Installing an Operating System without a CD

elnav-

What version of Firefox are you using? Also, I notice the appearance of the CR4 pages is very sensitive to screen resolution. With regards to loading the editor window- that seems to be a problem with the Internet connection- when my provider is traffic-challenged, loading takes a lot longer, on all my machines.

Regarding your sound problem. I am beginning to suspect a hardware problem. Try this. Turn on your speakers, volume control max, and wiggle the plug (in and out). Do you get any staticy noise out of it?

If I understand you right, you have lost sound on both the speaker jack and the earphone jack. The fact that you had sound before, and all of a sudden lost it, supports this suspecion. Unfortunately, you have no access to an alternative sound card...

Did you get a manual with the motherboard?

I am using Firefox version3.0.9 but presumably updated since I allowed automatic updates to UBUNTU and related programs. I am using a Viewsonic A75f 17" monitor set for high resolution for doing CAD work. I am running the default video circuit contained on the GIGABYTE mother board. The speakers seem to work elsewhere and I get static noise when wiggling the plugs in the computer jacks. Neither set of audio (front or back) produce sounds leading me to suspect some kind of software switch that turned off the audio channel. or else the audio chip on the MOBO has failed. but this loss of sound has happened before and reappeared just as mysteriously as it had gone. Sound came back when I was away . No idea what if any deliberate intervention was made. We have just moved and I am having trouble locating where things got put. Still unpacking a gallon in a pint pot. I would have to find a manual online.

OK, if you are getting static, less likely a hardware problem....I need to think about this a bit more.

Here's what I get for the MOBO Manual

http://america.giga-byte.com/FileList/Manual/motherboard_manual_ga-m61pme-s2_rev.2.0_e.pdf

I got stuck on the need for a static IP address in my quest for a network boot

wondering if I can use a simple network switch in stead of a the modem/router combo that's keeping me from a network boot?

wondering if I can use a simple network switch in stead of a the modem/router combo that's keeping me from a network boot?

I'm using a d-link des-1150

the special sauce lies in embedding Linux in your router. I found this project especially attractive because: 1) It's easy, and 2) it's totally free.

hey Elnav,

I've had a look at some of the prgs in your apropos list, so I have a couple of suggestions that might help with the audio. I'm assuming that sound-preferences interface doesn't work (as it doesn't in mine)

Volume control check: open a terminal and give the command:

alsamixer

This will open a small gui in your terminal, to adjust volume - use the cursor keys to move and up-down to change values.

I also had a look at other interfaces, saw gnome alsa mixer was recommended, so I installed it, using the applications menu: add/remove: Sound&Video: and you'll find it listed among the gnomes. No, you don't have to type apt-get-nuthin Just tick the box and apply changes.

The gnome alsa mixer has a few more options than the simpler alsamixer, which might help. I'll be trying this next time the skype won't work.

-------------------------------

If it is NOT a volume control issue, try this command:

alsactl restore

This should restore your original sound configurations, according to the man page:

man alsactl

---------------

that's all I have for now... good luck and hope you're hangin in there.

I'm hanging in there. Following your instructions produced this result: ------------------ screen clip ------------------------------- alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such file or directory arild@Arildlinux:~$ alsactl restore alsactl: load_state:1327: No soundcards found... arild@Arildlinux:~$ alsactl restore --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you are wondering Arild is the name of my computer to differentiate it from the four others I used to have up and running. Seeing no sound card is found does that suggest the circuit on MOBO has failed totally.

no, only there is no sound card

So what did it find on board the mother board that looked like a sound card and worked like a sound car for 18 months. Surely that must have been detected as if it was a sound card? Physically it was on MOBO but electrically it was still connected to the input and output audio jacks.

You have an audio device on the mobo but neither a audio device nor a sound card on the PCI buss will display if the driver is corrupted or gone.

Do ya remember the post with the instruction to update the driver?

Yes I remember the post with instructions to update the driver but so far every time I try and follow any instructions something happens. During my attempt to follow the instructions to restore the driver a message came up saying the program would reset. It did and now I have also lost the high resolution video and and am stuck with a resolution so low I can no longer see even this website without needing to scroll from side to side. The sound never did come back. I'm afraid that if I continue to make changes I may end up with a completely dysfunctional computer and will be unable even to call for help. If a choice shows up on the computer screen I don't know enough about Linux to judge what is the correct response. This remaining computer is my lifeline to the outside world. I had thought it was reasonably secure because most malware is directed at windows computers. We have no telephone but a couple of our friends were leaving their computers running 24/7 in any case so before my sound disappeared we could at least skype them and they could use a land line to call someone for us. Hopefully the repaired hard drives will arrive by bus in a couple of days and we can pick them up at the country store where the bus stops for passengers. In the meantime I am extremely leery about risking any further screwups by me because I am not that familiar with Linux. I don't think this is a virus just a glitch since others have also had the sound quit on them. Unfortunately if I screw up I may also cut off the only means of getting any further help.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! Especially Bwire and Cwarner; for your patient and careful replies. If the advice has not yet produced the desired result blame my own ignorance and incompetence with Linux. I feel so stupid and old. There was a time when I could assemble a computer from bits and pieces. At one time I even knew how to write code. This was back when the Intel 8008 was the latest and hottest chip on the market. Now technology has passed me by and I am totally dependent on help from younger guys like yourself. I strive to keep my mind active lest I become a vegetable with a blank mind.

During my attempt to follow the instructions to restore the driver a message came up saying the program would reset. It did and now I have also lost the high resolution video and and am stuck with a resolution so low I can no longer see even this website without needing to scroll from side to side.

That's quite normal actually— http://linuxfud.wordpress.com/2007/02/14/how-to-reset-ubuntugnome-settings-to-defaults-without-re-installing/

Installing Linux drivers for the ASUS MOBO, these are found on the disc that came with the mobo:

First you'll need to copy the drivers to your /home directory. You don't need to use cmd line now. Just right-click on the desktop and create a new folder (change its name to e.g. 'drivers'). Then (if you are using the Gnome desktop manager) there's a drop-down menu 'Places' in the top left hand corner of the screen. Click on it and then click on 'Computer', open you cdrom and copy/paste the linux drivers to the folder you created. Then open the command line and type:
cd Desktop/drivers/name_of_the_audio_directory
ls
If you could type the output of the command 'ls'
If you see any file ending with tar.bz2 or tar.gz then you'll need to 'unpack' the file.
tar xvjf nameofthefile.tar.bz2
or
tar xvzf nameofthefile.tar.gz

If it was successful, enter the unpacked directory 'cd nameofthedirectory' that was created and 'ls' again.
There also should be a file like 'INSTALL' or 'README' which obviously contains instructions about installing the driver.
What does it say?

lshw is a command that will list your hardware.the last line for each item gives configuration information: the name of the driver and the module should be there.

lsmod is a command that will list the modules currently installed. you can use it to look for the driver/module listed in lshw

man modprobe to learn about this command and how to use it to install or reinstall a module that isn't working.

Here is a generic resource (for various * buntu) to read about sound troubleshooting https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SoundTroubleshooting

I notice that under the heading "Is the sound card physically installed and recognized by your hardware" they use the command lspci -v instead of lshw. lspci doesn't work on mine so I recommend lshw.

Scroll down to the "Manual Installation" section, where it describes the use of the modprobe command.

Note: if the necessary modules are listed by lsmod, but not working, in my experience it will sometimes do the trick to remove the module and reinstall it.

You can do this with modprobe, or if you prefer to stick with simple commands, there are two trivial programs: rmmod "your module" will remove it. followed by insmod "your module" to install.

This may make easier the climb

http://lifehacker.com/software/ubuntu/hack-attack-top-10-ubuntu-apps-and-tweaks-195437.php

Adapt your desktop CD/DVD to notebook CD connector

Isn't that for using a laptop cd on a desk top pc?

"desktop" that bit of nomenclature gets confusing especially in linux land

Think...of the order listed in BIOS

The IDE HDD and FDD connection is identical

I can't figure you going that way linux is the easiest system to crack??

ok lets assume this would let me plug a regular fullsized cd dvd into the HDD[ide] slot on the laptop.

I would load the bios update in?

yep or O/S or boot from it

This slimline CD-ROM to desktop IDE adapter is used for converting a notebook style CD-ROM or DVD drive that has a 50-pin connector to a desktop enhanced IDE (ATA) 40-pin connector. This adapter is necessary if you are planning to use a slimline CD/DVD drive with a Mini-ITX mainboard.

The above description leads me to beleive that it's for using a laptop cd on a fullsized pc

I almost understand

Bios update I get

what good would being able to boot [OS] from the cd do?

have it on the ram & reinstall the HDD?

what would that procedure be?

I missed your answer earlier, and I think you're right ANY flavor of Linux should be forgiving as far as loading the hard drive on one machine and moving it to another. As I said earlier we use to use the same image to load multiple machines with windows 98.

I'm sure Microsoft figured this out and intentionally made it as difficult as possible starting with windows 2000.

I struck out on finding a pc cd to notebook cd card extender adapter. no 12volt on a notebook I guess?

which makes a HDD adapter, look like a better option.

still a couple of weeks away from money

All these ideas including use of the serial port first require an O/S.

I think all this maybe caused by the damaged CD, get it out of there.

Set running all day but it wasn't working, try set on top of something frozen see if then works many others have this issue resolved by cooling.

One of the choices on bios for booting is FDD [floppy disc drive], is that [option] there in case this version of bios was installed on a fullsized machine?

I wonder which hole [access port] is hooked to this option?

If you had a floppy drive with usb interface, the machine might recognize this as a valid floppy...

You're gonna like this...

oh I saw it & considered it but the 4g usb flash was free from a friend, the same size CF $ 35. & seemed like [the usb] it would be more useful overall.

Let me try all my [other ] favorite computer nerds. I won't have any spare funds until after I start back with the census in a couple of weeks. So I can't do much of anything until then.

hijack away YW,

if 7 is as much fun as vista my condolences

Scrounge that site an find the laptop to desktop CD adapter card $9

This is the leading option, should I have to buy something

as I said nice little widgit, for laptops in general

I'm gonna spend a few more mintues on artsmiths proposed solution & see if i can make sense of it...

And Hello Garthh:

It seems you've got enough advice to keep you occupied until you get back to work, just digesting all the information.

The little I would add is most of it seems to be correct particularly about needing an operating system for the serial port.

I did check with my resident expert in the old knowledge. If somehow you are to able to load DOS to get the serial port running (which I know you can't because you don't have a floppy) then you need a special crossover cable and you can load computer to computer via the serial port.

According to him network loading is no problem of course he hasn't done it since he was in school but he said it was no big thing. If you go computer to computer again you would need a crossover cable. Over the land no problem.

In the past he had run into a similar problem, that is no operational CD on a laptop he had, his one advantage was that he did have an operational floppy drive and was able to load dos.

He copied the windows operating system to the laptop hard drive on his desktop, started the computer with dos and was able to install windows from the hard drive.

PS: windows 7 seems to be a decent operating system unfortunately the 64 bit version is very finicky particularly to drivers, and of course I loaded the 64 bit. So I've had a crash course in solving Microsoft's problems. Heavy emphasis on the crash.

this is another command line resource, not as easy to read as the above, but I notice he starts with tab completion and a command called "echo" which I haven't used - both of these features are to help to avoid problems due to a missed space, spello or trying to run something that isn't there. These are all fatal errors in a command, and the longer the command, the more chance of missing some little thing - most common cause of failure to execute as expected.

I was encouraged to get the habit of tab completion and it does help, as well as saving a lot of keystrokes.

On times when nothing works, over and over, I recommend a BEER or something completely relaxing and distracting (digging stumps and burning brush, you say?)

Thanks for the GREAT Linux links and a GA for you!!

It's all here

https://help.ubuntu.com/community

the hard part is asking the right question

Help files are the hardest part to get right

The best help files for an application is the widget on office 2003 for excel & to a lessor degree Access for building formulas.

office 07 is a giant step backwards, everything being online & not nearly as interactive

If I were to download UBUNTU 9.04 OR 9.10 do I first have to burn it to a CD or can I put it on a USB memory stick then install a fresh system from there. My BIOS gives me the option to boot from 'other' not just Floppy, CD, or Hard drive. As soon as my windows machine is up and running so I have Skype available plus email I am going to erase this scrambled Linux copy and do a fresh install. Second question. I think someone said UBUNTU 9.1 was 64 bit but UBUNTU 8.04 was only 32 bit. How do I verify if my chip set can run 32 or 64 bit Operating System?

you'll need more RAM for 64bit and I can't figure you needing 64bit?

How to install ubuntu using USB

In short here's what you do:

Prepare the USB flash drive

Boot the computer from your USB flash drive.

Install Ubuntu as you would from a normal boot CD

Prerequisites

A running Ubuntu 8.04 or any ubuntu version installation

A USB device (stick, pen-drive, USB hard disk) that has already been formatted with FAT32 and has enough free space to hold your Ubuntu installation image

A Ubuntu CD image downloaded from the Ubuntu servers or mirrors (*.iso file) or from here
Step 1

On the root directory of your USB device, create a folder "install"
Copy the installer kernel and the initramdisk into this folder (Download source below.You need the files "vmlinux" and "initrd.gz").

Download source for the installer kernel and initramdisk

For AMD64 Download from here (http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/hardy/main/installer-amd64/current/images/hd-media/) (Sorry! Link no longer available.)

For i386 Download from here (http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/hardy/main/installer-i386/current/images/hd-media/) (Sorry! Link no longer available.)

You need to download the files "vmlinux" and "initrd.gz".

Step 2

Note: You need to have the installer that fits the architecture of your Ubuntu version you want to install. In other words, you need a amd64 installer if you want to install an amd64 Ubuntu .iso image and the i386 installer for an i386 iso.

Step 3

From the installation iso image you downloaded, copy the folder "isolinux" to the root directory of your USB device (right-click on the .iso file, choose "extract here"). Rename "isolinux" into "syslinux". Go inside the directroy "syslinux". There, rename the file "isolinux.cfg" into "syslinux.cfg".

Step 4

Make the stick bootable: Use fdisk to set the boot flag,

Install syslinux using the following command

sudo aptitude install syslinux

Now use syslinux to install a boot sector on your USB device

sudo syslinux /dev/sdbX

where sdbX is the device name and number of your USB device, check with "sudo mount". A file called "ldlinux.sys" will be created in the root direcotry of the USB device.

Step 5

Copy the Ubuntu CD image in the root directory of your USB device (Contents of USB you can see as follows).If you are using i386 you need to copy the complete .iso image in to the root directory of your USB device.

I may have missed something in between, but in the beginning he said that booting from USB was not an option in his BIOS.

We were hoping that a BIOS update would change that, but I don't remember reading if that happened or not, or if it brought the needed USB Boot possibility......

But if the BIOS will not boot from USB (old Laptops did not always have this possibility!), then it does not help him.....

Hi Andy,

You're transposing the conversations

Elnav hijacked the thread to try to solve his sound problem, his much newer MOBO will support booting from usb. [there is no problem with this, Elnav, I've encouraged it]

The thread has turned into unbuntu corner

there was a small interlude where B tried to solve my vista blockage, but it was not to be [yuck, yuck]. I've relegated this vista piece of nonsense [hp lap] to netbook status, having never come to terms with the file system, missing all the convieniences, but chocked full of redundent security wigidts....apparently designed just for him [B], causing him [B] once again to stomp off in disgust.

I keep my personal files on a ex HDD which is apparently beyond my understanding of vista to integrate into a easy to use solution. I can use all the files, it just takes an inordinate amount of mouse clicks to do it.

This is frustrating to me, considering that when I plug this USB ex HDD into an xp or unbuntu machine, all is well & easy. I can even access these files across my home network except when it's plugged into the vista machine. B has tried to give me procedures at various times across multiple threads [much to his credit].

I shut up & listen for the most part when B is giving computer advice but, when it comes to vista, I become irrational having had to fully restore this machine several times in the last year & spent literally days trying to unsuccessfully make sense of it

I still waiting for money before I buy the as yet undetermined hardware to take another run at resurrecting my dead gateway notebook.

Has anyone seen a combination card extender / converter, that would let me plug a fullsized cd/dvd into the 50 pin port that formally held the mini cd/dvd on a notebook?

I see plenty for USB use or even for using mini's on fullsized.....

I think I think I should give you the benefit of doubt and lay it out for you again in less cryptic detail.

** Yes I realize all the stuff is either on an external drive or even on another computer in the network; that's all fine and the nature of this fix doesn't effect either. This procedure isn't involved in nor will it reflect any change or reconfigure any network, computer sharing or protocols.

Using this procedure you may simplify transfer of files, photos etc.. both within the computer, network profile and across town, state or country but we'll not need all that.

Pay close attention...

On the Vista machine open the start menu; it's the button in the lower left corner of the screen and may have a windows logo on it, on the right hand side of the menu panel you'll find a Pictures button right click it. At the bottom select Properties and in the next panel at the top select the Location tab. On the location panel designate the location of the picture file you want to access F:\my pictures\thumbnails etc. press apply the yes to all.

And until you change or reset the location to default you may access these photos by opening the start menu and clicking the Pictures button. But as I described in a previous post I would do this in a new user account on the Vista machine.

I haven't been able to sort out how to boot from network.

I'm getting stuck on the setting a range of addresses, it's been a week or so the details are a little fuzzy. I think I need a static ip address, my IP provider is less than helpful. telling me they'll be happy to sell me one for $4/month....

I haven't found a suitable card extender/converter to plug a 40 pin cd cable [+power], into the 50 pin connector on the busted notebook

I may buy the converter for the hard drive & do an install on my pc with working cd & hope it works when I put it back in the busted notebook.

I have a simple work group switch, for using more than one computer on a single cat5 wire [network], b says this will work, not sure how to do this either.

I can't do anything until I get paid unless I can figure out the boot from network.

the stump required a couple hours of digging & chopping with an axe, looks good, horses don't trip anymore

no problem at all hijacking the thread here in linux corner

helping Elnav is not off topic...

If you had setup boot from network before this debacle occurred you'd have a chance at it but otherwise you're dead in the water without an O/S.

AMD had a method to bypass the O/S and go online...still ignoring Dos eh? The BIOS you have will read DOS from a USB.

I don't understand what I would do with dos 7 wasn't it?

I could have updated the bios to do boot from USB too

hindsight is usually pretty good, somewhere close to 20/20

Garth,

in the first post you made for this blog, you said no usb boot......is that still valid after you updated the BIOS?

I have tried to ignore the Elnav stufff as it doesn't belong here, but it also makes the whole blog confusing and difficult to read (and 100% understand!)

Hi Andy,

haven't updated the bios, don't see how to get it in there?

Be happy to give stuff a try, later today

any suggestion are still most welcome

Maybe I don't understand & there are ways to do things without an OS?

Gaarth, I just had a look to see if I could find you a solution, if I understand correctly you do have USB. There's a simpler installation alternative that requires grub installed first.

Super Grub Disk can be installed from USB, and the USB version is available here:

http://www.supergrubdisk.org/index.php?pid=7

The simpler installation, which avoids having to frig around with configuring a DHCP or TFTP server, is here:https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/NetbootInstallFromInternet

There's documentation linked on the SGD USB page that probably gives the specific instructions you need. Some other descriptions of how the super grub disk works can be read at:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RecoveringUbuntuAfterInstallingWindows

hope this helps

I thought that you had floppy and floppy boot, have I erred (again)?

The broken notebook has the option to boot from floppy, there is not an actual floppy disc drive.

the whole floppy boot thing is confusing, the term doesn't always refer to hard ware seemingly

It simply refers to devices, that if connected, can be used for booting....

Theoretically, if you knew someone who could program, and you had a Floppy drive that was connected, you could boot into DOS, load a driver to read from a USB and load the rest from a CD (in a USB drive or stick) to get an OS onboard!!

Well beyond me I am afraid!!!

B wire has referred to using Dos, once again not sure how to get it on board.

I have a floppy drive, but alas nowhere to plug it in

I worked on artsmiths solution a bit, still stuck on how to get the linux box set up as a server.

Its a bit academic really, as without someone of extraordinary knowledge of PCs and DOS, it will never happen.....its just theoretically possible......sorry.

figured that,

it appears similar to working in terminal in linux

I vagley remember doing some stuff in dos & playing with basic in a class in the late 80's.

I've spent most of my computer time over the years on hardware problems of PLC's in food plants, the networks were very simple, assign a node number & it just worked, maybe alter a parameter here & there. problems of the simple inputs or outputs breaking were much more common. any software problems, were usually taken care of by manually reseting a fault or downloading a program. occasionally looked at the ladder logic to diagnose a problem [find bad hardware by symptom].

I can't figure out how to get to the router programming & make it act like a server or a static IP, not nearly as friendly as your basic linksys [cisco] router. the zyxel was issued with the DSL connection. still being broke I'm not in a hurry to replace it.

gotta go work some today,

I'll spend some more time on the network solution later, which involves getting the linux pc set up as a server. I think I missed a package & have to go over it again

I wonder about the possibility of setting up a more limited network [no internet] just to allow me to boot & install an OS...using the simple workgroup switch.

Still the original challenge remains, give a good shot at fixing the busted laptop with the resources at hand.

I don't want to throw good money after bad

hey Garthh,

I'm on my lunch break . I'll try to help if I can... were you not able to download super grub disk for usb, and put it on a flash drive? Or where are you stuck.

Didn't try it

so you're saying I can load a program from the usb even though I can't boot from it?

In that case I should try to put the bios update on a flash, which would allow me to boot from USB.

I thought I tryed that, but I can give it another shot.

when I plug the flash with the 9.04 OS on it in, the busted notebook see's the usb, but won't do anything with it. I assumed that meant it wouldn't do anything with the usb, until I could either install a OS or update the bios

so the course of action would then be erase flash, install either bios update or grub [not both] on it & try again?

aha.... I knew I must have missed something. Didn't realize your problem with the BIOS. I have nothing to offer but a google says you can do it with flash: that's what Bwire was saying.

http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&q=bios+update+usb+stick&meta=&aq=0&oq=bios+update+usb&fp=8e6c6930b7d53e73

Its the chicken and egg problem, what came first?

The Laptop MUST have a BIOS that has as an option :- USB Boot.

This must be selected first, or at least before the HD....

Without this you are screwed, even with a bootable USB stick as described in the article....sadly!

It is possible (though I have not checked) that there exists a BIOS update that will add USB boot, but to install it, you need a working device in the Boot Preference table......

Chicken or egg?

hmmm... chicken with no egg, maybe.

If Garthh mentioned the BIOS he needs, I didn't catch it.. BUT there are some bios updates you can do over the internet.

Like this, for example. I assume that's not available for his particular system, or he would have found it.

He's just gonna have to ride that horse into town..

But he has (knowledge) problems in using a network to boot......

He has no working floppy drive that he can attach......

The CD is broken and he has no replacement......

USB boot is NOT an option in his current BIOS.......maybe a BIOS update will help in that aspect, but how will he get it into the laptop?......

and and and and and............

Its still too difficult for Garth to use a network......as I see it, until the (hopefully) newer BIOS has USB boot, he is screwed.....

I personally would search for a secondhand CD drive on ebay or HP Forums, that I could buy cheaply......I know its financially difficult for him, but he can throw the laptop out if he doesn't do that and cannot use a network boot/update.

Or:-

Most (but not all!) PCs and Laptops can get the BIOS updated from a suitable floppy, if I was Garth, I would invest a small sum of money in either borrowing or buying 2nd hand, a working floppy for that laptop......(assuming that a BIOS update will a) be possible via floppy or b) that a BIOS will allow USB booting when updating is completed.

Or:-

If this laptop was originally made to use a suitable "Docking Station", he could try and buy a cheap docking station, that may supply some better "attachments/connections" (he should try reading up on what it brings beforehand) that he can use to boot......"Docking Stations" usually go for little money later, but are seldom sold.....maybe he will get lucky...

No matter WHAT he does, unless he is VERY lucky, he needs to spend money to get this box running again......even if its not much money......

Hadn't thought of the docking station

Most (but not all!) PCs and Laptops can get the BIOS updated from a suitable floppy, if I was Garth, I would invest a small sum of money in either borrowing or buying 2nd hand, a working floppy for that laptop......(assuming that a BIOS update will a) be possible via floppy or b) that a BIOS will allow USB booting when updating is completed.

I don't know where that would plug in

the network requires a static address, which my provider thinks I should pay them for.

there's probably a way to have a network of 2, using the simple switch...

I don't buy anything from Ebay as paypal is evil, I don't have a credit card...

next weekend there is a e-waste event, I'll see what junk I can gather up...

I'm working for a couple more days, which will yield me some money in a couple of weeks. The money will allow me to buy an adapter for the hard drive, which can then get plugged into the IDE bus on the linux box & reformatted to unbuntu from a working CD....

Some older laptops (I still have one from Toshiba) use a port/slot that either a floppy drive or a CD drive can use in the main body of the laptop.....

There is also a connector on the side or back, so that when you want to have the CD and the floppy in use together, you can plug a small box (with a short cable) into that socket and the floppy drive will fit into that "box" and be usable simultaneously with the CD drive in the main slot in the laptop.....

That laptop will only use the floppy, CD or HD to boot, no USB installed at all except for a plug in card, but its not a boot option....

I would be surprised if there was no floppy interface to plug in, even if its only HP's own design., so to say....it could be proprietry....

Garthh-

Did you get the right Ubuntu configuration on your usb? The Ubuntu site has instructions in how to make a usb bootable- apparently, it's a little different than the LiveCD. You obviously have access to a working computer- can you boot from the usb on your working computer?

On the Windows computer, download and save ubuntu-9.10-descktop-i386.iso from http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download. Remember where you saved it.

Use the Windows computer to format your USB memory stick (FAT32)'

Go to http://www.pendrivelinux.com/create-a-u … n-windows/ and follow the very easy steps there to prepare your USB memory stick to install Ubuntu 9.10.

Without your USB memory stick inserted, turn on while continually pressing (not press & hold) "Delete". That should get you into the BIOS. If it does not, turn off and repeat this step until it does.

My BIOS is American Megatrends V02.58. Once in the BIOS, right-arrow to "Boot". Up/Down-arrow to highlight "Boot Device Priority" and press "Enter".

Press "+" until "1st Boot Device" is [USB:Generic-Multi]'

Save and exit the BIOS.

Turn off.

Insert the USB memory stick and turn on.

Follow the on-screen instructions to install your Ubuntu 9.10.

I have a USB stick that works fine when I boot to it[this vista machine]

the problem is I don't have the updated bios V02.58, I'm still on V02.57 which doesn't support booting from USB.

I don't understand how to install the update to the bios...

I don't have access to DOS

Only Bios [press F2]

Or the Gateway windows XP restore console.

Dear bwire,

how often must we tell you this:-

"Garth has NO USB boot option in his PRESENT BIOS"

It was written in the very first post from Garth I believe......that is the REAL PROBLEM he has, the rest (once that is fixed) is very simple!! Almost anyone can do the rest!!!

With no USB boot in the BIOS, he is screwed!!!

According to the BIOS distro USB boot is an option—check it again

And there is a HP code to enable this and I have it somewhere...but check that BIOS again the capability is there in the advanced modes

NOT YET!!! His BIOS is downlevel........it is WITHOUT USB BOOTING!!!

Read the opening post in this blog and #174, both from the Great Garth himself......

More I cannot do!!! If you don't believe those two posts, you will never believe anything we write here!!!!

He should be looking for Legacy USB, On
Seek floopy drive, On

Doesnt need to be bootable as you arent booting from it.

just to flash BIOS

...he also doesn't have a floppy drive compatible to the laptop either as I understand it, he seems he never bothered to buy the floppy drive at the time. (I am assuming here that as "floppy Boot" is in the BIOS, that it was possible at some point in time, to actually buy one for that particular Laptop!).

An old Toshie that I still use which is probably around the same age, came with a floppy drive, but no USB boot option......later, laptops were sold generally without a floppy, but with USB boot in the BIOS and you could buy a cheap USB floppy drive....or even an external CD drive if the internal CD went "tits up".....

As I have posted before, it is a "chicken and egg" situation. Till he has somehow got the new BIOS installed, he cannot boot from the USB port......

That is the problem in a nut (egg?) shell!

I actually got the notebook as payment, in 07. The thing had barely been turned on for the 1st 2 years of it's life.

I've got another day of work this week & a fence to mend before I'll sit down to fiddle with it again.

I have to get back into the bios to get the proper info to give flashing the bios a shot, using just the version number I get the impression it's trying to flash the bios of whatever computer I'm on. I certainly don't want to jack this one [vista] up accidently, now that it's been crash free for a couple of months.

Like Elnav I get stuck in the Jargon of software sometimes.

the help goes from very simple explanation to very complex, kind of skipping over the middle.

We haven't heard from Elnav, which could be a bad sign

Elnav is still out there, but limited to accessing the Internet from a public computer these days...Still needs help. Regular e-mail does not reach him (at least from my server), but he responds to private messages through CR4.

I'm back!! Someone (bless him) gave me several extra drives. One was brand new still sealed in antistatic bag so it had never been kissed or formatted. Surprise! UBUNTU would not load and run. However an old 40 GB drive which had something on it but was protected by a lost password did allow UBUNTU 8.04 to load and run from live CD. From there it was an easy step to install it permanently and wipe out the inacessible whatever program protected by a lost password. Next hurdle is to install SKYPE butI am only able to find the BETA of Skype 2.1 for LINUX. something is missing in the UBUNTU 8.04 which dates back to last year spring . Error message says something about dependencies not being met Anybody know what is missing?

The other question has to do with why UBUNTU will not load and run on an empty Drive? When it installs it erases everything that might be on the drive.

Good to see you up and running again! Regarding the failure to load on the new HD- did the install program recognize the HD? In other words, did your BIOS automatically set the parameters correctly (heads, sectors, etc.)? Did you get to the partitioner from the live CD and were you able to set up the Partitions (one root and one swap as a minimum)? Did you specifically tell the partitioner to format the disk? (This is one that has thrown me a couple of times- there is a column in the partition screen labeled something like "Format?" with check boxes below it- it the check boxes are not checked, the program won't format the hard drive for you).

I am running Skype Beta 2.1.0.81 under Ubuntu 9.04 and 9.10 with no problems. I see from the Skype website, this version apparently is designed to function with 8.10 up. Have you updated your 8.04 installation since installing it? Go to System, Administration, Update Manager, and follow the instructions. DO NOT attempt to update to a newer release of Ubuntu until Update Manager tells you that your current system is up to date. Try loading Skype again. If you get the same dependencies not satisfied, there should be a detailed list of what is missing. You have two options at this point. You can try to find the missing dependencies with Synaptic Package Manager, or you can try updating to Ubuntu 9.04 or 9.10- my personal preference for the time being is 9.04, but that is because of some wierd testing I am doing with 9.10 which makes it seem a bit unstable. If you don't need to update to a later version for Skype (i.e., you can find the dependencies), then 8.04 is a really stable, easy to use version- I still run it on one of my computers.

Hope this helps.

Yes the BIOS recognized the HD but the install from Ubuntu never got going. Every attempt at booting from CD failed. I even went in and altered the BIOS so every boot choice was CD-ROM not HDD or Floppy.

HoweverI changed to a used drive and it worked perfectly from same CD. First in demo mode where you run from CD and when you shut down the CD strops and leaves no trace on HD. Having proved the CD was not flawed.

I rebooted, then when Heron desktop showed; I selected the 'install' icon by clicking that and the program installed perfectly. From this I concluded some small but vital file was missing on the non formatted HDD. And the live UBUNTU CD did not contain it either. Maybe it was something like F disk or Linux equivalent. I am not familiar with the live CD to understand all the details and intricacies of how to format and partition a drive. When I clicked "INSTALL" It gave me a few options such as use entire space or use part space or make it a dual boot by not erasing the original software. I chose use all available space since I did not want it wasting space

And 40GB was really too small to be partitioned in a useful way in my opinion. think I ended up with one root and one swap partition as the default selected by the install program. No I did not specifically tell the partitioner to format the disk and with the raw drive I never got to a point where I was asked any such question. The CD simply declined to run at all.

Whoops I have not specifically updated 8.04 to 8.10 although 387 updates got downloaded and installed. I will go to Update manager and check it out. After the 387 downloads and installs I did see a message that my system was up to date.

Error message says: Dependencies not satisfiable. Libasound2

I tried to find libasound2 but did not find anything that could be downloaded. I did learn it was needed for the sound system.

I had heard Ubuntu 8.04 was really stable ( except for sound stuff apparently)

Am not really keen on going to bleeding edge of the latest and greatest technology. just want a working appliance not some gee whiz toy.

To get the missing "libasound2", go to http://packages.ubuntu.com/. There will be a list of distributions to select from- ignore this. At the bottom of the page is a search section. Use the section called "Search Package Directories". Select Distribution- "Hardy". Type "libasound2" in the Keyword block, and hit "Search". This will return a list of matching names. One of these (the first one, when I did it) has the exact name of the package, with an underlined "hardy". Click on this. The next page gives you the option to download either an i386 version or AMD64 version. I suspect you are working with an Intel machine in 32 bit, so select the i386 and download it. You will be asked if you want to save the file or open with Package manager. Open with package manager. This will automatically build the package into your system.

You should be able to load Skype after that- or you may have to add the plug-ins package (libasound2-plugins) found in the same way we found libasound2 above. See if this solves your problem with Skype.

I dumped the Intel chipset and mother board and installed a Gigabyte MOBO with an AMD Semprom processor running 2.1 GHz However I have not selected any other package running anything but 32 bits to the best of my knowledge so does it matter which choice /i select?

Try the AMD version first. If it is the wrong one, the system will complain loudly, but not break. When you get Skype up and running, give me a call.

Is your sound working?

Yes sound is working with the usual start up sounds chiming in.

I am guessing here, but NTFS format probably on the new drive that caused the problems..

Linux uses older FAT systems I believe, you probably only needed to re-format the drive with FAT32 and it would have probably worked fine.

I would have thought that Ubuntu could format if needed, it seems strange that it could (apparently) not!!!

Thats my best guess.....

I'm trying,

thanks for staying with me

I got the string from the AMI, took about 23 trys to get the screen to pause in the right spot

once I got it, couldn't figure out what to do with it, ami's site indicating, they only offer downloads for MOBO's they built

looks like the same stuff I found elsewhere on the gateway site, EXE's?

how are those gonna run, with out XP?

as far as I can tell, I have 2 connections to the bus [PCI]

I would love to be able to connect to the bus, throught the CD slot [50 pin], I have not seen a suitable converter/connector/extender, I only see the ones for the opposite, connecting a mini cd to a PC

I had seen the USB lagacy setting on the advanced tab of bios & tried both [dis]enabled when I was trying to download 9.04 through flash/usb route

I won't order anything until the end of next week, when I get paid

What's the string you got? Given that, maybe we can give you layman's instructions in how to get the BIOS updated, without an operating system (something I did with my new Toshiba, but I am not sure it will work with your older Gateway).

here's everything on the screen

American Megatrends bios

date: 10.05/04 13:44

Ver:08.00.09

CPU Mobile Intel (RR) Pentium 4

3.06 GHZ

(C) American Megatrends

63-0100-000002-00101111-100504-MONTARA-52.00.14-Y2KC

here's the AMI page i was looking at

http://www.ami.com/support/bios.cfm

OK. So far, we can tell this is not an AMI motherboard. It is using an Intel Montara chip set, with an Intel Pentium 4 processor. You are using AMBIOS Version 8.00.09. It looks like the program you want is the AFUDOS, which is downloaded from the site in a zip file. The kicker is "Copy the AFUDOS.EXE executable file to any storage location accessible by the host system and then run AFUDOS in command prompt". The *.exe file will be in the compressed download, along with an instruction set, usually in raw text format (read this with Notepad). The kicker is the "copy to any storage location accessible by the host system". If we had a storage location accessible by the host system, we wouldn't be going through this operation!

I am really surprised that a bios dating from 2004 does not have usb boot capabilities. There is the possibility that your usb drive has not been set up properly as a boot device. Have a look at https://fedorahosted.org/liveusb-creator/, as recommended on the Ubuntu documentation page, https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick. According to this page, "The 9.10 CDs and DVDs are missing the usb-creator.exe program used by the Windows installation processes discussed below. To install the i386 desktop version to a flash drive from a disk image on Windows, use the incredibly easy process described at http://www.pendrivelinux.com/create-a-ubuntu-9-10-live-usb-in-windows/ . When you boot the resulting live persistent USB, you can install to your hard disk if you wish at any time, or not.

Can you boot another computer from your usb stick image?

Okay good...so you have an Intel mobo, call their support line. Yeah don't think it, in the series you have they will give you (2) two free trouble calls an make good use of them. It may difficult but try to seem as if you're not knowledgeable and only trying make their computer run again. Intel support will say it's an OEM board and not care to support it but tell'em it's out of warranty and gateway is not supporting it. I've done this several times get the BIOS update downloaded and have them describe how to setup the BIOS/enable USB boot. You take up to 12hrs per free support call

Afterwards you can of course ditch Intel

ah got it 1st I'll go poke around the Intel 1st & get the lay of the land as it were. not exactly sure what this part below means. My best guess is intel will field 2 calls per MOBO. not sure what I'm not supposed to think.

Okay good...so you have an Intel mobo, call their support line. Yeah don't think it, in the series you have they will give you (2) two free trouble calls an make good use of them.

To CW

I got the fedora USB tool on board my 8.04 box & a nice fresh copy of 9.04, coulnd't quite figure out how to bring the 2 of them together. Can't figure out how to turn the usb tool on. I'm trying to do it all linux. The fedora help/faq is one of those holes I was talking about, the knowledge base has a hole between installing & advanced, I seem to always stumble/fall in

gotta go count a few people this morning...

Have you installed the usb-creator? You most likely downloaded a zipped tar file

• liveusb-creator-3.9.tar.bz2

and now this must be unpacked and built into a package. It may be self-building, I'm not sure (it turns out that in my 9.04 version of Ubuntu, the package is included already).

Is this where you are, or have you gotten further along? I am not sure of your experience level on Linux, so I may be asking some pretty basic questions here, bear with me. I also just sent the wife out to buy a new usb stick, and I am going to be doing the process along with you from my 8.04 box. I think once we get the usb-creator installed and running properly, it is going to be pretty straight-forward (the reason I sent the wife out to buy a new usb stick is because she is hogging the 8.04 computer and I need time to set this up!).

Do you use Pidgin messenger?

I did extract the zippered tarfile

that's about as far as I got

I have a skype account, but don't have it set up on any of these computers or have a mic

we can do it on regular email

here is fine though

I'll go take a look around the documentation site, you gave me some of the terms, so I can do some searching

I only picked 8.04 because of the LTS

I'm ready to do a 9.04 build

might as well work through the little obstacles, 1st though

OK, Garthh- I have decided that the Fedora usb-creator is a bit complicated for us at this time, because it requires building a python package, which requires having python installed, etc. Besides, I found a *.deb package of the program, and it is always better and easier to install a *.deb package (and it takes care of your unsatisfied dependencies, usually- or, at least tells you about them). So, new approach:

1.Got to http://packages.ubuntu.com/.

2. Scroll down to "Search package directories". Type "usb.creator" in the keyword box. Select "hardy-backports" from the "Distribution" pull-down menu. Leave "Search on Package names" checked. Section: any. Hit Search.

3. The next window will list an "Exact hit". Click on "hardy-backports" which takes you to the package page. Down at the bottom of the page is the section, "Download usb-creator". Click on "all".

4. This takes you to the Download Page, where you have to select a mirror. Not all mirrors are created equal. I like "lug.mtu.edu/ubuntu (third entry down in the left-hand column). You may have to try one or two to get a good connection. Anyway, select your mirror and click on it.

5. You get a new pop-up window telling you that "You have chosen to open usb-creator_0.1.10~hardy_1all.deb". Select "Open with "GDebi Package Installer (default)" and click on OK. You will be asked for your password. Enter it and the package should be installed. If it doesn't install, you will be told that you have some missing dependencies, but this all went well with my install on Ubuntu 8.04. This is a whole lot easier than trying to build from the Fedora package, I think. Others might disagree.

6. You should now have in your "Systems", "Administration" pull-down menu an entry, "Create a USB startup disk". Clicking on this brings up a nice little window to help you through the next steps, which should be self-explanatory.

I am not sure of your level of familiarity with Linux; I hope my instructions are not too elementary for you. I am working on an 8.04 machine as I prepare these instructions. Now, I have to go download an *.iso of 9.04 to take me to the next step (I can't find my original 9.04 CD, so I have to do this the hard way). I am going to go through the whole process in parallel with you so that I make sure you get what you are after...

If you don't mind, I would like to keep this here, because there are browsers who might also benefit from these discussions. Maybe later, I will break out the two sub-threads like I did for Haiti- but I have to finish Haiti first...

Let me know where you get with this, and we will go on to the next step.