Can I buy an install usb that works? [99% SOLVED]

[bill_steamshovel]

I''ve got as far as getting a snazzy looking desktop with a few icons on it and a stuck mouse.

Is it possible to run without a mouse ? Any hot keys I should know about ?

Mint 19 Cinnamon - took me an hour to download the 1.8GB and that is a significant portion of my monthly data allowance - middle of nowhere in rural Australia.

Was able to get the terminal window open and attempted some edits and fixes found with google

I have googled and found the various videos for fixing stuck mouse - none of them helped me.

Was finally snookered by not being able to update grub after editing it and then being flummoxed by the elusive canonical cow whilst trying to fix the update problem.

Google tells me that a few people have been down this path.

Cannot use a CD as the laptop doesnt have one.

Is there a last known safe and bulletproof installation version that I can download or failing that an installation usb I can purchase ?

Am a newb, installing from USB onto a $200 Unisurf laptop bought at aldis last year, sorry but I dont know much more about it than that.

Regards

Bill

[Pierre]

so - - just coz you a Resident of Alice Springs - - is no excuse - Y'know ?

did you check that ISO was downloaded correctly:
https://linuxmint.com/verify.php
that is a very critical step - - if that ISO is crook, then you will get all sorts of weird errors . .

yep - you can indeed Purchase a Copy of that ISO on a Usb Stick:
https://linuxmint.com/store_cds.php
that would be in USD though.

my suggestion, though, if there is still not much of value on your machine,
- would be to re-install that LM19 Cinnamon again, and then at that point,
post back here, that you have done that bit, and how you should proceed from that point,
in regards to further updates to your new system.

Do Read This Tutorial:
viewtopic.php?f=42&t=163126
it's written for win-8x, but does apply to win-10 as well,
- if you propose to dual_boot that machine OR simply replace the windows system itself.

BTW: did you Test the machine, from the Live Boot Environment - to check that All the Hardware - works ?.

[catweazel]

I''ve got as far as getting a snazzy looking desktop with a few icons on it and a stuck mouse.

Does the mouse work when you boot from the USB?

BTW: If you're advised that you need a different Mint, I'm happy to drop one in the post for you, no charge. Just PM me with your name and address and the version of Mint you want. On that little machine you're probably better off with xfce. You need to let me know soon as I'm off to Indonesia on Wednesday night.

[bill_steamshovel]

Wow !

Thanks for the quick replies.

Yes I tested the download - couldnt make head or tail of the recommended Cygwyn software but I did some googling and found something called gpg4win and that did the checksum

Am trying to run off the USB rather than install onto the hard drive. When it fires up great screeds of text go scrolling past fairly quickly - Am unable to read everything but there doesnt seem to be any warnings its just a list of things that seem to be fine but having said that there are so many lines that it would be easy to miss a warning.

My impression is that the stuck mouse seems to be a common problem.

No I didnt know about the testing from the live boot environment - will google that to figure out exactly what that means and how to do it - Thankyou.

Will have another go over the weekend

Catweazle thanks for the offer I will google xfce to better understand what it means and send you a PM if my further installation attempts over the weekend come to naught.

Thanks again for the quick replies.

Bill

[Moem]

I will google xfce to better understand what it means

I'll save you some Googling:
Mint comes in several versions. One of them is called XFCE, and it's lightweight, making it more suitable for older or underpowered computers than Cinnamon. That's the one you have now.

[gm10]

Am trying to run off the USB rather than install onto the hard drive.
[...]
No I didnt know about the testing from the live boot environment - will google that to figure out exactly what that means and how to do it - Thankyou.

My understanding is that that's what you are currently doing - using it in the live environment. It's a non-persistent environment. Whatever you change there won't be there the next time you boot it. Which may explain your troubles.

I will google xfce to better understand what it means

I'll save you some Googling:
Mint comes in several versions. One of them is called XFCE, and it's lightweight, making it more suitable for older or underpowered computers than Cinnamon. That's the one you have now.

He said he downloaded Cinnamon actually. --edit: nvm, I think I misread you

[catweazel]

Am trying to run off the USB rather than install onto the hard drive.

No I didnt know about the testing from the live boot environment - will google that to figure out exactly what that means and how to do it - Thankyou.

If you're running off the USB then you're already doing it.

Catweazle thanks for the offer I will google xfce to better understand what it means and send you a PM if my further installation attempts over the weekend come to naught.

You're most welcome... us cornstalks don't mind looking after cabbage gardeners

[catweazel]

I'll save you some Googling:
... Cinnamon. That's the one you have now.

He said he downloaded Cinnamon actually.

Read it as "...Cinnamon, which is the one you have now."

[gm10]

You're probably right. Don't mind me.

[Pierre]

those Aldi PCs are sometime offered

Features
Windows 10
14” Screen (16:9) (1366 x 768)
32GB Storage and 4GB RAM as per ad
Intel Quad Core Processor
2MP Front Camera
HDMI Out
Bluetooth
Dual Wi-Fi
2 x USB and 1 x Micro-SD
Supports up to 128gb micro sd card


the biggest issue may well be that 32Gb EMMC storage - if he chooses go with an Real Installation,
but there is always the option of just booting an Usb Stick - on a Permanent Basis.

[bill_steamshovel]

All fixed

Plugged in a USB mouse and will forget about the trackpad for the moment.

Thanks ofr all the help and suggestions.

Am quite chuffed - have been at this for most oif the day.

Bill

[gm10]

the biggest issue may well be that 32Gb EMMC storage - if he chooses go with an Real Installation,
but there is always the option of just booting an Usb Stick - on a Permanent Basis.

You'll wear down an USB rather quickly doing that. Also 32 GB is plenty. My root is little more than 8 GB, that leaves more than enough for whatever other data he needs.

Plugged in a USB mouse and will forget about the trackpad for the moment.

If trackpad doesn't work you'll probably just have to switch to another driver. Not that easy to do in the live environment though. You should consider properly installing it.

[michael louwe]

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Your Unisurf laptop from Aldi should be this ... https://www.pickr.com.au/reviews/2017/u ... di-laptop/ , which will be a problem to do the install of LM ...
viewtopic.php?f=46&t=272614

[michael louwe]

You'll wear down an USB rather quickly doing that.

.
AFAIK, No. Running a Live Linux USB Flash-drive daily will not wear down the Live USB.

[gm10]

You'll wear down an USB rather quickly doing that.

.
AFAIK, No. Running a Live Linux USB Flash-drive daily will not wear down the Live USB.

Not the live USB but if he wants a persistent USB then there will be a lot of accesses to it. Unless he moves all that to the eMMC but then he could really just install it properly.

[michael louwe]

.

.
When running a Live Linux USB/DVD, if updates and programs are installed(which are only installed in RAM memory, not on the USB) and settings changed, they do not persist through reboots.

The user running Live Linux sessions should not make big changes to the Live Linux system, eg by installing too many 3rd-party programs or downloading big files = error or failure in the Live Linux system will occur.
....... A Live Linux USB/DVD is mainly meant for a test-drive for checking user-likability and hardware device compatibility before actual installation on the computer, ie it is not meant to be used as a daily driver(= which is insecure when run online = open to malware attack).

A Live Linux USB with Persistent storage of 4GB(= maximum size for fat32 format) or more than 4GB(= ntfs or ext4) that is fully-updated should be used if needed as an alternative daily driver(to Windows) for online surfing. This too will not be worn down from daily use.

AFAIK, Live Linux media are created as write-once-and-read-only operations devices. Running Live Linux sessions on a computer only involves reading and loading/copying system and program files from the Live USB/DVD to RAM memory.

It is not advisable to do a full install of Linux on a USB Flash-drive because it will soon wear out from a lot of write operations on the USB by the OS, eg journaling, logging, caching, time-stamping, etc.
.
.
P S - Windows Update will often bork the Linux system or Grub bootloader on a dual-boot setup. It is advisable to keep the 2 OS on separate drives, eg external USB hard-drives.

[bill_steamshovel]

Thanks for all the advice.

Am happy just to be able to "get started".

Yes the Ultimate aim is a full install on the main desktop and my wife's decent sized laptop.

The Aldi Unisurf is something for me to experiment with to get a better understanding of what might go wrong before installing on the decent computers.

Thanks again

Bill

[catweazel]

Am quite chuffed

You've made my day

[Pierre]

Not the live USB but if he wants a persistent USB then there will be a lot of accesses to it. Unless he moves all that to the eMMC but then he could really just install it properly.

that's basically what the Puppy Linux Series is doing & could also be done when running this Live Environment,
- save the persistence file to that EMMC drive.

[gm10]

It's still install it, frees up RAM. IIRC you lose about 1 GB to the ramdisk, that's annoying on the 4 GB system he has (going by stats posted above).