Thinkpads Forum

Hi all - I just got Ubuntu 10.04 and I want to try it out - so I booted off the LiveCD and then I clicked to 'Install', went through the installation wizard and then setup got to copying files. When it finished copying all the files from the LiveCD - it said it needed to reboot, so I rebooted and then I got lots of error messages - I don't think I removed the CD after it had finished copying the files and rebooted.

Does anybody have like an 'installation guide' as to how to install Ubuntu 10.04?? Or when I get message saying my system needs to reboot, do I need to remove the CD?

Thanks!
A31

What kind of error messages? Is this dual-boot? Was it a fresh install or were you upgrading? A little more info is needed.

I did find a list of know issues on Ubuntu's site; here's one you may want to look at:

Wubi as included on the ISO images is unable to enter its second stage of installation, so you will not be able to install inside Windows using just an ISO image in this beta release. As a workaround, users who are installing the Ubuntu Desktop Edition can download the stand-alone version of wubi from http://releases.ubuntu.com/10.04/wubi.exe which includes the fix for this bug. This bug will be fully addressed for 10.04 LTS Beta 2. (541607)

Not sure if this applies to you (don't know if you're using wubi or not), but it may be a start.

Superego wrote:What kind of error messages? Is this dual-boot? Was it a fresh install or were you upgrading? A little more info is needed.

It was a fresh install on Virtual PC 2007 with no previous OS's installed. I get a green screen with some random text on it, then it turns to a black screen with lots of green lines in the middle of the screen, then it changes again to a black screen with green lines at the top of the screen.

Superego wrote:Wubi as included on the ISO images is unable to enter its second stage of installation, so you will not be able to install inside Windows using just an ISO image in this beta release. As a workaround, users who are installing the Ubuntu Desktop Edition can download the stand-alone version of wubi from http://releases.ubuntu.com/10.04/wubi.exe which includes the fix for this bug. This bug will be fully addressed for 10.04 LTS Beta 2. (541607)

Thanks for the tip, I'll try downloading this to see if it helps me. I am trying Ubuntu 10.04 for desktop PCs, and I don't think I'm using Wubi.

A31

Sounds like bad graphics driver or display detection. Can you run the install in some safe mode like VGA?

at both ends wrote:Can you run the install in some safe mode like VGA?

Not that I'm aware of, no. Unless anyone knows how to in Virtual PC 2007?

The problem is that the installation fails to make to second-half of the installation (I'm not using a CD, I'm 'capturing' the ISO image). When I leave the ISO on - I get lots of errors including the black screens with the green bars, but when I release the ISO - it won't boot at all.

I'll take a screen recording off it tonight, using my HyperCam 2, post the video to Photobucket and then put the link to the video on here - I think that will best explain my problems...

Never used Virtual PC but I've heard it's pretty tough to get certain distros installed in VPC. I think it has to do with color depth or display resolution of certain installers; something text-based wouldn't give you a problem...but I digress.

Honestly, unless you have a specific need for VPC I would dump it and use Virtualbox.

Superego wrote:Honestly, unless you have a specific need for VPC I would dump it and use Virtualbox.

+1, VPC is rubbish.

gongo2k1 wrote:+1, VPC is rubbish.

Disagree!!
For Linux yes - it is rubbish, but for Windows OS's, it is great. At least it's free, unlike an alternative such as VMWare.

A31 wrote:Disagree!!
For Linux yes - it is rubbish, but for Windows OS's, it is great. At least it's free, unlike an alternative such as VMWare.

Or VirtualBox.

Oh wait...

I got Ubuntu 10.04 Full running brilliantly in VirtualBox.

Superego wrote:Honestly, unless you have a specific need for VPC I would dump it and use Virtualbox.

VirtualBox is good but lack of support with Windows 98 is annoying (cannot use the Guest OS Additions so you are stuck on 16 colours with a small screen res), so when I use Windows 98SE I use Virtual PC because the Virtual Machines Additions are supported) and I can get 1024x768 screen size which in VirtualBox, without the Guest OS Additions, you cannot do. Also, in VirtualBox, I am stuck on the small screen res on my Windows 95 OSR2.5 and Windows Me machines as well as my Windows 98SE (and some frankly terrible graphics settings, due to lack of support of Guest OS Additions in Win 95, 98/SE and Me), so I also use Virtual PC for Windows 95 and Me because I can get the 1024x768 screen res, and VirtualBox's. I'd say I use the two (VirtualBox and VPC2007) half-and-half, they both have their ups and downs...

A31 wrote: VirtualBox is good but lack of support with Windows 98 is annoying (cannot use the Guest OS Additions so you are stuck on 16 colours with a small screen res), so when I use Windows 98SE I use Virtual PC because the Virtual Machines Additions are supported) and I can get 1024x768 screen size which in VirtualBox, without the Guest OS Additions, you cannot do. Also, in VirtualBox, I am stuck on the small screen res on my Windows 95 OSR2.5 and Windows Me machines as well as my Windows 98SE (and some frankly terrible graphics settings, due to lack of support of Guest OS Additions in Win 95, 98/SE and Me), so I also use Virtual PC for Windows 95 and Me because I can get the 1024x768 screen res, and VirtualBox's. I'd say I use the two (VirtualBox and VPC2007) half-and-half, they both have their ups and downs...

That's a good point, actually.

Basically I'd sum it up as this:

Windows <= 98 -- VirtualPC
Windows >= 98SE -- VirtualBox
Linux -- VirtualBox/KVM
OS/2 -- Parallels

A31 wrote:For Linux yes - it is rubbish, but for Windows OS's, it is great. At least it's free, unlike an alternative such as VMWare.

VirtualBox and several versions of VMware (Player, Server) are free.
And unlike Virtual PC they are still being updated.
For Virtual PC there's only that limited add-on for Windows 7.

Limited develpoment, limited features, limited support for host and guest OS', no support for 64bit (except for the Windows 7 version that's only available for Ultimate and Enterprise) -- there's just no good reason to use Virtual PC.

moronoxyd wrote:no support for 64bit

I think you'll find VirtualBox also has no support for x64 OS's - I tried Windos Server 2008 SBS 64Bit in VirtualBox and it said the setup failed to load becuase the CPU was not 64Bit compatible, and the processor in my dx2200MT is capable of 64-Bit becuase I had Vista Ultimate x64 on there a few months ago...

ThinkRob wrote:Basically I'd sum it up as this:

Windows <= 98 -- VirtualPC
Windows >= 98SE -- VirtualBox
Linux -- VirtualBox/KVM
OS/2 -- Parallels

I think I would agree... using the different OS's in different Virtual Machine software, though you can install Guest OS Additions for Windows NT 4.0 Workstation in VirtualBox, and NT 4.0 is older than 98SE - so Win 3.1/.11, Win 95, Win 98/98SE would be my Virtual PC recommendations, but like you, ThinkRob, anything newer than 98SE and Linux distro's would be better in VirtualBox, apart from Windows Millennium which like the other Windows 9x OS's, is better in Virtual PC than in VirtualBox.

moronoxyd wrote:several versions of VMware (Player, Server) are free.

I'll try VMWare Player and see what it's like!! I hear VMWare is very good though.

Anyway, back on topic!!, I worte a text file on how to install Ubuntu 10.04 if anyone is interested, I've copied and pasted it below...
You can download Ubuntu 10.04 from here http://www.ubuntu.com/

Virtual PC / VirtualBox / VMWare or the like:

1) Capture the Ubuntu 10.04 ISO image
2) Click on 'Try Ubuntu Without Installing' once booted
3) On the desktop there should be an 'install' icon. Click it
4) Go through the setup wizard and wait for setup to copy files
5) Then restart, make sure that the ISO is still captured
6) Once it has restarted, Linux terminal will start, wait for it to load and then it say 'Remove CD and close CD tray (if any) - Then press ENTER' - un-capture the ISO and press ENTER
7) Ubuntu 10.04 Full will load

**NOTE - If you using Ubuntu 10.04 in a Virtual Machine program (Virtual PC, VirtualBox, VMWare etc), after you have un-captured the ISO image, you may get an error message saying the machine has had to stop. If this happens, close the Virtual Machine down, restart it and make sure the Ubuntu 10.04 ISO is NOT captured. Ubuntu 10.04 will then load perfectly.**

Physical Machines / Using LiveCD to install:

1) Burn the ISO onto a blank writable CD using software like Nero Burning ROM
2) Turn on the computer, insert the CD you just burned the Ubuntu 10.04 ISO onto, boot off it
3) Click on 'Try Ubuntu Without Installing' once booted
4) On the desktop there should be an 'install' icon. Click it
5) Go through the setup wizard and wait for setup to copy files
6) Then restart, make sure that the CD is still in the CD-ROM drive (DO NOT remove it)
7) Once it has restarted, Linux terminal will start, wait for it to load and then it say 'Remove CD and close CD tray (if any) - Then press ENTER' - remove the CD from the CD-ROM drive and close the CD-ROM tray, and then press ENTER
Ubuntu 10.04 Full will load

Hope this helps someone??
A31

A31 wrote:I think you'll find VirtualBox also has no support for x64 OS's - I tried Windos Server 2008 SBS 64Bit in VirtualBox and it said the setup failed to load becuase the CPU was not 64Bit compatible

I'm running Server 2008 R2 (which is 64-bit only) in VirtualBox under Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit.

It really sounds to me like you haven't given it an honest chance.
We're not trying to contradict you, it's just that VirtualBox really is a very good, free, open-sourced, cross-platform tool.

Once you get VirtualBox set up and working with multiple cores, 4GB+ RAM for guests, USB filters, OpenGL support, etc., you'll never go back to VPC.
Of course, if you're only interested in Win95/98, then even QEMU or Bochs could do that for you.

gongo2k1 wrote:It really sounds to me like you haven't given it an honest chance.
We're not trying to contradict you, it's just that VirtualBox really is a very good, free, open-sourced, cross-platform tool.

Once you get VirtualBox set up and working with multiple cores, 4GB+ RAM for guests, USB filters, OpenGL support, etc., you'll never go back to VPC.
Of course, if you're only interested in Win95/98, then even QEMU or Bochs could do that for you.

I am now using VMware Player which is a great Virtual Machine program... I am running all my OS's in there fine and VMware Player supports all Wndows OS's 95 to 7 and VirtualBox was only any good at 2000 and later. Also, VMware Player also has this great feature called 'Easy Install' where you can install a whole OS in 10 - 15 minutes rather than the usual 45 - 60 minutes it often takes.

I have now dumped VPC but I kept some of the machines in the 'My Virtual Machines' folder becuase I imported some of my virtual PCs from VPC '07 to VMware player.

I think VirtualBox is OK, but I would definitely recommend VMware Player over it.

I'm only using VMware Player now, not using VirtualBox or Virtual PC 2007 anymore...