Unable to install or run

[garton12]

I have been trying to run or install Mint from a DVD, but whether I use one that I burnt myself or one from a magazine, I get the same error message.
As a total Linux newbie and a Windows user of many years, this is not filling me with confidence to continue down the Linux path.
However if anyone can tell me how to solve this problem, I will persevere.
When I boot with the DVD in, it shows line of text and then stops at this one:
Kernel panic - not syncing, fatal exception in interrupt.

The above message might just as well be Chinese for all the sense it makes to me.

Can anyone help me please.

[caf4926]

The kernel is the core of the Operating System.
What you are experiencing is probably due to the Kernel having trouble with your hardware.
Can you try booting the Compatibility Mode?

[garton12]

I read the forums to see how to boot into compatibility mode, but it does not appear to work.
The DVD first show a grey screen with a blinking cursor, then the lines of text finishing with the kernel panic.
I have tried pressing the left shift key and was presented with the following on screen:
boot: (followed by a blinking cursor)

If the DVD will not boot how can I boot it into compatibility mode?

[caf4926]

It is booting
It just doesn't like your computer OR it's poorly burned.
Can you try booing it on another PC?

I'm not sure in Mint
But at the prompt boot:
try typing: linux
and hit enter

[garton12]

I have tried a disc that I made myself after downloading the iso from mint and a free disc that came with this months Linux Format magazine.
The fact that they both stop at the same place and both give me the same error message, leaves me to believe that the discs are ok.
I do not have another PC to try it on.
I tried typing linux at the prompt boot and it said it could not find the kernel image.

Perhaps this is why Windows continues to dominate, for although I am not a lover of it, I have used it from Win 95 onwards and you put the disc in and it does it all for you and installs.
Whereas with Linux I have tried 4 or 5 times in the past with no success and once again it will not work.

perhaps it is time to give up and buy Windows 8 instead

[excollier]

You may have to try a completely different os.

[garton12]

I don't understand this at all, are you telling me that the Linux principles are "if at first you don't succeed ....give up"

I would like to run Linux Mint not another OS, I have seen it in action and think it is excellent.

I have an ordinary PC nothing special why will it not run, can anyone help me?

[caf4926]

The Linux Format DVD is almost certainly OK

Can you tell us anything about your machine? Hardware/Make etc...

[garton12]

My PC is a Medion with an Intel Core i5 CPU 3.20 GHZ with 6.00GB RAM.
It has an NVIDIA GeForce GT420 Graphic card and I have two monitors connected to it.

Is that enough information?

[caf4926]

My PC is a Medion with an Intel Core i5 CPU 3.20 GHZ with 6.00GB RAM.
It has an NVIDIA GeForce GT420 Graphic card and I have two monitors connected to it.

Is that enough information?

I'll come back on this tomorrow I have to crash now

[garton12]

I have tried again to install Mint and received the same error message, so I tried to install Ubuntu and Arch.
Once again it stopped at the exact same place with the same error message.

Can anyone explain why my PC is not able or willing to run Linux

[caf4926]

Boot the Mint live session
Open Gparted and take a PrtSc of your partitions
Post it here please

If you can this from a terminal

Code: Select all

sudo fdisk -l

too, that would be good.

[garton12]

I cannot open Gparted because when I boot into Mint it fails with the kernel panic error and the PC freezes, the only option I have is to switch the power off.
Similarly, I cannot open a terminal and run sudo.

I have taken a screen shot of my partitions using a Windows partition wizard, perhaps this will help

[caf4926]

Can you explain what you think the various partitions are?
Which HD were you planning to put Mint on?

[garton12]

On Disk 1 the 100MB partition is used by Windows, the C:Boot is where Windows is installed, the W:Mint is where I want to install Mint and the 1.00GB is something that Windows puts there.

Disk 2 is the recovery partition for Windows

[caf4926]

OK
But you can't even boot Mint can you?
Did you create the partition W:Mint ? To be able to install Mint I would say delete it and create an extended partition in the space it frees up, then create logical partitions for Mint inside the extended space (swap 2 x RAM) (ext4 all the rest for Mint)

BUT, as you can't even boot Mint can you, so installing is a problem.

And I'm not entirely happy at the partition info. It looks like MBR partitioning but the software is saying GPT

[garton12]

I have changed the partition and they now look like the attached screen shot.
I tried running another DVD fro, the Linux Format mag to install Ubuntu 12.04.
On the menu there was an option to run a test before installing, this also froze the PC and gave the same kernel panic error message

[caf4926]

When you boot the CD/DVD of Mint you should see a screen with a 10 second countdown?

During the 10 second count down during boot press a key.

Then press the Tab key to edit the boot parameters, and on the line of text that appeared near the bottom append the word "nomodeset" (without the quotes).
Find the line ending with "quiet splash".
Add your boot option just in front of these key words -
i.e. so the line looks like ..."nomodeset quiet splash". No "'s needed remember.

It will look something like this: http://i.stack.imgur.com/BnUQa.png

[garton12]

When I boot the DVD from the Linux magazine, I get a menu giving me various options to run, I am choosing Mint Cinnamon 64 bit (although I have tried the others with the same error result)
I then get a grey rectangular screen with a flashing cursor in the top left hand corner, I tried pressing a key at this stage and ended up with the same error message as if I had not pressed a key. I am not sure if that is the 10 second countdown, but that is all that happens every time I try and run a Linux DVD.

Any more suggestions would be appreciated.

[caf4926]

When you are the point where you are selecting Cinnamon
Check the screen for edit instructions, they may differ from the official DVD
It may be TAB or could be E