Help with Kubuntu?

Vladimir · May 21, 2008

I've installed it on my laptop, but whenever I start it, I get that command thing that quits when I type 'exit', then I get a few error messages on a black screen with only one, blank window that doesn't seem to do anything.

If you need to know which errors there are, I'll look at them tomorrow, I don't feel like doing it today, but my father (which is a database programmer who already used Linux) thinks maybe there's something I need to configure before using it, though I have no clue on what I'm supposed to do.

I've never tried Linux before, I just wanted to install Kubuntu so I could eventually learn.

Bryce · May 21, 2008

What model is your laptop? How old is it? Ubuntu is very hard to get working on laptops. My HP dv6000 series actually only let me install with WUBI. Search google for it. But wubi installs from inside Windows. So, put windows on the laptop and then install wubi. And it'll auto add the partitions, etc. It's easier for new users to linux.

Also check out Ubuntu Forums. Search google for it. It'll be like top 1 lol.

chevre · May 21, 2008

Errors would be good. In my experience *ubuntu is one of the best distributions for laptop compatibility.

Vladimir · May 22, 2008

Bryce said:
What model is your laptop? How old is it? Ubuntu is very hard to get working on laptops. My HP dv6000 series actually only let me install with WUBI. Search google for it. But wubi installs from inside Windows. So, put windows on the laptop and then install wubi. And it'll auto add the partitions, etc. It's easier for new users to linux.

Also check out Ubuntu Forums. Search google for it. It'll be like top 1 lol.

It's a Windows Vista Home Premium that I bought last November.

****, I can't attach my DxDiag.

Vladimir · May 22, 2008

Double post.

I tried installing Ubuntu instead.
It does the same thing.

First, it goes in BusyBox and I have to type 'exit' while having the CD in the drive (sometimes more than once) to make it start.
Then I see a wallpaper and a window saying 'Verifying Installation' or something. When it gets to 100%, I get that error saying 'No root file system is defined, please correct this from the partitioning menu.'

chevre · May 22, 2008

When you set up your partitions did you set one to mount as / ?

Vladimir · May 25, 2008

chevre said:
When you set up your partitions did you set one to mount as / ?

I didn't set up any partition or seen anything related to that during the installation process.

baconbit · May 25, 2008

Most laptops have this thing that keeps them as vista only now. My brothers did and he managed a way around it.

Bryce · May 25, 2008

Ubuntu Forums has an EXCELLENT guide on it. I think it's for any dv9000 to 6000 series laptops. Or just boot into Vista and install wubi. It'll work fine as it auto setups Ubuntu as a dual boot.

chevre · May 25, 2008

genbaby said:
Most laptops have this thing that keeps them as vista only now. My brothers did and he managed a way around it.

That seems unlikely. Where did you hear this?

Darksun, does the livecd boot okay?

Vladimir · May 25, 2008

chevre said:
Darksun, does the livecd boot okay?

What?

genbaby said:
Most laptops have this thing that keeps them as vista only now. My brothers did and he managed a way around it.

I doubt it, it works fine when I turn it on, I get the menu where I get to choose between K/Ubuntu and Vista, it only starts acting weird when I choose K/Ubuntu and it goes to BusyBox.

Also, I can't exit BusyBox without having the CD in the driver. Well, I doubt I can, didn't try but I hear the CD working when I type 'exit'.

baconbit · May 31, 2008

Well it is going to turn on fine just when you try to start using kubuntu it will not do what you want that is what happened with my bro.

paddedhawk · May 31, 2008

1) did you download the Cd from ubuntu?
2) if you did was it the livecd? (should be the first option you saw) if you chose this one you can try it out without installing it on your computer - yet another nice feature of most Linux distributions
3)How to dual-boot Vista with Linux (Vista installed first)

this shows you how to partition the drives with vista, and then how to set up a dual boot so you will still have vista on you computer.

Vladimir · May 31, 2008

I doubt there would be a menu to choose from my operating systems in the first place if I'm not supposed to be able to run something else than Vista. And I doubt they would be stupid enough to block Ubuntu.

jay, I ordered the CD and installed it inside Windows. The thingie about testing it before installing didn't work.

paddedhawk · May 31, 2008

oh.

I don't really know about installing ubuntu inside of windows except that it can be done. if your having problems with that and you can't find a solution for it, i would recommend setting up a true dual boot. just use the directions from that link in my earlier post. it's not as hard as you might think.

baconbit · May 31, 2008

DarkSunDS said:
I doubt there would be a menu to choose from my operating systems in the first place if I'm not supposed to be able to run something else than Vista. And I doubt they would be stupid enough to block Ubuntu.

Wel my bros blocked everything but vista.

Ben · May 31, 2008

I find it hard to believe that a computer manufacture would purposely block linux... i've never heard of a company deliberately blocking it.

They may not make it easy to install linux and they won't give you any tech support, but they won't do things specifically to stop you from installing linux. It may be very difficult to run linux particularly on newer laptops due to driver issues etc.

Also if you don't know what your doing it is really easy to mess up a linux install. You can mess up alot of things that would result in the linux install not working or even you being unable to access other installed operating systems and having to use restore disks to fix the computer.

It seems to me like most people in that thread have no idea what they're talking about tbh and all info is coming from blindly messing around with it or is of the my friend or whoever said its like this.

Ubuntu and i presume kubuntu since they're based on teh same thing do have a new feature which lets them install in windows and thus can run them like that. Virtualization where you simulate a whole other computer inside of your current operating system linux or windows is also possible with virtually any linux distro.

This stuff is really hard to explain, but believe me manufacturers do not purposely block linux from being installed... They generally also however don't support linux being installed meaning that you may run into compatibility or other issues when you try to install it.

baconbit · May 31, 2008

I repeat it's not just linux they made it vista only. I repeat not just blocking linux even old windows xp can't be used unless you override this function.

Vladimir · Jun 1, 2008

It would've been made public for a looooong time, and I've never heard of it, so I can't really believe that... >.>

paddedhawk · Jun 1, 2008

genbaby said:
I repeat it's not just linux they made it vista only. I repeat not just blocking linux even old windows xp can't be used unless you override this function.

If that was even close to being true, Microsoft is on the fast track for a new round of antitrust lawsuits.