Installing Linux Mint 10.10

[timbra]

I have a Dell XPS 730 and am attempting to install Linux Mint 10. I have installed it on about 12 systems so far and this is the only one I have had issues with.
I have downloaded the 64 bit version and have tried both DVD and USB install and it keeps stopping at the same point. just after the casper portion it says ready and then just hangs there. I have tried re downloading the ISO and have made 4 DVD's all hang at the same place, the USB stick I have prepaired has successfuly installed 4 systems with no issues.

[lauren]

Hi timbra!
Sometimes a computer "refuses" a 64 bit installation - I had this problem some years ago with Ubuntu and Fedora, whereas a 32 bit installation was possible.

[AlbertP]

Can you give us some technical details about this computer? And, does 32-bit work OK?

[timbra]

I have not tried the 32 bit version I am downloading it now and will try it and let you know.

[timbra]

I just completed the install of the 32 Bit version and it installed fine. below are system stats, I am still interested in the 64 Bit Version for performance and reliability. most of my systems I use are x64.

Dell XPS/Dimension 630i (I thought it was the 730 I was mistaken)
Processor, Q9650, 3.0, 12MB Yorkfield, E0
Memory, 4GB, 4X1GB, 800, CL6
Hard Drive, 2X 500 GB, RAID 0 Nvidia On-board Raid
Video Card, ATI Radeon HD 4870 1024MB

[lauren]

Hi!
Glad for you.
Concerning 64 / 32 bit: a normal user will not realise a difference (although e.g. usable RAM on 32 bit systems could be 3 GB of installed 4 GB).

[timbra]

Yes, you are correct. some of the machines I have set-up use 32 bit as some of them just use the pc for email and document writing some have been 64 for the more power users. This machine will be getting an upgrade to 8 GB here within the next week and I was hoping to have the 64 bit version running. any thoughts?

[wmfinck@gmail.com]

I also have a Dell XPS 630i but I have upgraded the hard disk drive array to 1TB drives, and I have upgraded the video card to a Radeon HD 6750. I hope soon also to upgrade the memory to 8GB from 4GB. The machine has two attached displays. (I have also added one PATA drive in addition to the SATA Raid 0 array, but the results here are the same with or without it,)

But I cannot install Linux Mint. Last year I finally became disgusted enough with Windows to go all-Linux, and I could not install Mint then either. I forget if it was 9 or 10 at the time. So I installed OpenSUSE instead, and 11.3 runs fine for 9 months now, but it is not Linux Mint, which I run on 3 other machines.

When trying to install Mint 10, either KDE or LMDE, the machine hangs at the "Ready" after the kernel loads.

When trying to install Katya, the machine produces the "Booting in xx seconds..." splash screen, the kernel starts to load, and when it does the machine reboots. If I leave the DVD or CD in, the machine goes through an endless boot/reboot cycle. I have tried 3 different LM Katya ISOs, all of which produced images that boot fine on two other computers.

I need a 64-bit OS, so trying to install the 32-bit one is out of the question.

This is quite frustrating, since the Dell XPS 630i is my main PC and since LM Katya is a lot better for me than OpenSUSE (which I believe serves purist Linux hobbyists better than it does people who actually have to get some work done). I cannot afford to replace the Dell, but want to use Katya!

I have also tried installing from a USB stick, to no avail. Also, the screens go by so quickly when they appear, there is no discernible error message.

Any suggestions that may repair this situation would be appreciated.

[AlbertP]

Does running the 'compatibility mode' help?

By the way, if you install linux-pae from Software Manager on a 32-bit system, you are able to use all 8GB memory.
Does Windows 64-bit run? Probably there's something damaged in the 64-bit circuitry which has never been seen by Dell because the installed Windows is 32-bit.
If Windows is 64-bit, there is a folder named C:\Program Files (x86) and it's also listed in the system information.

[wmfinck@gmail.com]

I have been running 64-bit OpenSUSE for months, without a hitch. As I explained, I would rather be running LM Katya or LMDE.
Of course I tried Compatibility Mode also, to no avail. I am truly flummoxed - this problem is not due to an obvious mistake.

[AlbertP]

It may be the 2.6.38 kernel causing problems. Maybe you can boot a Mint 11 USB stick (with persistent storage enabled) on a computer that works, and then install the 2.6.37 kernel (viewtopic.php?t=40185&f=42), and then replace the /casper/vmlinuz and /casper/initrd.lz files on the USB stick with those of the newly installed kernel.
Don't know if this combination will work, but you could at least try it (on a bootable USB stick).

[wmfinck@gmail.com]

Well, I do appreciate your trying to help, but since I am having problems with Mint Julia as well as Katya, and the kernel on my install disk for Julia is 2.35.xx I do not imagine that would help.

[wmfinck@gmail.com]

I have gone out and searched the Debian-related forums and found that this problem with the Dell XPS 630i is discussed there also.

One suggestion is to install Debian Lenny, update that in-place to Debian Squeeze, and from there add the Linux repositories which would allow me to update to LMDE.

If anyone has any sugggestions, especially as to whether this would actually give me an environment equivalent to a fresh install of LMDE or whether there are any other caveats, they would be appreciated!

[JohnML]

same problem here with a Dell XPS 630i!

I tried a lot of different linux distributions ( Debian alike ) with live CD, without success!

If i remember correct even a freeBSD system "pc-bsd" hangs!

I think there is no difference in performance for a normal user using a 32/64bit OS, but i'm really interested in the reason for that issue!

So, keep on googling )

EDIT:
found this advice at ubuntu bug report, i'll try that tonight

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/casper/+bug/519123

Found a better work around which worked for me and other Dell owners.

Boot from CD or DVD
Highlight your preferred install option (I prefer compatibility mode)
Hit the tab key to add boot options
Add to end of existing string "mem=xxx" (without quotes and replace xxx with your memory
Hit return to start boot process

Formula to determine your memory is:
X*1024*1024*1024=mem
replace X with number of GB ram you have.
Example:
4GB Ram = 4*1024*1024*1024=4294967296

So for Dell 64 bit systems with 4GB ram, add "mem=4294967296" to the end of the boot options string.
For 6GB ram systems, add "mem=6442450944.

I've used for Ubuntu and Arch Linux and has worked both times, but without the string, my system appears to freeze but is actually performing a kernel panic.

P.S. Stumbled across this work around on the Fedora forums.

EDIT2:

that's the solution, happy again )