Xubuntu 6.10 i386 1 checksums failed

Asked by Jason James

I followed the instructions regarding WinMD5Sum and the result was "MD5 Check Sums are the same." Then I again did a full erase on the CD-RW and burned the .iso at
This time I used an external drive (Memorex DVD16+/-DL4RWID2) and selected the slowest speed listed by Nero Express, which was 4x. Burning was successful. I put the Xubuntu CD in the internal drive of my Gateway (192 MB RAM), rebooted, and checked the CD. Again the result was "1 checksums failed." Still, I started the Live CD. First, four or five error messages displayed, all but one beginning with “firmware helper.” Next, the screen split in two, with several Xubuntu logos on the top half and several Windows XP logos on the bottom half, with the screen as a whole taking on a “streaked” appearance. Then the desktop appeared and the streaking disappeared. Unlike in my previous attempt, I was able to move the pointer. Also unlike before, a wizard appeared and offered to check installation (no installation had been done). I clicked “next…next…” but the wizard didn’t appear to check anything, but instantly displayed something about success and a Close button, which I clicked. Then I opened first, the Mandela video, and then, the Aesop file. Both played but with neither could I hear audio.

My questions are:

1. what are the likely effects of installing with a disc that has failed its checksum (since most functions appeared to work despite this)?
 1A. If they are likely negative, what can I do to get a Live CD that does not fail its checksum?

2. What is the significance of the error messages from the “firmware helper?”
 2A. What, if any, is the significance of the split screen with both logos?

3. How can I ensure that audio will play in Xubuntu?

I should mention that the file I used is entitled “xubuntu-6.10-desktop-i386.iso” and was downloaded with Free Download Manager from the UK link on the official Xubuntu site.

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Leandro Gómez (leogg) said :
#1

Hello Jason!

I'll try to answer some of your questions:

Short answer: If the checksum failed, you have to download it again. Try to download from another mirror. Xubuntu doesn't work with shipit, but you can order free Ubuntu CDs at shipit.ubuntu.com or Kubuntu CDs from shipit.kubuntu.org

The error message might refer to your firmware helper that couldn't load your firmware properly.

Will your audio play on Xubuntu? You can test the audio when you run the Live CD alt. you can google or post the info of your hardware on the forums to see if Xubuntu supports it.

Regards,

Leo

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Jason James (s66) said :
#2

Thanks for the info. I don't understand why, when I check with WinMD5Sum, the .iso passes the test, but when it checks itself, it fails. How can the file be anything but perfect if it has the correct MD5, as mine does?

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Jason James (s66) said :
#3

Also, as I indicated, I don't know what "firmware helper" means, so when you say "the error message might refer to your firmware helper that couldn't load your firmware properly," this doesn't help me. I don't know what "firmware" means, either, nor do I care except insofar as it affects my ability to complete this single specific task: the installation of Xubuntu 6.10. Does it?

I apologize if my frustration becomes apparent. It's just that I want my experience at the computer to be like my experience driving. I simply want to be able to turn on my machine and steer it to my destination without having to think about the mechanics involved. I suspect that most people feel this way, and I don't feel that this is an unreasonable request. Ubuntu is billed as "Linux for human beings," but for this vision to be realized, it should simply work correctly the first time, every time. Otherwise it ceases to be "Linux for human beings [in general]" and becomes "Linux for people who enjoy solving computer-related problems." I know that there are some people who do fit this description, but I'm not one of them; I prefer to think about computers as little as possible, and I expect that I'm in the majority on that. I thought that Ubuntu was designed for people like that.

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Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey) said :
#4

The firmware helper I believe is a little bit of code that loads firmware (software that runs inside devices rather than inside the CPU) into the memory of the device.

It could be there is a problem with the firmware helper that is on the CD, the firmware it is trying to load or the device it's trying to load into.

If you can get a terminal open in Xubuntu, can you issue the following command and paste the output.

lspci

This will give us a list of the PCI devices that are in your computer and might aid us to resolve your problem.

I appreciate that this can be frustrating, but be assured we do want to fix this.

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask Jason James for more information if necessary.

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