Ubuntu

Can't install at all...weird "glitch"?

Asked by xDIM

Ok, so I have a Sony Vaio VGN-FW240J/H. Well, I downloaded the most recent version of Ubuntu (8.10) and tried loading it up. I get the spalsh screen asking what I want to do. Like Live CD, Install, etc. I selected Live CD and it started displaying a bunch of text.

Note: I got a TON of I/O reading errors...I don't know what the means but it continued onwards...

Eventually it just hits a loop. I press a few arror keys and options sort of appear over the repeating text. I'm able to figure out each option and choose the top one. It starts loading...then all of the sudden, the screen gets all "milky". There's no definition to anything on the screen. Just a bunch of grays/whites/blacks that kind of keep changing in a smooth motion. It used to this on my old Dell XPS410 after a new Windows installation but then everything would "pop" in to place.

I couldn't find a straight answer if Ubuntu is compatible with my laptop...it should be compatible...

Thanks for your help =)

I should note that I've installed Linux before, and not just Ubuntu...."Intermediately" experienced you could say. Something like Alt+Backspace fixed things like this before but nothing happens now.

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marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#1

Ubuntu 8.10 some suggestions and tips and check steps to solve install issue

- Minimum system requirements to install Ubuntu 8.10 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SystemRequirements

- if you have more than 4gigabytes of ram and you want run 32 bits Ubuntu release please read:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=853678

Download the standard Ubuntu 8.10 32 bits iso image from here:
http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/8.10/ubuntu-8.10-desktop-i386.iso
or better using a torrent file:
http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/8.10/ubuntu-8.10-desktop-i386.iso.torrent

- Please check the md5sum of your downloaded Ubuntu .iso image file, here the https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM howto, and compare with http://releases.ubuntu.com/8.10/MD5SUMS

- Burn it on a cd rom, be sure to burn your cd at lower speed you can do usually 4x here an howto https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto

- Please also check the md5sum of your self burned cd. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM

- Boot your pc from self-burned cdrom, if it don't start from cd please modify your pc BIOS settings by accessing to it usually pressing CANC or F2 or other keys (check into your motherboard paper documentation or watch carefully the screen, usually there are tips to access BIOS, when you switch your computer on)

- then to be sure your ram is ok, boot from Ubuntu live cd main menu and at first showed menu, select the item "Memory test" to test your pc ram memory

- Here the steps to install Ubuntu 8.04.1 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall

- Watch this video that show howto install Ubuntu on a pc with Windows: http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/Installing_Ubuntu_with_Windows_Dual-Boot

- if something go wrong at startup of Ubuntu live installation when you see the first cd menu like this http://i18.tinypic.com/6tzzndc.jpg pressing F6 you can put useful startup kernel boot parameters as showed here https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

Try to perform the "Memory test" and the "Check cd for defects" to be sure the cd is read without errors by the destination pc cdrom driver

- Booting from Ubuntu live install cd:
 * if you are in trouble with screen graphic user interface
   (usually the screen is black with a blinking cursor or screen out of range message):
- first try to dynamically change screen resolution please the press CTRL + ALT + "+" and/or CTRL + ALT + "-"
- Try to restart the graphic layer press CTRL + ALT + BACKSPACE
- Here the basic step required during install process http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-desktop-ubuntu-8.04-lts-hardy-heron

If you are still in trouble... please reboot your pc and starting with Ubuntu live cd please try to put some common Ubuntu kernel live cd options you can find the boot options howto here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

Remove the "splash" and "quiet" options to see more boot infos message and/or errors.
Then try some commons parameters by putting them one by one or together:
noacpi nolapic nodma all_generic_ide pnpbios=off pci=noacpi

If this don't work i suggest you to download and burn on a cd at lower speed you can do (4x), here an howto https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto, the Ubuntu alternate install cd iso image ( ubuntu-8.10-alternate-i386.iso ) you can download this cd from here: http://releases.ubuntu.com/8.10/

Sometimes is useful to change, if you have 40-pin IDE cable for the CDROM, to an 80-pin IDE cable.

If you are in trouble to download you can try to install and use a torrent client Deluge http://www.deluge-torrent.org/downloads.php to get your desired Ubuntu iso image http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/8.10/ please select a .torrent file

*** if you are installing in dual boot mode Windows + Ubuntu

Please make sure you Windows partition have no errors on it.

Booting in Windows force an a complete hard disk check.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265
Then reboot again in Windows and make a clean shutdown.
Be sure to boot in Windows twice and to get a clear Windows shutdown.

***

Always useful is the online Ubuntu doc https://help.ubuntu.com/8.10/

Hope this helps

Revision history for this message
jetbundle (mbrane) said : 		#2

1) as marcobra said, check the CD (maybe just plug it into some desktop computer or so)
2) to add: the "milky" screen comes when I run my laptop on the ATI (fire gl 5700 I think) graphics card with fglrx driver. Normally it takes a few seconds (or maybe a minute) for the proper graphics to "load". If you laptop has switchable graphics, then set it in the bios to "internal" (i.e. intel on-chip) and disable switchable graphics or operating system detection.

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