Installation of SUSE Linux

[SoundDudeDave]

I decided to try Linux on my old laptop. It's a Dell with a Pentium 2 and 256 mb of ram. I burned images on 3 CD's (didn't make the whole 5 because I wanted to use either gnome or that other one that starts with a K. (Obviously, I don't know very much about this).

I was installing and it was going fine. Then, it said a package coudn't be found on the installation medium (CD). I tried "retry," but that didn't work so I clicked ignore and it said "finishing installation" and just forgot about the rest of the stuff that needed to be installed. (I only got about 3/4 through the first disk.

So, I tried it again. When I tried it again it did the same thing, except earlier in the installation. It said a different package wasn't found on the medium. After you click ignore (the only thing that will work besides abort) it just says "finishing installation" and quits. It won't even install all of the packages using the repair installation option. I checked the CD at the begninning of the installation and it said that it was OK. Any reason why I can't get this to work?

Thanks

[[Director] Joseph B]

Is the CD Clean? Maybe there's a smudge on it. Check the drive too, maybe the lens needs to be cleaned. After that, I'd say download a new version of linux (maybe on a flash drive).

[kbob]

I was about to suggest the same thing-download a "live" version single cd type distro, and then load it from either a cd or the aforementioned flash drive.

Many-even most-of the "live" versions can also function as installers anyway, but it would let you check on driver compatibility before going through all the hurdles.

[SoundDudeDave]

I had a live version of Mandriva Linux that I tried using, but I couldn't get it to start up. It booted, but never got started right. The flashdrive sounds like a good idea. I'll let you know if it works. Oh, one more question...if I use a flash drive (2 gb) do I just put all three CD images for the installation on it? Will my computer recognize and boot from the flash drive automatically?

Thanks guys!

[SoundDudeDave]

OK, I forgot that I had downloaded Ubuntu too. I went ahead and tried it before doing the memory stick thing. I made sure that the CD was completely clean. So far, it seems to be working well. (installation) I still am interested (and need to know ) the answer to the my last post about doing it with the USB drive though.

THanks again.

[[Director] Joseph B]

Check in your bios - you may be able to boot from a USB device - HOWEVER if you aren't going to boot from a USB device disable it --- otherwise it takes forever to boot up (at least on my Dell laptop).

[Gracetech]

It depends on if your bios can boot from USB. It will be an option in your bios. You need to make sure that it is priority on boot also.

crt

Edit: Joseph beat me to the punch or the "submit" button as the case may be.

[SoundDudeDave]

I just got the Ubuntu version succesfully installed! Hooray! I might try out some of your suggestions with SUSE on the other laptop though. THanks!

[Lucas]

You'll like Ubuntu, if your ISP has download mirrors for Linux distros etc and is unmetered, PM me with your ISP name and path to mirrors and I'll make you up a sources.list file

This file tells Ubuntu instead of looking on the 'net and counting to your quota, it goes to your ISP's mirrors, which, will be faster for you to update.

[timwool]

I just installed the Ubantu version on an extra desktop, the only problem I had was with the partitioning the drive, I miss read the options and chose to write over the Win XP that was already on my drive. Oh well I have enough XP machines. Now the next step will be to see if I can get it so I can share files with the XP computers on the network.

[Lucas]

@timwool, my past experiences with Ubuntu is that ti's pretty friendly with Windows computers
If not click here for detailed and simple instructions for doing so

[[Admin] osborn4]

Originally Posted by Joseph B

Check in your bios - you may be able to boot from a USB device - HOWEVER if you aren't going to boot from a USB device disable it --- otherwise it takes forever to boot up (at least on my Dell laptop).

I would bet that on a machine that old, you can't boot to a usb device.

Could you boot to a usb device with USB 1.1? I haven't been successful at it.