Installing Mint 14 (32bit Mate) on older machines.

[Darktrax]

Choosing Mate instead of Cinnamon because it requires less resource, we tried.. and tried.. and tried.
The "older" PC has 2.3GB of DDR2 RAM, an AMD Athlon 2500 (Barton) CPU on a Asus AN78X. About 1.9GHz. It runs Windows XP OK from its first partition.

This PC also runs the Mint-14 (Nadia) just fine from the Install LiveCD. Also - it runs just fine from a USB boot stick made using "mintstick"
We have verified the MD5sum of the downloaded ISO - it agrees with the value on the website.
We have also verified the MD5 checksum of the burned CDROM (requires using isoinfo to get the record length and then the "dd" command)

I have read many of the posts about install problems, but what to do when it all gets under way, and then, somehow, in the middle of the process, roughly where all has been copied, name and password entered, and a slideshow is still being offered, it goes into never-never land?

It ends up still completely functioning as a "LiveCD or "Live-USB", but showing only the little rotating "busy" graphic in place of the mouse pointer.
CDROM or USB, it makes no difference, whatever install method is chosen.

Is there some way to discover how much of the installation completed? Some way to press it home?
Has anyone else encountered, and maybe solved a situation like this?

[Redondo]

Near the bottom where the install is going on, there is a small triangle that if you click will open a small terminal and show what messages its now displaying. If that doesn't help you can use the ubiquity debug mode to reveal more info. Also log messages will be of great help. Follow the link here.

[chiefjim]

Try running this in live disc mode BEFORE beginning the installation.


From terminal:
sudo apt-get remove ubiquity-slideshow-mint
sudo dpkg --configure -a

[Darktrax]

Near the bottom where the install is going on, there is a small triangle that if you click will open a small terminal and show what messages its now displaying. If that doesn't help you can use the ubiquity debug mode to reveal more info. Also log messages will be of great help. Follow the link here.

My thanks Redondo, especially for the link.
There will be at least one more install of this Nadia on this type of machine.
I have also now tried an LMDE install. So far, the experience has been different. It is still under way, but no stumbles so far.

[Darktrax]

Try running this in live disc mode BEFORE beginning the installation.
From terminal:
sudo apt-get remove ubiquity-slideshow-mint
sudo dpkg --configure -a

Thanks much chiefjim.
As I indicated to Redondo, I have progressed some by trying everything, including LMDE.
I will have a chance (1 more to go) to check if it was the slideshow code locking up.

For any others with older machines, I should mention that the actual performance and responsiveness seemed better with LMDE.
This is just the impression from trying it while in LiveCD mode. The full install might of course be different.

[MtnDewManiac]

Try running this in live disc mode BEFORE beginning the installation.


From terminal:
sudo apt-get remove ubiquity-slideshow-mint
sudo dpkg --configure -a

This issue seems to affect enough computers (including mine) that it should be removed from the installation process. Or, at the least, it should be made optional with a clear warning that it'll hang the OS install on older computers. Not everyone has access to a second computer - one with Internet access - to troubleshoot, and once a user with only one computer pooches the OS install, he's kind of screwed.

The above is just IMHO, of course, but it seems rather user-unfriendly - it's kind of like offering an automotive addon that'll blow head gaskets on older engines... And then, when the person returns with troubles (if, indeed, he has another "vehicle" to "drive" to the shop), stating that the person would first need to retard the timing. Well, not that bad, perhaps, since once the user knows the workaround for the bug(?), he can easily(*) perform it and reinstall - but, then again, changing head gaskets is not that difficult for some, lol.

Distro-hoppers won't be more than mildly inconvenienced, I guess, since they'll have multiple OS - some, presumably, installed without problems and working fine - to fall back on to use for troubleshooting and getting information via the Internet. But a lot of people's goal is to find a great OS, install it, and use the thing - not just to get a new toy, play with it for a bit, and go on to the next new shiny thing.

(*) Although I seem to remember something about having to take my computer somewhere where I could plug an Ethernet cable (that provided Internet access) into it in order to be able to disable that screenscrew app from the installer. But I could be thinking about something else.

[Darktrax]

Try running this in live disc mode BEFORE beginning the installation.
From terminal:
sudo apt-get remove ubiquity-slideshow-mint
sudo dpkg --configure -a

This issue seems to affect enough computers (including mine) that it should be removed from the installation process. Or, at the least, it should be made optional with a clear warning that it'll hang the OS install on older computers. Not everyone has access to a second computer - one with Internet access - to troubleshoot, and once a user with only one computer pooches the OS install, he's kind of screwed.

Thanks so much MtnDewManiac. Your posting gives me hope. I have wasted so much time fighting this, I had to let it go. As soon as I have a chance, I will try this.

From my own observations, know that the "never-never" land phenomenon is present on several Mint-14 install iso images including the 32-bit "Mate", the 32-bit "xfce". It strikes no matter the method is via burned CDROM or bootable USB stick.

I figured it HAD to be something going on in the install procedure, simply because the whole live system was already up and running and seemingly perfectly OK, on the internet and everything!

The copy process runs at the same time as the dialogue to establish timezone, username etc. I (nearly) made it to the end by deliberately not completing the "enter password" stage until the copying was done, thus inhibiting the slideshow. Unfortunately, as the password is completed, it gets to a brief "configuring" message, and then the slideshow arrives, and stops everything, leaving us with the little rotating icon as a mouse pointer.

It is NOT about the machine being too old - it works Mint-14 OK. It is likely about the install script and slideshow.

[Darktrax]

OK - I have tried removing the ubiquity slideshow.
All goes well until the end of the copy. Maybe i should have completed the password bit earlier.

We get the "Sorry, the installer has crashed" message, along with the assurance that a automatic bug-report feedback can be completed after the window is closed. This too, fails to happen!

This is silly! Its a 2Ghz machine with 2.3GB of memory, working Mint perfectly well from the LiveCD.
I am thinking the only way left might be to move the drive to some other machine, install there, (and maybe put it back later)

I am also pretty sure that a newbie would have given up by now!

[Darktrax]

I am becoming disheartened now. This PC will probably have to live with Windows.

It has been a very determined attempt, but life is too short to continue trying to make a Mint 32-bit (Mate, Xfce or otherwise) end up on that drive without some hitch or other.

The more modern PC has Mint -14 Nadia with Mate, and is very good. I should be pleased at that!

[LRChampagne2k]

Try running this in live disc mode BEFORE beginning the installation.


From terminal:
sudo apt-get remove ubiquity-slideshow-mint
sudo dpkg --configure -a

Chiefjim:

ThanX a lot. I had EXACTLY the same problem and your code to disable the slideshow worked, solving my problems. Love this forum!

[gottaBmad]

Fixed my problem with LM15 MATE 32 bit too. Thank you