Installation question

[Rick-Dallas]

Hey, built a new PC a few years ago. Have the ASUS 8n32 sli deluxe with 2g of memory. Currently running Vista SP1 on it. Have had no problems with it at all.

Would luv to be able to get away from Microsoft. Downloaded SUSE 10.3 and burned the ISO to a DVD. Booted up from the DVD and it (sorta) loads (I get to the splash screen) and then it times out and reboots the PC all over again. Behind the splash screen Linux says "couldn't find cd image configuration file". I re-downloaded it, checksum, the whole bit but the error persists. Only small difference is that I am NOT using a CD to boot from. I am using a DVD to boot from.

Have Rev 1205 bios from ASUS which is their latest and greatest production release. All my hardware is good stuff. I'm figuring SUSE sees something it doesn't like but I can't imagine what's not to like!

Anyone have any thoughts on what may be going on or a way to work around it? Or maybe I should try a different distro.....

Open for suggestions.

Update:

I sent ASUS an email regarding this and just got this response back from them:

"The ISO is an image file, you actually have to have the image written to a disk not just put on there as data. The unit has no way of determining what type of OS is on the disc, if it doesn't detect the boot.ini file that would render the disc useless".

Well, I (sorta) agree. I have virtually no knowledge of Linux but in the Windows world, a boot disk contains everything you need to boot up the PC from the cd/dvd. I am assuming the same would apply for Linux. Let me clarify. I didn't read anything to the contrary.

That being said, the error message DOES sorta indicate that the PC is looking for a config file. In fact, that's the exact error message. But surely if a config file was needed, one would be included in the ISO. Or maybe now I'm the one is who is being naive.......

So I guess the new question is this: Does a Live CD ISO contain a config file that the PC should be able to read? If so, why isn't the PC finding it? If not, how do I generate that file? Again, no mention of this on any of the Linux sites I've been to but maybe assumptions are being made...

So in closing, I agree there needs to be a config file but believe it should be in the ISO. But remember, I'm a Linux newbie so maybe not.......

One other clue that may help out....or not. Earlier today, I thought I would try another distro just to see what would happen. So I downloaded Ubuntu 8.04. Live CD. Did the verification and all. It boots up and leaves me sitting at a command prompt. No error messages but no GUI either. Did the Help command and tried typing in various commands to put it into a GUI mode but nothing I did helped. Maybe Ubuntu is not a GUI??? Or maybe it comes up in command line mode and another command has to be typed in to put into GUI mode?? Or maybe it's coming up in command line mode because it doesn't like the video card in my PC??

Anyway, don't know if that helps or adds to the confusion but thought I'd throw it in there.

I've been around long enough to remember the DOS command line but given that I've been working with a GUI for so long, thought it best to find a version of Linux that provides a GUI to minimize the learning curve.

If someone has another thought for a GUI distro, by all means, let me know.

Would appreciate the input from you experienced guys as to what is REALLY going on. I didn't have much hair when I started all this and I'm about down to my last 2 hairs..

Thanks again.

Rick

Since this time,


Thanks guys and gals.

[oz]

Welcome to the forums!

Check this HowTo for making sure you properly download and burn the ISO as an image to the blank disk:

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/ins...ll-cd-dvd.html

It also covers properly booting from the installation disk.

[Rick-Dallas]

Hey, thanks for the quick response! That's a great tutorial.

Best I can tell, I've followed all of those steps. Did the checksum thing, burned it using an add-in for Vista. I do understand exactly what you are saying.

In the Windows world, if the ISO was screwed up, the DVD wouldn't boot at all. Would get error reading disk or some other error.

Best I can tell the DVD is booting up fine. Suse is just complaining about the lack of a config file and Unbuntu boots up to a command line instead of a GUI. I'm not sure but think that's not correct. Seems like if there was an issue with DVD, I wouldn't get that far but I may be making a Windows assumption.......

Anyway, I may be missing something in this area but if so, not sure what it would be.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks again. Really appreciate your ideas.

[Natures_End]

I'm new to this forum also!

howdy rick!

Alright Rick, here is a fast way to tell if you burnt the image correctly to the disk or not. While in windows run the disk you burnt, If its burnt correctly, it will promt you to install in windows. Run the install, it will want to reboot on completion. Dont worry its not going to take over windows! SuSe 10.3 is fantastic about "playing with others". This will also key you in on if windows Vista will allow the partition or not. Simply, it wont let you install if its got a problem.

Since your an avid windows user, I'll also give you a pointer about startup of OpenSuSe after install. There will be a little active bar you can type in. Dont type in it. If you happen to hit some keys, and SuSe loads and its a black screen with lettering with a blinking username and password promt = your in the wrong UserLevel, OpenSuSe 10.3 runs in 6 different user levels, So, if this happens to you: reboot and this time, Type in the NUMBER 5. Just the Number 5 and hit enter. That should get you back to the say "Desktop Window area"

Also, you do not have to burn the ISO for DVD. Running a bootable DVD is what I think your system is having a problem with. I know you have a DVD and all that, but sometimes its just got issues. If I were you, I would try the ISO CD, its a much faster download and it too also runs the liveupdate, and its probably going to be easier as far as burning your ISO.

Hope this info helps... Good luck bud.

[Rick-Dallas]

Hey Natures_End, thanks for the tips.

I gotta get outta here soon so I can go home and try this out.

I really wasn't planning on installing Suse until I did the Live CD thing for awhile just to check things out but I have dedicated a HD just for Linux so it will have a place to go and have things all to itself. If it will install from within Vista, then I'll just install it on that Linux HD. Maybe that's what I should have been doing all along.

And if that doesn't work, I'll try out a CD.

I'll post back after I find something out. Will be later this evening.

Thanks again!

[Natures_End]

Also, be sure to select the correct "Type of Computer" x86 (32bit) - 64bit - or power PC, for your ISO download. If you don't know what these are, its a 95% chance you need x86 (32bit).

"Im not trying to talk down to anyone here by mentioning this. After all, I have no idea how many people are going to read this, and I have no idea who knows what around here."

[Rick-Dallas]

Well, I gotta tell you, its great to talk to someone that really knows their stuff. I never even considered trying to install it from within Vista. Brilliant! I put in the ubuntu dvd and Vista read it fine. I pulled it out and put in the Suse dvd. Nothing. Nada. Windows couldn't see any files on it at all. So the moderator who responded to me earlier today was correct too. It will be interesting to find out what the deal is.

Not sure why that occurred but it is something I will be looking into in the near future. Right now, I'm loading ubuntu 8.04 (64bit version) and it's installing while I'm typing this. I have an AMD dual processor so thought I'd take advantage of it!

Basically it gave me the chose of whether I wanted to dualboot or not and what drive letter to install to. Said I had the choice of dual booting or not. No mount commands and trying to figure out what hd was named what which was nice for me. Used the drive letters that Vista already had mapped.

Well, the dvd just popped out. Didn't take long to load. Now for the real test. Gotta reboot and see what happens. Will let you know. Thanks for the update!

[Rick-Dallas]

I'm rocking and rolling. So far, all is well. Updated all my apps. Looks like openoffice can read at least the files I tried. Gotta go get my bookmark file for Firefox. Got DT on my magic jack phone. Sees the printer and bluetooth. Will take me a few days to figure out what I might be missing but so far, so good.

Good stuff!

Again, thanks for your help.

Rick

[Natures_End]

Outstanding!