Newer Linux live CDs won't boot; some older ones will

Message

thebeaky · #1 Post by **thebeaky** » Fri 11 Sep 2009, 05:40

Hiya,

computer spec
Laptop
Dell 2600
intell pention III, 1Mhz
ram 256 meg

I have an old laptop, Which I have been trying to put Linux on for a while, but the vast majority of new systems get as far as the boot screen, and at some point during the boot. Most do this before showing anything else on the screen. They stop reading the disk, and refuse to boot any further leaving a flashing underscore.

The disks boot happily on other computers but not mine. Mine boots puppy 4.2.1, but not 4.24. Does anyone have any ideas why this might be?

It seems to me that it could be the new kernel doesn't work with my computer.
Ubuntu 8 and 9 both fail like this, and so does anything that is based on them (wattOS, Xubuntu, Kubuntu, and a few more). Knoppix got further but still didn't make it in.
Solaris showed an error before getting stuck, saying driver e1*10 didnt exist so it was stopping using it.

all jaunty puppies fail.

Slax and DSL-N booted.

mikeb · #2 Post by **mikeb** » Fri 11 Sep 2009, 10:10

It seems to me that it could be the new kernal doesnt work with my comp.

that's about the size of it...feels good eh.

Well at least we avoid the bugs in new releases...

mike

thebeaky · #3 Post by **thebeaky** » Sat 12 Sep 2009, 07:13

you think it might be possible that later kernels will work on my comp? Or does this kindof mean mine is deprecated.

It still has life in it, Honest.

mikeb · #4 Post by **mikeb** » Sat 12 Sep 2009, 12:13

puppy wirth 2.6.21 kernel (retro) and older probably ok.
slaxerpup probably will as well with a 2.6.25 kernel.
It depends on who compiled it it seems though newer kernels appear to be dropping support for older even fairly standard machines to give room to newer hardware.....a different approach to vista which simply made itself unrunnable on older machines

mike

ps my 1997 hp kayak is still going strong ...

rjbrewer · #5 Post by **rjbrewer** » Sat 12 Sep 2009, 15:02

My old HP pc 400mhz, 256ram, has no problem booting
Puppy 424 or Ubuntu 9.04.

With the Ubuntu disk the screen flashes a message for a
fraction of a second, "acpi force needed".

mikeb · #6 Post by **mikeb** » Sat 12 Sep 2009, 16:35

Mine boots puppy 4.2.1, but not 4.24.

ah kernel 2.6.25.blah....4.24 has erm..not sure this week but probably newer.

fraction of a second, "acpi force needed".

good point...try
puppy acpi=force
at the boot prompt
The cutoff for this is about 2002 so if you machine was made just before then acpi is not enabled by default (puppy only I believe)

I think I will try reading posts proprly next time

mike

DM was on fire! · #7 Post by **DM was on fire!** » Sat 12 Sep 2009, 16:52

Ubuntu 8.04-9.04 will probably not boot with your specs.
9.04 requires, if I remember correctly, atleast 512 MB ram. I don't think it will even matter if you're running Puppy. The newer versions of Ubuntu are memory hogs, partially because 8.04 and up runs Compiz Fusion as it's window manager, not Metacity as used in the past.
Kernel probably has something to do with it as well.

EDIT - I forgot what the processor specs are, but I know with AMD XP 2400, my processor was constantly maxed out using 6.06.
Of course, I always had so much junk running, but still. XD

rjbrewer · #8 Post by **rjbrewer** » Sat 12 Sep 2009, 17:52

As I stated in my last post:

Jaunty Jackalope 9.04 boots with no problem with 256mb ram.
It will even reach the desktop before hanging with 128mb ram.

James C · #9 Post by **James C** » Sat 12 Sep 2009, 18:16

I just dug my old Pavilion (433 mhz Celeron) off the shelf and am posting from Puppy 4.25 Beta 3 w/ the 2.6.30.5 kernel, running live.Booted w/ no problem and seems pretty snappy.

I also have an install of Ubuntu 9.04 running on another box w/ 384 mb of ram.Did the install w/ 256 mb and later added another stick of ram.

I guess with this older equipment you just have to experiment and see what will work.

mikeb · #10 Post by **mikeb** » Sat 12 Sep 2009, 20:05

Well as I dribbled earlier it's not so much the kernel version as how it is compiled..ie options and drivers included...slaxerpup and standard puppy have more or less the same version but the slaxerpup will run on one old machine here that standard puppy will not and co incidentally slaxer uses hdx for ide drives not sdx. So a 2.6.30 kernel may actually work on an old machine no problem given a suitable build. ....windows manages this one lol

mike

ps 40MB at boot for windows 2000 yay....55 for XP.

DM was on fire! · #11 Post by **DM was on fire!** » Sat 12 Sep 2009, 20:57

As I stated in my last post:

Jaunty Jackalope 9.04 boots with no problem with 256mb ram.
It will even reach the desktop before hanging with 128mb ram.

Oops, sorry. Didn't see that.
I can't read. XD

Then it sounds most likely that it's an issue with the kernel then; incompatibility with it and the old system.

rjbrewer · #12 Post by **rjbrewer** » Sat 12 Sep 2009, 22:02

Don't think it's a kernel problem!

Just loaded 425 (the new kernel) 4.3 beta using 128mb ram
with no problem at all.

I do have a 256mb swap partition on the drive....probably helps.

rjbrewer · #13 Post by **rjbrewer** » Sat 12 Sep 2009, 23:35

Let me qualify my last post;

While 424 and 425 booted easily, I've had so many weird
problems trying to make full installs work that I would
discourage it's use when trying to sort out equipment
problems.

Edit:
My full install problems were due to a dying slave hard drive
in the pc.
Works fine now.

thebeaky · #14 Post by **thebeaky** » Sun 13 Sep 2009, 07:45

Ok, so if I could get hold of a build where these are included then I might be able to run it.

Could it be possible to just change the kernal on the iso, and therefor get it running. ( I guess this would look in my mind something like taking the kernal for puppy 4.2.1 and putting it where it would have gone on puppy 424. or something similar).

would that be possible. if so, how?

I didnt quite understand what slaxerpup was though.

mikeb · #15 Post by **mikeb** » Sun 13 Sep 2009, 11:43

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=41298
slaxer_pup.

Is there a reason for not using a stable version like 4.21 or 4.12 instead of buggy alpha/beta releases that will change and have less hardware support?

mike

rjbrewer · #16 Post by **rjbrewer** » Sun 13 Sep 2009, 15:05

You have listed a number of o.s. that should boot with 256mb
ram.

Most likely a problem with your ram.

Removing and reinserting the ram cards sometimes improves the
connection.

Puppy has a quick test....menu>system>memtest.

Type "free" in console to see total.

Get a known good 256mb card to try or buy.

thebeaky · #17 Post by **thebeaky** » Sun 13 Sep 2009, 15:37

Just that I was hoping to get webcam drivers working for my camera which is relativily new.
its not a major issue, but would be helpful.

I am still learning the ideas of linux, and dont understand that much about building. I would like to learn, but its gonna take some time.

I'll try out this slaxer link.

( getting married in a couple of hours so it may take some time to get back on this one).

thanks for all your help.

mikeb · #18 Post by **mikeb** » Sun 13 Sep 2009, 16:30

getting married in a couple of hours so it may take some time to get back on this one

Congratulations

best wishes

mike

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Newer Linux live CDs won't boot; some older ones will

Newer Linux live CDs won't boot; some older ones will

future?

Almost there

just one, not a major one