Beginning Ubuntu Linux - From Novice To Professional (2006)

3.Unzip RawWrite to an empty folder on the desktop and run the program.

4.Click the ellipsis button next to the box marked Image File. Browse to the \install folder on the Ubuntu CD-ROM. In the Files of Type drop-down list, select All Files. Then select sbm.bin.

5.Ensure the blank floppy disk is in the drive and click the Write button in the main RawWrite window.

6.After a minute or two, the write process will be completed. Then simply reboot the machine, ensuring that both the floppy disk and Ubuntu CD-ROM are in the drives.

7.At the boot menu, use the arrow keys to move the selection down to CD-ROM. Then press Enter twice to start the Ubuntu installation routine.

Problem

The computer boots from the CD-ROM, but when the initial boot screen appears, hitting Enter doesn’t start the installation. In fact, nothing happens at all!

Solution

If your PC uses a USB keyboard, it might be that it’s not being recognized by the Ubuntu boot loader. It’s possible to make most computers pretend that USB keyboards are older PS/2 keyboards. This is done on a fundamental hardware level and is invisible to the operating system. Here are the steps:

1.Enter the BIOS setup program by pressing Delete during the initial stages of your computer boot routine (while memory testing and drive identification are still taking place). Some computers might use a different key combination to enter BIOS setup, such as Ctrl+Insert, but this information will be displayed on screen.

2.Use the cursor keys to navigate to the Integrated Peripherals section, and then look for an entry along the lines of USB Legacy Support. Set it to Enabled.

3.Press Escape to return to the main menu and opt to save the changes.

4.Reboot the computer.

Note that you should repeat this procedure and deactivate USB Legacy Support once Ubuntu has been installed. At that stage, Ubuntu should be able to recognize the USB keyboard properly.

Problem

After I’ve hit Enter to clear the initial loading screen, the screen fills with text, and then the computer hangs with a message along the lines of “Kernel Panic.”

Solution

Kernel Panic errors occur when the operating system cannot continue to load for various reasons. In this context, it’s likely that either the CD is faulty (or dirty) or that your PC has a defective item of hardware.

First, check to make sure the CD is both clean and not scratched. If possible, try it on a different computer. If it works, then it’s clearly not at fault, and your computer most likely has a hardware issue. In particular, bad memory can cause problems. Does the computer already have an operating system installed? Does this run without problems? If not, consider replacing your memory modules.

To thoroughly test your computer’s memory, boot from the Ubuntu CD-ROM and type memtest at the initial prompt. Any problems with your memory will be reported in the Errors column on the right side of the program screen.

Problem

After I hit Enter on the loading screen, the screen fills with text. Then a message about configuring the framebuffer appears, but then the screen is corrupted and/or the text looks odd.

Solution

Your graphics card may be incompatible with the framebuffer mode used by Ubuntu’s installation routine. You can overcome this problem by rebooting and, when your normally press Enter to start the installation routine, instead type the following, and then press Enter:

linux debian-installer/framebuffer=false

Problem

The installation program freezes or reboots almost as soon as it begins.

Solution

The power-saving feature in your computer is causing problems. Boot from the CD-ROM and, instead of pressing Enter at the boot prompt, type the following, and then press Enter:

linux acpi=off

Installation Problems

During installation, you may get error messages or experience other difficulties. This section offers some solutions to common installation problems.

Problem

Early in installation, I see an error message about the computer being unable to find a “DHCP address.” Then I’m invited to configure the network manually.

Solution

The Ubuntu installer wants to go online during installation to download the very latest software. This isn’t essential, however, and you can simply select “Do not configure network at this time” and press Enter. You can then update your software later when the operating system is up and running.

Problem

When the installation reaches the stage where it’s configuring packages (after the reboot), it freezes on a particular package. It then returns a message along the lines of “An error was returned while trying to install.”

Solution

The problem might be that the installation CD-ROM is faulty. It could be dirty, in which case you should consider wiping it with a tissue. Alternatively, it might be scratched, in which case you should seek a replacement. You might consider downloading an ISO file from www.ubuntulinux.com and burning your own replacement copy of the CD-ROM. This will require a CD-burning program such as Nero (www.nero.com).

Another possibility is that the installation program had a problem with your computer hardware. It has been reported that Ubuntu might have problems with some SATA hard disks and/or chipsets in recently manufactured computers. In such cases, it has also been reported that simply trying the installation again from scratch might fix the problem.

Problem

I’m using the same keyboard, mouse, and monitor across several computers courtesy of a keyboard, video, and monitor (KVM) switch. During installation, it appears that the autoprobing of my video hardware produces the wrong results.

Solution

It’s impossible to correctly probe a monitor if a KVM switch is attached to the computer. Consider attaching the monitor directly to the computer for the duration of the installation.

Problem

During installation, everything freezes when the words “Configuring apt . . .” appear on the screen.

Solution

This problem appears to be caused by Ubuntu attempting to access online repositories during busy periods. Although the computer appears to have frozen, you might find that waiting 30 minutes or so causes the computer to start responding again, and it will then continue with the installation.

You might also try disabling your network connection for the duration of the installation. If you have a network card and/or modem attached to your computer, try removing it temporarily. Alternatively, if you have an Ethernet card, try unplugging the network cable.

Problem

The installation program freezes while it’s copying across a file called e2fsprogs-udeb. (This same problem might occur when other packages are being copied.)

Solution

This problem may stem from an apparent incompatibility between Ubuntu and certain DVDROM drives based on a particular chipset (including certain Plextor drives). The solution is to install from an alternative CD/DVD-ROM drive if you have one. If not, try downloading the latest version of Ubuntu from www.ubuntulinux.com.

Postinstallation Problems

Problems might also occur after you install Ubuntu. This section addresses several possible postinstallation problems. This section covers only problems that appear immediately after installation—those that prevent Ubuntu from working correctly immediately after its first boot. Issues surrounding the configuration of hardware or software are dealt with in the next part of this book.

Problem

After installation has finished, I find myself with a blank screen (or a screen that’s full of corrupted graphics). If I reboot, the computer appears to boot Ubuntu correctly but, again, it ends with a blank screen.

Solution

For some reason, your graphical configuration isn’t working. See the “Graphical Problems” section later in this chapter for the steps to fix this problem.

Problem

During bootup, the Ubuntu logo and/or on-screen status messages are corrupted. However, the computer will eventually boot to the desktop just fine.

Solution

The Ubuntu graphical boot process is probably causing problems for your particular hardware configuration. Follow these steps to correct the problem:

1.At the Ubuntu desktop, select Applications Accessories Terminal.

2.At the command prompt, type the following: sudo nano /boot/grub/menu.lst

3.Type your password when requested.

4.Your boot menu configuration file will open in a simple word processor. Use the cursor keys to navigate to the first line that reads as follows:

kernel /boot/vmlinuz. . .

This will be towards the end of the file and, unlike many of the lines above it, won’t be preceded by a hash symbol.

5.At the end of the line, you will see the word splash. Move the cursor to that word and delete it.

6.Press Ctrl+X and opt to save the file.

Following this, the system’s boot will be text only, although the system will boot into a graphical desktop as usual.

Problem

When I boot for the first time, the resolution is too low/high!

Solution

As soon as you’re logged in, select System Preferences Screen Resolutions from the main menu (at the top of the screen). In the dialog box, choose a resolution more appropriate to your screen and a refresh rate to match. For most CRT screens, a refresh rate of 70 or 75 Hz should be fine; for LCD panels or notebooks, a refresh rate of 60 Hz is appropriate.

Problem

After booting up, my USB mouse and/or USB keyboard are not recognized!

Solution

Try unplugging the keyboard and/or mouse, and then reattaching them. If you find they now work, log in to Ubuntu, and then perform an online system upgrade. See Chapter 9 for more information.

If this fails to solve the problem, you can configure your BIOS to pretend your mouse and keyboard are traditional PS/2-style devices, as follows:

1.Enter the BIOS setup program by pressing Delete during the initial stages of your computer boot routine (while memory testing and drive identification are still taking place). Some computers might use a different key combination to enter BIOS setup, such as Ctrl+Insert, but this information will be displayed on screen.

2.Use the cursor keys to navigate to the Integrated Peripherals section, and then look for an entry along the lines of USB Legacy Support. Set it to Enabled.

3.Press Escape to return to the main menu and opt to save the changes.

4.Reboot the computer.

Problem

When I boot for the first time, all I see shortly after the PC is switched on is a command prompt that reads GRUB>.

Solution

For some reason, your installation of the GRUB boot menu went wrong. Try this solution, which involves reinstalling it:

1.Insert the Ubuntu installation CD-ROM and boot from it. At the splash screen (before the installation starts), type rescue.

2.The installer will start, and you’ll need to answer the initial questions again, such as which language you wish to use.

3.Eventually, you’ll be asked which partition you wish to mount (use for Ubuntu). Unless you know which partition contains your Ubuntu root partition, the only solution is to try each in turn. Select an option, and then enter the following command:

grub-install /dev/hda

4.If you receive an error message, start over from step 1 and try the next partition choice.

5.Remove the CD-ROM from the drive and reboot. You should now see the boot menu.

Problem

When I boot for the first time, all I see is a black screen with some text at the top saying, “Ubuntu 5.10 ‘Breezy Badger’ Ubuntu tty1” and, beneath that, “ubuntu login:.”

Solution

For some reason, the automatic configuration of your graphics card failed during installation. See the following section for instructions on configuring your GUI manually.

Graphical Problems

Although Ubuntu is extremely good at automatically detecting and configuring your PC’s graphics hardware, it sometimes configures your GUI incorrectly. This is characterized by one of the following:

•Ubuntu freezes when the desktop would normally appear.

•You see on-screen graphical corruption, either of text or graphics.

•You see a message that the X server isn’t working.

•You see a black screen with only with a text login prompt.

If you experience any of these problems, you will need to reconfigure Ubuntu’s graphical subsystem, called X.org (often referred to simply as X). In most cases, you’ll need your Ubuntu installation CD-ROM for this procedure.

To start the X.org configuration program, first boot into Ubuntu’s recovery mode. This provides a simple command-line prompt and is designed to let you fix the system if anything goes wrong. If you dual-boot your computer with Windows, you’ll need to select the “Ubuntu […] (recovery mode)” option from the menu that appears just after your computer boots. If your computer has only Ubuntu installed on it, you’ll need to press a key to enter the boot menu when prompted. Then select the “Ubuntu […] (recovery mode)” option.

Eventually, a command prompt will appear, and you’ll see root@ubuntu:~#, followed by a cursor. Type the following:

dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Reconfiguring X.org simply requires answering some simple questions. In many cases, default answers are supplied, and these should be sufficient. The configuration program guides you through selections for your graphics card, input devices, and monitor, as described in the following sections. Note that although the steps are separated into subsections for clarity, the program actually presents one long series of questions that moves seamlessly from topic to topic.

Graphics Card Configuration

The X.org configuration program begins with graphics card setup. Note that, like the installation program, this configuration program does not use the mouse; you make your selections using the keyboard, as described in Chapter 5.

1.The first option asks if you would like the configuration program to autodetect your video hardware, as shown in Figure 6-1. This is how Ubuntu originally attempted to configure your graphics card, and if you’re having graphical problems, there’s a good chance that this feature doesn’t work correctly on your system. Therefore, you should select No.

Figure 6-1. Select No to bypass autodetection.

2.You’re asked to choose a driver from a list. If you wish, you can select the driver that seems appropriate to your hardware (the Ati option for an ATI-based card, for example), but the safest choice is to choose the Vesa option. This driver works on virtually every graphics card.

■Note Using the Vesa driver entails a slight performance penalty, particularly when it comes to video playback. Therefore, you might choose to reconfigure X.org again in the future when your knowledge of Linux improves.

3.You’re asked to enter an identifier for your graphics card. This is merely for reference purposes and anything will do. The default that Ubuntu suggests is fine.

4.An information screen outlining the next step, which is to identify the bus ID of the card, appears. This is a technical setting needed for Ubuntu to use the card. It should be automatically filled in, so highlight OK to confirm the default choice.

5.You’re invited to enter the amount of memory your graphics card contains, as shown in Figure 6-2. Once again, Ubuntu is able to autodetect this. It’s acceptable to leave the field blank and simply select OK.

Figure 6-2. Ubuntu will automatically detect the quantity of graphics card memory, so you can leave the field blank.

6.You’re asked whether you want to use your graphics card’s framebuffer. This is a method of accessing the graphics card memory, and nearly all modern graphics cards are compatible with it, so you can select Yes. However, if after completing these steps you find that you still have problems with your display, start again from step 1 and choose not to use the framebuffer.

Keyboard and Mouse Configuration

Although your keyboard and mouse might be just fine, X.org handles the input devices as well as the graphics subsystem, and you now need to reconfigure them.

1.You’re asked whether you want the configuration program to autodetect your keyboard layout. This is perfectly acceptable, so select Yes.

2.You’re invited to enter your keyboard layout. This takes the form of two-letter country codes, the type used throughout the world. For example, a United States keyboard layout is indicated by typing US. United Kingdom users will want to type UK. Australian users should type AU. For a complete list of world country codes, see www.iso.org/iso/ en/prods-services/iso3166ma/02iso-3166-code-lists/list-en1.html.

3.You’re asked to enter the XKB rule set you wish to use. The default answer is fine for most users, so highlight OK.

4.You see an information screen describing keyboard models. In a nutshell, most recent English-based keyboards are pc104 models, which is to say they have 104 keys (see Figure 6-3). If you’re using an older keyboard that does not have the Windows keys to the left and right of the spacebar, you should enter pc101. Highlight OK, press Enter, and then enter the correct choice.

Figure 6-3. If your keyboard has a Windows key, it’s a pc104 model. Otherwise, select pc101.

5.Next is another information screen discussing the use of additional keyboard rules. If you have an English-based keyboard, you can ignore this step, and leave the field in the next screen blank.