
67.1967801 trying to set up timer (IRQO) through the 8259A....failed
67.1968481 trying to set up timer as Virtual Wire IRQ....failed
67.2365381 trying to set up timer as ExINT IRQ....failed:(.
67.3754571 Kernel panic - not syncing: IO-APIC + timer doesn't work!
Boot with apic=debug and send a report. Then try booting with the
'noapic' option
67.3755121
That's all so far, and now I wonder if I will have to give up on Linux
or return from my new computer to my 9 years old machine with Windows 98
and Mandrake 10.2.

Yours sincerely
Gunnar Sjöö

ANDREA pisze:
> Your question #17188 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/17188
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> ANDREA proposed the following answer:
> ok but before it would boot from the cd reporting the problem you
> mentioned? Basically you should get it to offer you those regular
> options off the cd (that is the menu "install ubuntu or start live
> system" etc.) and at that point instead of hitting enter hit f6 ... i
> don't exactly know why that shouldn't work.
>
> "how" did windows boot, i mean did you first "start" from the cd with
> the options and hitting f6 lead you to windows? (that would be weird) or
> didn't it start from the cd at all?
>
>

ok so you got it installed. that's a start :-)

now let's get it working! in order to do that execute the following command:

gksu gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
in ubuntu's case, in kubuntu's case try:
kdesu kate /boot/grub/menu.lst

(it's the boot menu).

somewhere at the end you find the boot options, in my case one of them is

title Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=efca93b5-8670-4be4-ae38-d2194fbf8bbe ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
quiet

. what's important here is the line with quiet splash at the end - those are the options. now add noapic to that one (just add it to the end of the line). save and done!

err by the way i know you can't boot into the system so here's how you do it. you got two options:
1) windows way: install this: http://www.fs-driver.org/ and then you can navigate tehre from within windows
2) start the livecd as you've done before. then mount the drive. then proceed as before editing the menu.lst which is on the mounted drive not on the live cd.

if you have any more questions feel free to ask!

ANDREA pisze:
Dear Andrea,

if this correspondence will continue much longer, maybe we will start
knowing each other, but probably you will soon have had enough of me. I
got your latest instructions, but I'm afraid that I understood
absolutely nothing. When it comes to computers, this is normal for me.
Now to what I don't understand:
You write that I will have to execute the following command:
gksu gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
(it's the boot menu)
I suppose that with the boot menu you mean the first page in the
installation sequence. Cannot find any command line there, the only
command line I know is in UNIX, you cannot mean that? Don't know what to
do, if I start the system I only get a black screen. I cannot write
anything there, it is a black hole that only reacts to the Reset-button.
      OK, if the boot menu is the first page in the installation sequence:
If I press the F6 button, a line ending with quiet splash appears.
Adding "noapic" to that line I have already done once, that's how I
managed to carry out the installation, am I supposed to do this once again?
      Your instructions about this end with "save and done". What shall
I save and how, and what is in this way done?
Then to the last part of your instructions, I prefer alternative 2),
I'm not a Windows fan.
      Am I supposed to start the installation process yet another time?
What do you mean by "mount the drive"?
........then proceed as before editing the menu.lst........
What is the menu.lst? You write that it is on the mounted drive
(whatever it is) and not on the live cd, which indicates that the
mounted drive and the live cd are not the same thing. So what is "the
mounted drive"?
      As you can see I am totally confused, I understand absolutely
nothing. Maybe if you write like to a child I will understand. Let's
hope so.

Yours sincerely
Gunnar Sjöö

> Your question #17188 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/17188
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> ANDREA proposed the following answer:
> ok so you got it installed. that's a start :-)
>
> now let's get it working! in order to do that execute the following
> command:
>
> gksu gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
> in ubuntu's case, in kubuntu's case try:
> kdesu kate /boot/grub/menu.lst
>
> (it's the boot menu).
>
> somewhere at the end you find the boot options, in my case one of them
> is
>
> title Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
> root (hd0,1)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=efca93b5-8670-4be4-ae38-d2194fbf8bbe ro quiet splash
> initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
> quiet
>
>
> . what's important here is the line with quiet splash at the end - those are the options. now add noapic to that one (just add it to the end of the line). save and done!
>
> err by the way i know you can't boot into the system so here's how you do it. you got two options:
> 1) windows way: install this: http://www.fs-driver.org/ and then you can navigate tehre from within windows
> 2) start the livecd as you've done before. then mount the drive. then proceed as before editing the menu.lst which is on the mounted drive not on the live cd.
>
> if you have any more questions feel free to ask!
>
>

hi Gunnar
i'm sorry i sometimes tend to jump to conclusions to fast and stuff. ok so let's get started here!
1) take out your (k)ubuntu cd, put it in the drive and start the computer
2) when confronted with the options press f6 (as before) and add noapci (as before)
3) you get to the desktop (from the live cd). there of course you can install and do lots of other stuff as well!
4) start a terminal/konsole (find it in the start menu)
5) i) are you running ubuntu? if so type sudo gparted
    ii) you're running kubuntu? if so type sudo qtparted
you'll be confronted with a lot of information now :-) there's a part where it says (FOR INSTANCE)
partition filesystem
 /dev/sda1 ext3

find the first partition that is of type ext3. write down its name.
6) close gparted (or qparted). in the terminal write
cd /mnt
then create a new folder:
sudo mkdir localdrive
and then mount the drive (replace DRIVENAME by the name you found in 5) for instance /dev/sda1)
sudo mount DRIVENAME /mnt/localdrive
7) now let's do what i mentioned earlier:
ubuntu:
sudo gedit /mnt/localdrive/boot/grub/menu.lst
or for kubuntu:
sudo kate /mnt/localdrive/boot/grub/menu.lst
8) at the end of the file you find the current kernel and it probably says something like

title Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=efca93b5-8670-4be4-ae38-d2194fbf8bbe ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
quiet

now you already know this line quite a bit from earlier on :-) on the "kernel line" there (in my case kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=efca93b5-8670-4be4-ae38-d2194fbf8bbe ro quiet splash) add your noapci. save the file.
9) restart, hopefully it works.
10) report back!

Dear Andrea,

are you working 24 hours a day? You seem to always be available. I
followed your latest instructions and carried out instructions 1) and
2). Then the screen turned black and I had to use the Reset-button.
After that something strange happened. The computer restarted and
somebody knocked at the door so I went to open it. When I returned
Ubuntu had started!
      After experiencing difficulties with the Internet connection I
switched to UNIX but was unable to return from UNIX to the graphical
representation. Attempts to shut off UNIX failed, the system refused to
carry out any of the commands halt, shutdown -h now, shutdown -r now or
reboot, claiming that these commands only can be carried out by root,
which I find a little odd. If I am not root, who is? Furthermore, can
it really be the case, that root must be present if a common user wants
to end his session? Luckily, the key combination Ctrl-Alt-Delete worked,
so I didn't have to use the Reset-button, I'm a little fed up with that.
      The problems with the Internet connection also are a bit strange.
Ubuntu claims that no connection exists, but as you can understand from
this letter, there exists a connection between my computer and the rest
of the world. It doesn't work flawlessly, but I cannot do anything
about that, because the Internet administrator has gone to Ireland to
work for a year. His deputy only says that everything is all right, but
it isn't, there is something wrong with it, so I will not try to blaim
Ubuntu for it.
      I have now been a computer-owner for 9 years, but I am still a
beginner. The reason for that can be that I am just plain stupid, but I
will of course not believe that, and I have not experienced any great
difficulties learning languages, mathematics, physics, chemistry,
mechanical and electric engineering and so on, so my stupidity must, in
that case, be of a very selective nature. In 1964 I actually studied
programming (ALGOL 60 and machine language on an ALWAC 2000) and didn't
find it difficult but of course, I was younger and brighter then.
      No, I think that the main reason for difficulties in learning
computer science (to use a fancy word) is to be found in the information
system, or rather lack of information system. For example, during my 9
years as a computer owner I have never, until now, got any support
whatsoever, from anybody but you. I have bought books, of course, but
they are almost always very bad, my impression is, that the authors
write for their pockets and not for the readers.
      And now to the phenomenon LINUX. The idea behind LINUX is very
much to my liking, I have been using Mandrake for many years, I think
there was much good in that system, apart from "Kaffeine", which only
worked when it felt like it, and the fact, that I couldn't write Swedish
letters with a Polish keyboard, except in UNIX and, very slowly, in
"Writer". The help sections for Kaffeine were not of any help, they
quite clearly stated, that these sections were written by experts, for
other experts, and that common users had very small possibilities, if
any, to understand them. This for an operative system that claims to be
ideal for beginners. Do you now understand what I mean by the lack of
information and support?
      Essential for success for LINUX systems is, as I see it, that
information and support is improved. Here in Poland I have some friends
who started with LINUX, but they have all returned to Windows and do not
want to hear about LINUX any more. Why? Lack of information and support,
LINUX became too tough for them. After having Mandrake for many years I
still have not succeeded in downloading anything at all, none of the
books I bought mentions how to do that, and the official Mandrake manual
doesn't mention it. When downloading, I had to use Windows.
      My hitherho experience of Ubuntu is good and bad. Good, because
thanks to you, I managed to download the system, and bad, because your
help was needed. It is my belief, that the installation process must be
simplified, because if my difficulties become norm, it's goodbye with
Ubuntu. On the other hand, other systems like Mandrake and Mandriva
didn't offer any support at all, consequently they were impossible to
install, and such a result can only delight Bill Gates.
      Why have I written all this to you? The answer is, that I have a
vague hope, that it can contribute to a better Ubuntu in the future, to
the delight of present and future users. Employ somebody without any
computer knowledge, see where he fails, and correct the system
accordingly. And now, at last, two more questions:
1) Where can I find an Ubuntu manual?
2) Your letters start with "ANDREA pisze". Have you written this, and do
you know the Polish language?

Thank you very much for your help
Gunnar Sjöö

ANDREA pisze:
> Your question #17188 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/17188
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> ANDREA proposed the following answer:
> hi Gunnar
> i'm sorry i sometimes tend to jump to conclusions to fast and stuff. ok so let's get started here!
> 1) take out your (k)ubuntu cd, put it in the drive and start the computer
> 2) when confronted with the options press f6 (as before) and add noapci (as before)
> 3) you get to the desktop (from the live cd). there of course you can install and do lots of other stuff as well!
> 4) start a terminal/konsole (find it in the start menu)
> 5) i) are you running ubuntu? if so type sudo gparted
> ii) you're running kubuntu? if so type sudo qtparted
> you'll be confronted with a lot of information now :-) there's a part where it says (FOR INSTANCE)
> partition filesystem
> /dev/sda1 ext3
>
> find the first partition that is of type ext3. write down its name.
> 6) close gparted (or qparted). in the terminal write
> cd /mnt
> then create a new folder:
> sudo mkdir localdrive
> and then mount the drive (replace DRIVENAME by the name you found in 5) for instance /dev/sda1)
> sudo mount DRIVENAME /mnt/localdrive
> 7) now let's do what i mentioned earlier:
> ubuntu:
> sudo gedit /mnt/localdrive/boot/grub/menu.lst
> or for kubuntu:
> sudo kate /mnt/localdrive/boot/grub/menu.lst
> 8) at the end of the file you find the current kernel and it probably says something like
>
> title Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
> root (hd0,1)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=efca93b5-8670-4be4-ae38-d2194fbf8bbe ro quiet splash
> initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
> quiet
>
> now you already know this line quite a bit from earlier on :-) on the "kernel line" there (in my case kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=efca93b5-8670-4be4-ae38-d2194fbf8bbe ro quiet splash) add your noapci. save the file.
> 9) restart, hopefully it works.
> 10) report back!
>
>

ok that was a lot of text!
the pisze thing no i didn't write that, it is added there because you are polish i suppose (i'm not otherwise i'd try to speak it). ok so let's get going here!

you make a lot of references to "drop back to unix". I believe what you mean is the command line or console mode (black background, only text, no GUI [graphic user interface]) correct me if i'm wrong. this is a very strong indication that something with your x server is wrong. we'll get back to this.

what you described before, the "black boot" seems to have been reported previously and is a known issue that is being worked on.

as for the manual question:

http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Gutsy

I think that's a good place to start. if it isn't enough don't hesitate to ask again (or search the web with google).

the root thing. it's a peculiarity of ubuntu, actually a very good one that has been copied (badly) in vista: a regular user can only do certain tasks, for the rest root privileges are required (this has been with linux fom the beginning). if you want to do something as root (for instance in the command line) simply add a sudo in front of the command, if you want to reboot your computer for instance write
sudo reboot
instead of simply reboot and you'll be asked your (!) password in order to authenticate the user (you). that's the "root story".

moving on to the support issue: the information is here! it's just that unlike with microsoft you don't have to pay for it and you get a stupid answer (such as errr....format the disk reinstall and you'll be fine, your data is gone but so might your problem! [most common answer i got]). the downside to "our" system is that you have to somewhat actively search for answers. google is the best place to start. or ask a question on ubuntuforums.org/ , there's probably even a polish version! ther'es lots and lots of places :-)

the learning curve might be kind of steep and i've also been frustrated a couple of times but after a couple of months you won't want to miss ubuntu and you'll fight whenever you are forced to use *that other* system (i really wouldn't call vista an operating system as it doesn't exactly work so it doesn't deserve the "operating" part in operating system).

if i didn't answer any of your questions feel free to come back and post here or to go over to ubuntuforums.org and ask there! [more of a support place this here is mainly for fixing bugs].

I hope i've helped you and look forward to your answer.

ANDREA

Dear Andrea,

it seems that you too can write long letters. You presume that I am
Polish, it is an understandable mistake, but in fact I am Swedish. My
wife, however, is Polish, that's why I have a polish keyboard and want
to be able to write the swedish letters å, ä and ö. Which I can in
Windows, but my old Windows 98 was better at this than my present
Windows XP Home Edition.
      The problem with switching between GUI and UNIX isn't any problem
any more, it works fine. The "black boot" problem is also fixed easily,
if someone else is experiencing the same problem you can tell them to
have someone knocking at the door, while they go and open it, the bug
fixes itself.
      However, the fact that you must be root in order to shut off the
UNIX system is strange to me. This was not the case for Mandrake, and I
cannot see any reason why a common user has to ask root to shut off the
computer for him. OK, it is possible for a common user to switch from
UNIX to GUI and shut off from there, but it is awkward to me.
      I had a glance at the Ubuntu manual you recommended, it was very
impressive and I will need a long time to digest it, but I look forward
to it.
Hopefully, in the future, some drawbacks with Linux will be overcome -
Bill Gates needs competition. I mean things as:
1) I cannot use my printer with Linux.
2) I cannot use my scanner with Linux.
3) I cannot order a ferry ticket Poland - Sweden with Linux.
4) I cannot transfer money from my bank in Sweden to Poland with Linux.
5) I cannot, with a polish keyboard, write the swedish letters å, ä and
ö with Linux.
6) I cannot transfer pictures from my digital camera to the computer
with Linux.
All this I can do with "that other system", so why do I want to use
Ubuntu? The answer is that I find Linux stable as a rock compared to the
butterfly Windows, I like the UNIX system and the file system is
superior to the chaos in Windows. Now I have yet another reason, the
support I have got from you is something Windows cannot even dream
about. By the way, the polish word "pisze" means "is writing". Thank you
Andrea, for all your help, you are a great ambassador for Ubuntu.

Yours sincerely
Gunnar Sjöö

ANDREA pisze:
> Your question #17188 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/17188
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> ANDREA proposed the following answer:
> ok that was a lot of text!
> the pisze thing no i didn't write that, it is added there because you are polish i suppose (i'm not otherwise i'd try to speak it). ok so let's get going here!
>
> you make a lot of references to "drop back to unix". I believe what you
> mean is the command line or console mode (black background, only text,
> no GUI [graphic user interface]) correct me if i'm wrong. this is a very
> strong indication that something with your x server is wrong. we'll get
> back to this.
>
> what you described before, the "black boot" seems to have been reported
> previously and is a known issue that is being worked on.
>
> as for the manual question:
>
> http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Gutsy
>
> I think that's a good place to start. if it isn't enough don't hesitate
> to ask again (or search the web with google).
>
> the root thing. it's a peculiarity of ubuntu, actually a very good one that has been copied (badly) in vista: a regular user can only do certain tasks, for the rest root privileges are required (this has been with linux fom the beginning). if you want to do something as root (for instance in the command line) simply add a sudo in front of the command, if you want to reboot your computer for instance write
> sudo reboot
> instead of simply reboot and you'll be asked your (!) password in order to authenticate the user (you). that's the "root story".
>
> moving on to the support issue: the information is here! it's just that
> unlike with microsoft you don't have to pay for it and you get a stupid
> answer (such as errr....format the disk reinstall and you'll be fine,
> your data is gone but so might your problem! [most common answer i
> got]). the downside to "our" system is that you have to somewhat
> actively search for answers. google is the best place to start. or ask a
> question on ubuntuforums.org/ , there's probably even a polish version!
> ther'es lots and lots of places :-)
>
> the learning curve might be kind of steep and i've also been frustrated
> a couple of times but after a couple of months you won't want to miss
> ubuntu and you'll fight whenever you are forced to use *that other*
> system (i really wouldn't call vista an operating system as it doesn't
> exactly work so it doesn't deserve the "operating" part in operating
> system).
>
> if i didn't answer any of your questions feel free to come back and post
> here or to go over to ubuntuforums.org and ask there! [more of a support
> place this here is mainly for fixing bugs].
>
> I hope i've helped you and look forward to your answer.
>
> ANDREA
>
>

ok that's a lot of criticism but thank you for pointing out those problems!

i ask you to think about your wording. can windows use your scanner? no it cannot. you need a program for that. it's not even in a slightest bit windows' achievement that you can use the scanner there. so it's not linux' fault that here you can't.
also, my scanner doesn't work with windows with all the drivers in the world, yet it does (without any user interaction) with kubuntu's kooka. i launched the program and there it was!
as for pictures with kubuntu when i connect my digital camera digikam (that's the program's name) automatically offers to download the pictures from the camera. it's kind of weird that this doesn't work with your camera
the polish keyboard thing hm. i don't know, frankly. i use a US/EN keyboard and IT/IT at times switching between the two. the application allowing this is the KDE keyboard control. in gnome i really don't know, sorry.

the ferry ticket thing seems strange to me. what browser are you using? firefox? if so please report the incompatibility :-) that's a general thing here. you've come across a lot of problems please report them seperately so they'll be handled. they're too much to be answered at once :-)

well i'd love it if you could "pisze" those bug reports separately against the corresponding components (scanner, printer, ...) or ask the questions separately (ferry ticket, keyboard, picture transfer). the huge advantage is that people will be able to help you (people knowing your GUI). mine's different as i use kubuntu.

i believe your original problem with the installation has been resolved so i'd like to encourage you to close this question and open new separate ones. if you want me to answer them you may of course post links here and i'll do my best!

ok that's it for now sorry i have to get back to my studies unfortunately my quantum mechanics exercises don't solve themselves (not a feature in ubuntu - YET!)

have a great day and may the spirit of ubuntu be with you :-)

andrea

ps: thanks now i know a word in polish! pisze!!!

My computer boots the ubuntu cd that i created, then I select the language then push enter to start ubuntu and the computer shuts down and restarts all over again, every time

@Vanessa

Please don't append a new question on a already answered or marked as solved question.
Please make new question from here: https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+addquestion
you will get better chance to get right answer on a fresh tagged "open" question.
Solved or answered questions are usually not read from answering people.

Thank you