PC won't run Linux Kernel >3.xx

[andrew-lohmann]

Laptop Sony Vaio PCG-GRT996ZP
1.5G DDR
IDE type hard disk
Three USB ports but you can not boot from them.
DVD only reads some CDs and DVDs.
The power supply; 120W.
32 bit Pentium.

I have been running Debian 8.x updated to 9.x (Alternative Kernel 3.xx), MX16.1 with kernel and Windows 7

The laptop's bios and other software etc are not available any more and Linux Distribution will only run if Kernel no higher than 3. is used. Otherwise start up fails.

I would prefer to use Mint probably Mate 13, 14 or 15 which run kernel 3.xx but upgrade to the highest version of Mint that will run that older Linux Kernel.

I have Mint Mate 14.1 installed but I need to know firstly how to set it up to read the archived repositories and any other settings?

If necessarily I could reinstall using say using 13, 14, 15 or other (I mention version 13 because it in LTS support until more recently than the others)

[xenopeek]

I doubt you'll get that to work. You'd have to upgrade from Linux Mint 14 to at least Linux Mint 19, with an upgrade from each version in between. And Linux Mint 19 has less than 1.5 years of support left so you would want to go to Linux Mint 20 but that is 64-bit only. So at best it gives you just over a year of an OS that gets security updates. But will staying on 3.x kernel work with that? Linux Mint 19 uses kernel 4.15. Will all the other OS components work with a 3.x kernel? I very much doubt it. In short: I don't think Linux Mint is for you if your computer can't handle a kernel newer than 3.x.

Ubuntu old releases are on https://old-releases.ubuntu.com/. You can edit your APT configuration files and replace e.g. line like:

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ RELEASENAME main restricted universe multiverse

with:

deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ RELEASENAME main restricted universe multiverse

And that will let you get the repository for that old RELEASENAME (replace it with lower case name of the Ubuntu release).

After applying all updates you can go to the next Linux Mint release and its Ubuntu package base, using the old-releases for the Ubuntu one. You can get the Linux Mint and Ubuntu names from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_Mint#Releases.

It is a very bad idea to continue to use Linux Mint 14 (there's no such thing as 14.1). Specifically for any software that has internet/network access, you don't want to run an OS that hasn't had security updates for so longd

I think you're better served by looking for a Linux distro suited for very old computers. But of those I know that have a 32-bit edition (AntiX, Tiny Core) they have a newer kernel. They still have a non-PAE kernel so in general it should work on 32-bit Pentium. But it's the same for Debian and if that doesn't run with a 4.x or 5.x kernel on your laptop... Other distros for old computers (like Bodhi Linux) have gone 64-bit as almost all CPUs from the past 15 years can run 64-bit. The only (better known) Linux distro I could find that still has a 3.x kernel is Scientific Linux 7.9 (RedHat based) but that is 64-bit only.

I think there aren't many options to keep this laptop running. Moving this topic to Chat about Linux to maybe get input about other distros you could try.

[andrew-lohmann]

Thanks, xenopeek

You have given me some options. I did not expect many options and I found that only Mint Mate 14's Mint4win.exe worked anyway the both Mint 13 and 15 failed they used up ~50GB of hard disk.

[andrew-lohmann]

I have now carried out the changes to those ubuntu repositories recommended that was partly successful but not complete. Using in Synaptic - Repositories - Software Sources but their are other repositories that need to be changed. Consequently more of the installation was completed with what I have done this is the report when Synaptic Reload is carried out;


Failed to fetch http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/dis ... 6/Packages 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.151 80]

Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists ... 6/Packages 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.91.38 80]

Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists ... 6/Packages 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.91.38 80]

Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists ... 6/Packages 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.91.38 80]

Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists ... 6/Packages 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.91.38 80]

Failed to fetch http://packages.medibuntu.org/dists/qua ... 6/Packages 404 Not Found [IP: 172.67.206.238 80]

Failed to fetch http://packages.medibuntu.org/dists/qua ... 6/Packages 404 Not Found [IP: 172.67.206.238 80]

Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

I have also resolved the failed to fetch lines http://security.ubuntu................................. by replacing "security" with "old-releases" but I am not sure that that was the correct thing to do because there were no further updates after I carried out the change.

[xenopeek]

I don't know. That's the partner repository. You can see on http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/dists/ it has repositories online from Linux Mint 17 (package base: Ubuntu Trusty). Maybe just disable the canonical repository till you are upgraded to Linux Mint 17, then re-enable it and see if you can update from there.

[Hoser Rob]

This is going to make a Frankenmint and will likely cause endless problems even for the highly experienced.

The only Linux distro I can find that may ship with a 3.x series kernel is a Puppy Linux version based on Ubuntu 14.04, it's listed in their dl section, lotsa reading here:

https://puppylinux.com

[rene]

It is however not the case that kernel 4.0 was anything other than kernel 3.20 rebranded and as such I'd feel it the better option to go figure out what causes newer kernels to have an issue on your hardware; running a newer kernel is likely at most a kernel parameter away...

[JoeFootball]

For those interested, this is allegedly the 32-bit CPU for a Sony PCG-GRT996ZP ...

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en ... tions.html

... with a PassMark benchmark of 138 232. (edited to update 3.20 GHz variety)

[andrew-lohmann]

Thanks that is about right Pentium 4 but 3.20GHz

At startup.
"MP Bios bug: 8256 timer not connected to IO-APIC"
With Kernel 3.x there is a warning.
With Kernel 4.x there follows a number of lines followed by Kernel panic and fatal exception in interrupt {I suppose missing interrupt handler?}

Mageia 4 does look a possibilities - when I used it years ago I think it could not find the USB installer. The website looks like it will help with supporting any version even those out of support. When I tired Mageia 3 it was good but I found the subsequent versions a bit difficult.

Ubuntu Trusty Puppy Linux Tahr-Puppy 6.05 - I downloaded that but I did not get far with installing it. I put it aside but of the variants It seems the nice.

[rene]

With Kernel 4.x there follows a number of lines followed by Kernel panic and fatal exception in interrupt {I suppose missing interrupt handler?}

Probably not. Can't be further diagnosed without far more literal information and more complete system info but I'd in any case start by trying with the noapic kernel parameter.

[Rayser]

Better if you try another distro, for older PC.

Like > https://www.bodhilinux.com/

[andrew-lohmann]

Thanks for the suggestions

The noapic added to the kernel line in the grub configuration sounds okay as long as the installation has kernel 3.xx as an alternative I guess? That is I can start-up Linux with the older kernel then fix Grub if it is modified, which does occur during the life of a major version.

I had looked at that some years ago when I updated Debian 8 to Debian 9 - it went through fine then. I put the computer aside as I had a few other issues with it, one included 1G DDR which I now have 1.5G which has made a big difference making Windows 7 run at a good speed. Debian 9 to 10 running alternative kernel 3.x never completed in days running. I suspect that Debian 9 to 10 with the noapic option in the grub might work out but Mint Mate has more things like brightness control that work so that is why I posted.

Until the comment about noapic was posted I had forgotten about that option.

I have cloned Mint Mate 15 on to the pc, since yesterday that I think had the noapic as one of the boot options placed in the installation .iso -- I have not got far with that because once again none of the repositories are readable so I need to know how to fix that so I can start from Mint Mate 15.

The Debian 10 route I need to find a fix for the brightness control but there is no clue that any drivers are missing as far as I can see from messages going up the screen at start up. So the options might be Mageia 4 then upgrade, BodhiLinux with some sort of support for old pc's, Puppy Linux which I have seen but not running on the Vaio because I got stuck installing it.

Correction thank you; "noapic"

[rene]

Note, noapic != noacpi. Former concerns an Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller and was the one I both said and meant. Latter concerns the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface which is something quite different and not too likely involved here.

[andrew-lohmann]

Thanks for the correction "noapic"

Mageia 7 (6) which uses kernel 4.xx can be installed then the Mageia requires the grub boot menu to be Edited and "noapic" added runs.

Debian 9 which uses kernel 4.xx runs fine with the grub boot menu to be Edited and "noapic" added. Probably can now update it to Debian 10.

Many installations won't run though even if I edit the configuration file boot.grub *.cfg in the installation media. Such as Debian 10 and Lubuntu 19. In any case I used unetbootin.exe too hard disk or I used Mint4win.exe in some cases which saved installing and cloning.

I have too stop now because something has stopped working on this laptop and the screen is blank and moving the lid has not fixed it this time.

Anyway I can carry out the fix on another computer then clone Mint Mate or proceed with Mageia 8 and see how that goes. Mageia did not have brightness control and battery status I do not know what else but I had not done any updating.

I probably will look at puppy Linux as a small second back up on my hard disk gives some maintenance options.

The issue is now resolved or I know what to do. Thanks for your help!