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Today I tried to install Damn Small Linux on a computer with an Intel Celeron processor from about '98 or '99, about 64 mb of RAM, and about 1 gb ...
  1. 09-03-2006 #1
    eraker
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    Possible Bad Sectors on Hard-Drive

    Today I tried to install Damn Small Linux on a computer with an Intel Celeron processor from about '98 or '99, about 64 mb of RAM, and about 1 gb of hard drive space, but when I tried to partition the drive using cfdisk, I was told there was a fatal error and the disk could "not be opened". After that, I thought I might be able to format it during an install, but that didn't work. Instead, it wiped the drive and told me it was installing files but then nothing. I can, however, still boot from the live cd.

    I've been trying to figure out what to do with this computer for a friend who just arrived from Africa and who cannot afford any new hardware, so I thought a small linux distro might help him out. Still, I read today that a distro like DSL is meant to be run from a CD or from a usb drive and that its hard drive installer is somewhat buggy.

    Here's my question:

    Should I just try another distro? If so, which one should I try? (I was thinking possibly debian here because the computer's owner really only wants to do word processing and spreadsheet/office stuff for school).

    OR

    Should I perhaps assume that the hard drive might be bad and find some way of testing it?

    Thank you immensely for any help you can offer.
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  2. 09-03-2006 #2
    devils casper
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    Hi !!

    try UBCD ... scan and fix HardDisk errors.... it works great.....




    .... casper ....
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  3. 09-03-2006 #3
    rcgreen
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    The linux installer (of any distro) will test the drive
    when it formats it. Just install some normal distribution
    of your choice. Many live CDs can be installed to
    disk, but I believe they need more RAM than a normal
    install, because the whole filesystem is in memory.
    Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
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  4. 09-03-2006 #4
    eraker
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    The linux installer (of any distro) will test the drive
    when it formats it.
    I was thinking that might be the case. I think devils_casper's suggestion is a good one, but I'm having trouble tracking down an iso copy of UBCD. I might just try to install debian, but the problem is that I'm not sure which architecture to go for. Any guesses?
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  5. 09-03-2006 #5
    devils casper
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    Hi !!!

    I'm having trouble tracking down an iso copy of UBCD.
    did you try the link i gave in last post........
    here it is....



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  6. 09-03-2006 #6
    antidrugue
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    Quote Originally Posted by eraker
    I'm having trouble tracking down an iso copy of UBCD.
    You can download it from here :
    http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html

    Quote Originally Posted by eraker
    I might just try to install debian, but the problem is that I'm not sure which architecture to go for. Any guesses?
    What kind of machine do you have ? If it is a desktop system, than I guess your machine is a i386.

    More about that here :
    http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/per...a64-em64t.html
    "To express yourself in freedom, you must die to everything of yesterday. From the 'old', you derive security; from the 'new', you gain the flow."

    -Bruce Lee
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  7. 09-03-2006 #7
    eraker
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    Oh, that was stupid. I just looked cursorily at the UBCD download page and didn't see any iso's files mirrored, so I assumed I couldn't get an iso. Thanks.

    As for that link regarding architecture, I've been somewhat confused about that for awhile, so that helped.
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  8. 02-04-2007 #8
    balaku
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    try...

    I have the same problems with my hard disk. Good luck I hope you will resolve your problem.
    Last edited by oz; 02-06-2007 at 04:25 AM. Reason: removed spam URL
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