Mint 14 Install Failure

[pats87]

Hi guys,

Didn't know where to post this so hope here is ok.

I am trying to install Mint 14 dual boot with XP. Using a USB memory stick to install from. My PC has 1.5GB RAM and 2.5GHz processor. Created a 17GB partition and a 3GB swap. Installing Mint to /ext 2. Everything goes ok through the install until it gets about 90% of the way through configuring hardware and a window pops up saying the installer crashed. Tried it a few times every time it has been the same.

Any one got any ideas?

[caribriz]

Hi pats87 .... and welcome to the Linux Mint forums

There can be (for some people) a problem with the slideshow during the install.
Although I think that problem usually appears at the start of the installation, not 90% through it. So, it may not be your problem.
Still .... you could try this first to rule out the installer as being the issue.

Boot your live usb.
Before you click "Install", open a terminal and type in
sudo apt-get remove ubiquity-slideshow-mint

When finished, close the terminal, then click the install icon.
You won't see any of the slideshow during the install and hopefully it will then finish. But, it hasn't worked for everyone.

Could also try installing as above, without being connected to the internet (if you haven't already tried that).

Good luck,
caribriz

[SteveE]

I ran into the same problem trying to install the release candidates for Mint14 into a Virtualbox machine. It would take
15 minutes installing files, and right near the end the installer would crash with "We're sorry; the installer crashed". I never
had any troubles with the Ubiquity Slideshow. All those images were displayed fine, so I didn't see any point in trying
the suggestion to turn that off.

I figured that I'd just wait until the official release, because surely this bug would be fixed by then. Alas, it was not.

The crash showed a Python trace, so I checked the code at the line of the crash, and it had to do with running a utility
called hw-detect. I tracked that down to /bin/hw-detect, and tried running it by hand. It complained
about permissions, and failed, so I tried again using sudo hw-detect. This worked better, but still
generated the following errors:

/bin/hw-detect: 498: /bin/hw-detect: apt-install: not found
/bin/hw-detect: 502: /bin/hw-detect: apt-install: not found
/bin/hw-detect: 506: /bin/hw-detect: apt-install: not found

I used the 'find' command to search for "apt-install" and found it in three locations ...
/usr/lib/ubiquity/compat/apt-install
/target/usr/lib/ubiquity/compat/apt-install
/rofs/usr/lib/ubiquity/compat/apt-install

All those versions were identical, so it wouldn't matter which one I picked. Since hw-detect was calling apt-install with no path,
I figured that something is wrong with the user path when it gets called. The simple fix for that is to provide a complete path, so I
edited hw-detect and added "/usr/lib/ubiquity/compat/" in front of each call to apt-install. After doing so, I was able to run
sudo /bin/hw-detect without getting any errors.

After making this modification, I double clicked on the "Install Linux Mint" icon, and proceeded to successfully install Mint14 64-bit Mate edition.

1) Boot up the installation disk (or just the ISO image of it, if using VirtualBox)
2) Open a Terminal
3) sudo vi /bin/hw-detect (any editor could be used here)
4) Search for calls to hw-detect, and add "/usr/lib/ubiquity/compat/" in front of each one. Save the file.
5) Double click on the installation icon, and everything should work without crashing

- Steve

[second.exodous]

I wanted to point out that the 32 bit versions of mate and xfce have this problem where the 32 bit version of cinnamon doesn't. I'm trying to install on an old PC and want to use something that didn't use much resources so I've tried mate and xfce. I run sudo /bin/hw-detect on all three and only cinnamon doesn't say I don't have permissions. I haven't tried any other versions as I don't have them downloaded. I'm kinda a noob so I think I'll drop down to 13 LXDE(my fave desktop for low power anyway) and see if it works rather than editing /bin/hw-detect.

Has anyone submitted this bug? I hope that Mint LXDE 14 won't have this bug.

EDIT: Hmm, I guess I'll have to drop down to 12 to get LXDE. Oh well, I'll try it out. I'm turning a notebook into a projector for fun anyway, I doubt it will survive anyway. Oh, also I don't know if cinnamon would install on my notebook, something weird was going on and the icons were pixilated and I couldn't read anything in the windows. I'm sure it is because of hardware limitations though, cinnamon installed great on my main PC.

[Volpino]

Thank you very much for posting this question and the solution of removing the slideshow. I have tried several different ways of istalling LM14 - each failed but removing that/those files has allowed successful installation and I'm now happy !.
If it's any help, I am running an Athlon 2500+ 32Bit, 1.5GB Ram, 2x 250GB WD IDE drives, Nivida aAGP card 512mb ram, vanila mobo.