Forever is a long time.....

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jp

Forever is a long time.....

Post by jp »

I spent 9 hours downloading Mint. After downloading InfraRecorder to make a bootable CD, and finally figuring out how to make my Toshiba laptop boot from CD, I got the first Mint screen. I was a bit distracted, and before I could read and comprehend what it was telling me, it proceeded to disappear, leaving a blank screen. The PC began to grind away on the CD, so I thought something was happening.

About 10 hours later, I'm beginning to suspect that all that's happening is... nothing. Still only a blank screen, and the CD busily grinding away.

So, my question is... am I ever going to install Mint, or is a Mint install a process that one starts for the grand kids to enjoy... sort of like planting a tree... (is that why Mint's pages are green?)?

So far, my adventures in Linux are just making me understand why Gates and Jobs are so rich, and Mr. Linux-what's-his-name works for free, but pardon my frustration showing.

Appreciate any hints... thank you...
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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67GTA
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Re: Forever is a long time.....

Post by 67GTA »

Not every piece of hardware works with any version of Linux. When the first screen comes up, it is set to automatically boot with normal parameters. Hit any key before the timer counts down and choose "Compatibility Mode". That may work if you have certain video cards, or troublesome hardware. Have you tried any other Linux CD's on this PC? What is the make/model/hardware specs?
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke
jp

Re: Forever is a long time.....

Post by jp »

It's a Toshiba Satellite 2535CDS. I find a lot on the web about Mint working-- or at least 99% working-- on Toshiba laptops, but no specific reference to the 2535.

I had found the 'hit any key' thing on my own after I finally realized this was not going anywhere and shut down the laptop. Upon reboot, I tried each of the choices.
1. Start Linux Mint Well, we know that doesn't work
2. Start Linux Mint in compatibility mode Takes a bit longer to fail, but in the end does the same CD- grinding- disk- light- flashing routine as above
3. Memory Test Works, but isn't worth converting to Mint for :wink:
4. Boot from Local Drive Windows 98 is still there, so the Mint problem, whatever it is, isn't fatal to the PC

It's the best of a pile of obsolete laptops abandoned by my SO, so I was trying to:
1. save it from the landfill
2. there is a Linux bookkeeping package I've seen on the web and I'm interested in trying, so I thought this might be a good way to do so.

I'd like to get this working, but to be honest, the 'game may not be worth the candle'. I was in the computer business before being tossed aside in the outsourcing frenzy of the 90's, so I'm aware of just how much time this kind of problem can suck up, and being a self-employed person in this economy, I've not got the time to spare. So, unless someone has a quick insight into the issue, maybe it's time for me to wish the Linux Mint world well and move on-- sorry it didn't work for me. I appreciate your help.
garda

Re: Forever is a long time.....

Post by garda »

Too bad you gave no mention of which version/edition of Mint you had downloaded and tried. Based on the hardware specs of said laptop, I'm sure only Mint XFCE CE or Fluxbox CE will play nicely there. I mean, it only has less than 256 MB of RAM - the Main (Gnome) Edition and KDE CE Live CD environments demand at least 384 MB of RAM to run properly.
Last edited by garda on Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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67GTA
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Re: Forever is a long time.....

Post by 67GTA »

The laptop in question does not have the hardware to run any modern operating system. You need to try Puppy or Damn Small Linux. It is recommended you have at least 256MB of ram to install from the live CD, and more to run right after installed. It doesn't even have a Pentium 1 proc.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke
garda

Re: Forever is a long time.....

Post by garda »

67GTA wrote:You need to try Puppy or Damn Small Linux
I second 67GTA. But you'll have to go through the so-called "alternate install" procedure (i.e. text-based installation mode) with such a small amount of RAM.
jp

Re: Forever is a long time.....

Post by jp »

Thanks to all of you. So, it's Toshiba to the landfill.

What do you think my chances would be with a Dell Latitude with 256 mb ram and a pentium III? It's the second best in the heap. I didn't use it because I'd have to buy a freestanding CD drive to install on it, since for some bizarre corporate reasoning her employers didn't see the need for CDs. Or, should I give the landfill a 2-for-the-price-of-one special and forget this project?

Thanks again.
garda

Re: Forever is a long time.....

Post by garda »

Err.. I recommend you to get something else that has, at the very least, an Intel Pentium 4M or compatible processor with 768 MB of RAM. But even Core2 Duo laptops are pretty affordable these days, don't you think?

You don't need those top-of-the-line models, most mainstream ones can generally run Linux properly with minimal to no hassle.
jp

Re: Forever is a long time.....

Post by jp »

Appreciate the advice. I'll give up on both. We've got plenty of Windows PCs/laptops, so I'm not interested in buying new hardware to run Linux. From my by-now-ancient past in the techie world, I (mis?)remembered Linux as advertised as running on minimal hardware, so I was acting on that false assumption. Things have changed, or maybe my aging brain failed to get it right the first time. Anyway, thanks for your patient help in my abortive foray into the world of Linux... best wishes to you all.
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67GTA
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Re: Forever is a long time.....

Post by 67GTA »

jp wrote:Thanks to all of you. So, it's Toshiba to the landfill.

What do you think my chances would be with a Dell Latitude with 256 mb ram and a pentium III? It's the second best in the heap. I didn't use it because I'd have to buy a freestanding CD drive to install on it, since for some bizarre corporate reasoning her employers didn't see the need for CDs. Or, should I give the landfill a 2-for-the-price-of-one special and forget this project?

Thanks again.
I might try Debian on the Dell Latitude. It won't be snappy, but it should run.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke
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Re: Forever is a long time.....

Post by lemonlime »

DSL (Dam Small Linux) is only 50mb in size, will run on an i486 processor, and only needs 24mb of memory. I have downloaded it to a usb stick, so that I can use it on my friends' computers. It works very well. Puppy is less than 100mb, and will run on a 166mmx processor with 128mb of memory recommended. I've also run it from a usb stick. Puppy has much more advanced programs on it then DSL, and is closer to a full-featured operating system. But, DSL gets a lot of performance out of a minimal installation.
jp

Re: Forever is a long time.....

Post by jp »

If anyone is interested, I took a variation of 67GTA's advice, and installed Ubuntu on the Dell using Wubi . Took forever, but it works great... well, as 'great' as the original Windows 2000 ;) It's not exactly a hot machine, but it's free, and that does count. Thanks for your help.
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