Perplexed newcomer

I have recently tried to use Linux on my pc but have had no joy at all in getting one of several versions to run.

Ubuntu 9.10 started but kept freezing, generally within only a few minutes of starting up.

Mandriva - neither the KDE (missing media driver I recall) or GNome (hanging on the 'startup' screen, the  blue one with the revolving bars at the bottom of the screen) versions will load.

Fedora 12 got a few seconds into loading the OS and then a re-boot started and it reverted back to the POST screen...

All have been dowloaded as ISO files to cd

Where am I going wrong?

Personaly I would try Linux Mint 8 (Helena), but as to the exact problem...could it be a problem with the CD/DVD drive?...did you try mandriva again?...always the same problem?.

It may help if you could let us know a bit more about the "Missing media driver" message, and any unusual (old, external, lack of RAM, hard drives connected to add-in cards, etc.) hardware you have.

I take it you mean that you are having problems running these from LiveCD?

It may be that the linux versions you have tried don't include proprietary drivers...I know Ubuntu and Fedora don't include them, but I thought Mandriva did...although this rarely stops the LiveCD from booting...Linux Mint DOES include a selection of proprietary stuff, as do many other distros.

But please don't give up on Linux, I promise you will never look back once you get it running.

Another thought:

Can your system boot from a flash drive, if so try running linux from one...instructions are easy to find... 

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

at the very least it would rule out your CD/DVD drive.

If you have a shortage of RAM, check the minimum ram requirements for the version you are trying to load...also probably wouldn't hurt to run a RAM test...can be done from the boot menu of most LiveCD's

flash drive and pendrive simply mean a USB Memory Stick

Previously Mark Greaves wrote:

Thanks for your comments.  I shall try your various suggestions and see where I end up.  It shouldn't  be a RAM issue as I 4gb on the machine but could, possibly be a cd/dvd reader problem. 

Hi, you've not told us what sort of PC you have / what spec it is .. ?

I'm guessing your PC runs Windows fine .. but what you describe does sound like your machine has some sort of hardware problem. I currently have access to around 30 PC's with vastly different specifications, none of them have any problem running any the current versions of distributions I've tried. (and I've tried a few!)

Over the years I've run Linux on many (many) more machines, hanging withing a few minutes of startup is not something I've ever come across, except on machines with a hardware fault. In particular what you describe sounds a bit like CPU overheat.

If you run up the BIOS on your machine, is there a system health page that lists the temperature of the motherboard and CPU (most modern BIOS's have this these days) - can you tell us what temperature your CPU runs at?

Another possibility is BIOS corruption, I've seen this on couple of boxes recently .. it's can be quite subtle, symptoms include odd corrupted characters when looking through the BIOS setup and occasional freezes when trying to make changes in the BIOS. [Solution: re-flash the BIOS]

Also, Ubuntu comes with a memory checker on the initial Boot loader menu, have you used this to check your memory? (Whereas Windows XP just won't use 4 Gb, hence may not experience a problem with faulty memory, Linux will almost certainly use it within a relatively short time of booting up [as disk cache])

a word of WARNING:

Before re-flashing the BIOS, make 100% sure you have the correct BIOS for your motherboard...flashing with the wrong BIOS will more than likely KILL your system.

If windows runs correctly on this system (ie. WITHOUT glitches) I wouldn't have thought it likely that it's a CPU overheat (though still possible i suppose)...nor a BIOS problem, again still possible but I would have thought unlikely...I would leave a BIOS update until everything else has been ruled out...and even then ONLY if your sure you have the correct one...if unsure...DON'T.

As Gareth says, it could still be a memory issue as windows (32bit) will not use all of 4GB of RAM whereas Linux will...even 64bit windows may not use it all unless under load.

Sorry Gareth if I'm stepping on your toes, but I thought a warning about BIOS reflashing should be made.

The system has an 64-bit Intel 6600 2.4 GHz processor on an ABIT motherboard. 4GB of RAM.

I tried Linux Mint this evening, as suggested.  It loaded from the disc but froze after 5 minutes!  Reboot required to get anything going.

Windows Vista runs without any (apparent) problem.

Have you tried running Linux as a persistent USB stick install?

Directions for Mint 8 here:-

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/install-linux-mint-8-to-a-flash-drive-in-windows/

Ubuntu here:-

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/create-a-ubuntu-9-10-live-usb-in-windows/

Many others here :-

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

All can be installed to the USB stick from windows...then just boot from the USB...first check your system CAN boot from USB, but as its obviously fairly new I would be surprised if it can't.

At the very least this would rule out the CD/DVD drive...and as an added bonus it would be faster, and anything you save would still be there after a reboot, as long as its a persistent USB install.

If you still have the Live CD ISO images, all you will have to download is the small installer.

CPU temperature seems to be ok at c.30-34 degrees.

Memory check from Ubuntu disk was Ok but when I loaded Unbuntu 9.10 32-bit from the cd it froze after 4 minutes in the same manner that the Mint did earlier.  This was waiting for one of the applications to search the system or to populate a window with data and everything just stops.

The CD seems to work OK on another PC .

I shall try this tomorrow. Thank you for your help.

Then if it works, you can consider installing to your hard drive.

and other abit boards

see here:-

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=900286

or google abit c1e linux

you MAY have to disable EIST in the BIOS as well

Some people report a BIOS update also solves the problem, but see the WARNING about BIOS updates above.

Many apologies to Gareth, seems you where right about the BIOS

Also try  setting 

CPU RATIO:9

in the BIOS

I do have an AB9 motherboard.  I shall try this one later, but again, thanks for thinking this one through for me.  Update to follow...

Mmm, knowing the spec of the machine involved always helps .. :)  I was under the impression this issue had been fixed as of 9.04 so I'd be interested to hear if disabling C1E works!

General OS agnostic hardware recommendations; avoid ABit like the plague, always prefer ASUS or possibly fall back on Gigabyte or MSI .. 

I'm afraid I was working without a machine spec hence just pulling most likely possibilities out of the air .. such methodology is always defeated by .. well I don't want to offend by knocking the kit, let's just say 'alternative' hardware .. ;-)

Previously Mark Greaves wrote:

Many apologies to Gareth, seems you where right about the BIOS

You might be right about it being fixed as of 9.04...I read somewhere the problem was solved, but don't know whether this was by BIOS update or OS update.

Either way, the important setting now seems to be CPU RATIO:9

I just thought I'd cover all the bases, and give him some things to try

I tried the BIOS changes (but not the re-flashing) and  no joy!  Kubuntu 9.10 did seem to be working  for a short while, in that it lasted longer than previous attempts, but that ended up freezing after about 15 minutes, requiring a hard reboot! 

I will be trying the USB option as I have not yet done this and  it may still be a problem with the CD reader. 

What would happen if I install the OS onto the hardrive (either from the boot option or WUBI)?  Is that worth trying or could it screw up Windows too?

Well, it "could" be the CD drive, or more specifically the CD .. so installing it onto the hard drive would confirm one way or another - but then so would trying it from a USB key.

Pretty much anything "can" screw up Windows, although the Ubuntu installer does seem to play nice these days on the occasion I've had to set up a dual boot.

Look at it like this;

a. If you have a backup, it's only time and anything you try is more computing experience

b. Where do you want to be in the long run?  Windows is a dead end, most of the World has woken up to this fact, unfortunately it's an other area in which the UK is lagging behind.

AFAIK M$ cut many jobs last year, I don't think it was the 15,000 rumored but if you check the press releases I think it was >5000. Time will tell, but I think this is a trend and not a one-off!

I would try USB first, and rule out the CD reader.

No point in installing and risking the Windows install (however small the risk) till you have worked out the problem with your system and Linux.