Thinkpads Forum

My t-60 is double booted - xp and linux mint 18 - recently can't boot into linux mint - get error cpu pipe underrun - can boot with live disk - did fresh install of linux - cannot boot into that - same error message

Are you able to boot to XP ok? Maybe something messed up in the MBR etc.
What kind of boot manager are you using? I do the same with one of my drives and use the excellent Bare Metal (Terabyte Unlimited).
Never has a hiccup. Fantastic boot mgr.

I got my 2nd T60 very cheap off ebay because it wouldn't boot and the seller didn't realize that the problem was fixable. My internet searches convinced me that I had a great chance of salvaging the machine, which was being sold for parts. Yes, I fixed it pretty easily.

can boot into xp ok - did fresh install of linux - boot manager is ok - still get error message when trying to boot mint

If I had found that the Linux distro I was trying to install was not compatible with my hardware, I would be looking for a different distro to try.

Since Linux Mint 18 (Main Edition I assume) kernel appears to cause issues with your T60, try Linux Mint MATE 17.3 (17.3 Main Edition might be OK too), or some other distro entirely. You now know to avoid Mint 18 (and probably any other distro built on Ubuntu 16.04).

have been using 18 for some time with no problem till recently

No problem with Mint 18 on a variety of laptops. The oldest being a T42.

Does your T60 have Intel graphics, or ATI/AMD?

Intel

I second what Neil said, try another kernel. Mint 17.3 uses a different kernel and is supported till 2019. It's an easy solution. Harder, if you're not used to it, would be to fix the broken system -- one way would be to 'chroot' into the broken system, install a new kernel, update grub, etc...

Some of the talk about the problem you're reporting is discussed in context with the kernel.
You report a Live CD works (one version of kernel), but installed version (newer kernel) doesn't...but it did for a while (yet another kernel).

I was running 18 for months without updating so I have trouble understanding how it could be the kernel - same kernel as my live copy of 18

retired wrote:I was running 18 for months without updating so I have trouble understanding how it could be the kernel - same kernel as my live copy of 18

Maybe I'm reading between the lines too much in your first post -- I assumed your aim was to boot into Linux.

If your intent is to understand why you're getting the error message try the Mint forum.

have you updated a 32bit installation with a 64bit update or visa versa when you went to mint 18?

no - just 32 - I'm trying to boot into linux

retired wrote:have been using 18 for some time with no problem till recently

Too much missing information.
On what hardware have you been using Mint 18? Has there been any hardware changes since it was working?
What kernel were you using when 18 was working? Are you now trying to use 18.1 (with it's newer kernel)?
Bottom line...what has changed in your hardware or software since Mint 18 was working for you? That kind of info is going to help us identify where you issue is coming from.

retired wrote:no - just 32 - I'm trying to boot into linux

model number? ati gpu?