[ltp] KUBUNTU Install

linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:44:52 -0600 (CST)


David,

You can install from floppies.

There's a project that did the work for Fedora here:
http://www.thisiscool.com/fcfloppy.htm

Unfortunately, it only goes up to FC5. BUT... I used the same principles 
to create a set for Ubuntu (Gutsy) that works.

The idea is that you make a set of FreeDOS floppies. The first has DOS and 
a couple of scripts. It sets up a RAMDISK with 24MB or so. Then it runs a 
script that reads in a set of floppies and appends the content together, 
recreating a ZIP file. Then that file is extracted and syslinux is run.

The zip file has linux and initrd.gz from the Ubuntu netboot archive.

It will install a base system over the network, then allows you to select 
the Kubuntu desktop.

I'd be happy to send instructions if you like.

OH! Since the A21e apparently can't boot from USB or PCMCIA, will 
SmartBootManager work for you?

Chris


On Mon, 14 Jan 2008, skipper@gbenet.com wrote:

> Hi Richard,
>
> I have another laptop an HP running XP - I have an 8 port hub and can
> connect them. But - and it's a big but, with nothing on the a21e laptop
> that works it's a bit hard to do a network install. Unless I can get stuff
> from floppy install on it.
>
> My best hope - and a long shot is that we have a friend with another IBM
> laptop - if I can swap out hard disks - great! Otherwise I am somewhat
> stuck with a 10 gig hard disk.
>
> I agree I must have a coaster rather than a perfect install CD. If I
> download another I'm still stuck cos there's nothing doing with the hard
> disk.
>
> Without sticking the hard disk in another machine, or having the ability
> to install something via floppy, my 10 gig hard disk has become a
> paperwieght! Ha!
>
> I shall look at the links but if I'm to use the hard disk I need to get
> some network and a basic o/s on to be useful.
>
> Regards,
>
> David
>> Dear David,
>>
>> Sorry to hear you are having such woes! It sounds to me as though you
>> have a broken CD - either you had errors when downloading the ISO, or
>> the CD burning process left you with a partial coaster.
>>
>> I forget - which model of laptop is it that  you are trying to install to?
>>
>> Can it be booted via a USB stick?
>>   If so, follow these instructions:
>> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LiveUsbPendrivePersistent
>>
>> If not, I think it should still be able to boot via network?
>> Start here:
>> http://thinkwiki.org/wiki/Installation_on_ThinkPads_without_CD-ROM_drive
>>
>> 1) First, make sure that you can follow the instructions under "Using
>> Knoppix as a terminal server".  This is very simple, and will prove to
>> you that you can do a network install. (You could, having done a knoppix
>> boot, even install knoppix on your hard disc - this is the easiest way
>> to do a basic installation, but it is hard to customise).
>>
>>
>> 2)Try an Ubuntu/Kubuntu PXE install. There is a decent howto here:
>>    http://wiki.koeln.ccc.de/index.php/Ubuntu_PXE_Install
>> If you already have the Knoppix Terminal server running, most of the
>> hard work is done for you, and you should be able to start midway.
>>
>>
>> [Both the USB and PXE install methods assume you already have one
>> working Linux machine, but you can use Knoppix for this, to temporarily
>> "borrow" a windows machine.]
>>
>>
>> HTH,
>>
>> Richard
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>> Oh dear! I downloaded the 7.10 kubuntu and with kb3 created an install
>>> cd.
>>> The bad news is that at some point during the install of kde components
>>> -
>>> I can't recall which (i've been on antibiotics and stuck on the boat for
>>> days now) the install crashed - no activity for an hour on the cd or
>>> laptop.
>>>
>>> On a reboot grub reports an error code of 17 or 15 - as I recall which I
>>> guess is a failure to find a bootable partition. I have now nothing to
>>> boot too! I'm in another internet cafe via my mail server. The good news
>>> (perhaps) is that someone may (a big may) let me borrow their ibm laptop
>>> so I could swap hard disks.
>>>
>>> This is getting like hard work to get kubuntu om my laptop!! Oh well
>>> ....
>>> If that is not an option, I'm going to have to create a couple of
>>> floppies
>>> and try to access the usb cd drive.
>>>
>>> The odd thing was that all the checksums were ok via kb3 so I was
>>> looking
>>> forward to kubuntu.
>>>
>>> Chow for now
>>>
>>> David
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>> skipper wrote:
>>>>> Hi Richard,
>>>>>
>>>>> The options I get are to log on as normal or recovery mode - which is
>>>>> what I do/did.
>>>>>
>>>> If you want, at this point, you could very nearly get to have a full
>>>> KDE
>>>> installation. Just do apt-get install kubuntu-desktop. However, it will
>>>> be an old version, so you may as well proceed with the 7.10 iso.
>>>>
>>>>> I will print out this email - I shall do a new download of the
>>>>> alternative 7 iso and burn via kb3 - edit the menu.lst file having
>>>>> copied contents of cd to hard disk - then do the ping and apt-get -
>>>>> will
>>>>> I have a kubuntu gui or do I have to load it?
>>>> Why the *alternative* disc? Grub should be able to boot the normal
>>>> install-disc directly, or via files on the hard drive. Also, I suggest
>>>> that you get the ubuntu-7.10 (standard) CD, then, once installed, add
>>>> the KDE packages - this gives you access to various admin utilities
>>>> too.
>>>>
>>>> Good luck!
>>>>
>>>> Richard
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>
>>>>> David
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Richard Neill wrote:
>>>>>> Dear Skipper,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If you can get the install as far as the root prompt, you've won 90%
>>>>>> of the battle. Am I understanding correctly that you can boot into
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> new system, and it gets as far as a root prompt?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If so, try in order:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 1)Check that networking is up. Try
>>>>>>     ping www.google.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 2)Install KDE (if not already present):
>>>>>>     apt-get install kubuntu-desktop
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 3)Start the X-server:
>>>>>>     /etc/init.d/kdm stop
>>>>>>     /etc/init.d/kdm start
>>>>>>
>>>>>>   i)  if this fails, try gdm instead of kdm)
>>>>>>   ii) If that fails, look at /var/log/Xorg.0.log  or email it to us.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Tell us which of these steps were necessary, and what happened.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 3 other thoughts:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> i)You could try using the Ubuntu CD, and then install the
>>>>>> kubuntu-desktop  package. That will give you KDE.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ii)If you're using an Ubuntu-6 series disk, may I recommend you try
>>>>>> something like 7.10 ? Many hardware problems have been resolved in
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> last 2 years.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> iii)You could also install via a network - look up "PXE install".
>>>>>> It's
>>>>>> not necessary in your case, since you have already got grub
>>>>>> installed,
>>>>>> but it's useful to know.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Richard
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> skipper wrote:
>>>>>>> Hi All,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> There are two installs - the one via Windows and the Alternative
>>>>>>> install. If I do an Alternative install there's no KDE Desktop - I
>>>>>>> just have a root or user prompt. The only good news for me is that I
>>>>>>> can install via grub.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'd like to install via the version 6 KUBUNTU and have the KDE
>>>>>>> desktop - but I'm not running windows.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I also have a USB CD - I may add that I have to reinstall Linspire 5
>>>>>>> just so I can send this e-mail!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Here is the issue: I have a USB CD/RW which the bios does not boot
>>>>>>> from - but via grub with the contents of a CD copied to the hard
>>>>>>> disk
>>>>>>> I can either install Linspire or KUBUNTU Alternative CD but no KDE
>>>>>>> desktop gets installed - why I don't know.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I want to install KUBUNTU 6 with KDE. I have tried to use grub but
>>>>>>> it
>>>>>>> stalls looking for an operating system - there must be a way round
>>>>>>> this issue - which is simple.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I don't have the option of another laptop - but I do have access
>>>>>>> over
>>>>>>> a network though KUBUNTU Desktop has no network install.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The other option is if the Alternative KUBUNTU installs how can I
>>>>>>> install the KDE files that exist on the hard disk and on the CD? Why
>>>>>>> do they not install?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Happy New Year To All!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> David
>>>> --
>>>> The linux-thinkpad mailing list home page is at:
>>>> http://mailman.linux-thinkpad.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-thinkpad
>>>>
>>>
>> --
>> The linux-thinkpad mailing list home page is at:
>> http://mailman.linux-thinkpad.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-thinkpad
>>
>
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