Ubuntu

clean installation, but still wont work

Asked by issrafeel

Maybe someone has asked this question before, but i don't have energy to search anymore. So far ubuntu has been very disappointing.

First ubuntu wont even install, apparently it had problem with my wireless network card. Any how i removed the card and did a clean installation on 20 GB Hard drive P4 2.2GHz and 512 Ram computer.

After rebooting system i see the login screen (with a drum beating sound), enter the user name and password it successfully accepts it, but after that it just stops. Nothing happens, just a beige background.

Throughout installation there were no errors, nothing. Can anyone please help me?

here are some specs for computer (its an old machine but given all the hype ubuntu should work on it)

http://www.recycledgoods.com/item/23986.aspx

regards

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issrafeel
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Wim (launchpad-xs4all) said : 		#1

Issrafeel,

i have installed Xubuntu (a certain flavour of Ubuntu) on an compaq Evo too; not exactly your model.
Sometimes after installation, the first time you log in to Ubuntu it takes a while to do several user-depending settings... the files in the home-directories are being copied and foor all programs for this users settings are created to the default ones.

Sometimes there is to less memory or the swap-partition is to small...

In your question you state that (- after loggin in -) you see a grey screen and nothing happens.

Is there no Hard Disk -activity ?!?
How long did you wait ?!?

Do you see a grub menu while the PC is booting?!?

After your answers i will try to help you more...

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nhasian (nhasian) said : 		#2

issrafeel, you didnt mention what version of ubuntu your trying? 8.04? 8.10? hopefully you have the latest version 8.10. connect your pc to the internet via an ethernet cable until we can get your wifi up and running. after you get to the beige screen, press control-alt-F1. that should bring you to a terminal. enter your login name and password to get to the command prompt. then type:

sudo apt-get install linux-backports-modules-intrepid
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

this should do all the updates for ubuntu. lets see if ubuntu boots okay for you now. you can restart with

sudo reboot now

if your lucky then even your wifi card will work now. if not, you can let us know what model of wifi card you have by posting the output of the terminal command:

lshw -C network

Revision history for this message
issrafeel (issrafeel) said : 		#3

Thanks Menting and nhasian for quick answers..

i am using 8.10 sorry i forgot to mention before.

I wanted to type sudo "apt-get install linux-backports-modules-intrepid" but somehow after i reach beige screen my keyboard just stops responding. mouse works but keyboard halts..once again that happens after i enter username and password.

Revision history for this message
Wim (launchpad-xs4all) said : 		#4

Issrafeel,

As soon as your PC starts booting up and the text "Grub loading stage.." apprears, press <Esc> to stop grub from loading.
Now select the line ending with the text Recovery_Mode (mostly the second line on the screen) and press the <Enter>-key.

This will end up in a text mode: black screen white text.
Now enter the commands Nhasian suggested:

   sudo apt-get install linux-backports-module
s-intrepid

   sudo apt-get update

   sudo apt-get upgrade

(wait until all is ready, and reboot using the command:)

   init 6

Let us know...

Revision history for this message
issrafeel (issrafeel) said : 		#5

Thank you very much guys.....it worked. :)

Just have one last question to ask. While i was waiting for you reply, i installed ubuntu 8.10 on an even older machine with very lousy specs (PIII 733 with 256mb Ram and onboard graphic card) and ubuntu worked great on it, of course i was wasn't able to use super graphics but ubuntu was flying on it.

So what is the real problem. Why didnt it work on a much faster and stable machine?

Only reason i am asking this question cause i like the whole philosophy behind ubuntu and open source. Since i am not an IT person and can never help with programming new software, the only help i can provide is by using it and spreading the word around. But its very hard to convince someone to switch to a new operating system which gives problem right from the get go.

once again thanks a lot.

regards