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Topic: old laptop - new distro, can't boot

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tonymoloney Offline

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Posts: 26
Joined: Dec. 2005

Posted: Dec. 08 2005,08:11

I am a complete newbie with Linux, but I've been in the computer business since 1960.
I've just bought the latest live CD of DSL, ran it up on my XP machine where it ran fine and then tried it on my laptop and nothing happened (more about that in a minute)
My laptop is a KTX880 (which I got for free) with 72Mb RAM, 1.25Gb Hdd, Pentium1 processor and a Toshiba ATAPI bootable CD ROM. The CD and a floppy share the same port but are not hot-swappable. This lappie is currently running Win98SE, slowly, but without any problems.
When I tried to boot the live CD it just sat there for several minutes doing nothing, then apparently gave up and booted the Winows system instead.
Windows Explorer can see the CD without any problems
The lappie also has a Cirrus pnp sound card and a Xircom 10/100 NIC in the pcmcia slot. The only application on it is the Win98 OS.
Can anyone help, please?
Tony

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The older I get, the better I was.

sarah

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Joined: Sep. 2005

Posted: Dec. 08 2005,10:47

Hi Tony, welcome :o)
I am also new, but I was wondering whether because your laptop is an older one, you might need to try the syslinux version instead?
http://damnsmalllinux.org/wiki/index.php/Syslinux_or_Isolinux

I thought I'd mention it, although there may well be another solution to your problem or another explanation.
Good luck!
Cheers and beers,
Sarah

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I've been told the best way to learn is to explain it to someone else in front of "experts". People who are knowledgable (and sometimes even if they're not!) on a topic will soon tell you if you're wrong, and love you for the opportunity to either show their prowess or make jokes at your expense!

AwPhuch

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Joined: April 2004

Posted: Dec. 08 2005,17:49

Might try the poormans install (copy the DSL stuff to your Windows drive) and use a boot floppy

Then do a frugal install (if you want to run from HD)

Brian
AwPhuch

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./S99LinuxRevolution start

tonymoloney Offline

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Posted: Dec. 08 2005,23:09

Hi sarah and Brian. Thanks for the replies.
I think I'll try the "poorman's" solution first. I've had a bit of experience with this approach as the first distro I tried on this laptop was the Mepis one and it did the same thing.
I tried copying the files and created a GRUB boot disk which I still have, but even then Mepis would not work. I thought it was a size thing, but maybe Mepis (and DSL) can't recognise my screen. After all, the first evidence you have of anything happening is some messages on the screen - which I have yet to see on the laptop.
I'll give it a go and tell you the result, but you might not see that for a while as I'm located on the West Coast of Australia and out of most people's time zone
Tony

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The older I get, the better I was.

sarah

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Posts: 73
Joined: Sep. 2005

Posted: Dec. 09 2005,12:51

AwPhuch: Or Tony could try that which is a far better idea...

Tony: I guess I'm not most people then since I'm in rural WA ;o)
Actually I was wondering whether it was your intention to keep Windows?

--------------
I've been told the best way to learn is to explain it to someone else in front of "experts". People who are knowledgable (and sometimes even if they're not!) on a topic will soon tell you if you're wrong, and love you for the opportunity to either show their prowess or make jokes at your expense!

7 replies since Dec. 08 2005,08:11

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