Mysteriously SOLVED: minime mighty mess (install hangs)

[Rudge]

Trying to install the new PCLinuxOS 2010 Minime onto a Dell Dimension 2350 with a P4 running at 2.20ghz and 1gig of ram. The video card stinks, 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated.

On the install, it does the partitioning fine. But once it starts the "Installing" part, it gets about halfway and then the screen goes blank like a screen saver kicked in and the cd eventually stops spinning and it's dead in the water.

Side note, if I just push the power button and let go, the system actually tries to shutdown like normal but gets an error stating that the hard drive can't be unmounted because it is busy. I have left it in this hung state overnight just in case it was taking a really long time. Trust me, once it hangs it's dead.

Using Gparted to completely delete all partitions before the start.

I verified the check sum, did a media check on the pc in question (passed) and have successfully installed from this very media on a different box with similar specs.

Ideas?

EDIT: is there at least some way to watch the install so I can have a clue what it's doing when it fails?

[YouCanToo]

same here for the only Dell 2350 I have. When installing MiniMe I get about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way and than poof a totally black screen. I am so tired of this piece of pooh. Perhaps I will pull the processor out of it and deposit the rest in a more fitting place, the garbage can.

[Rudge]

Seems strange. The live CD correctly identifies all the hardware. 

[T6]

maybe it is one of those annoying video cards and it requires more ram, like a lenovo i used last year, when i finally installed 1.5 gbs of ram, the thing could boot any linux i put on it, it was last year so it is just a idea

another thing you could try is 2010 with another kernel, currently there is 3 kernels

[Nish]

I had the same this morning on my media pc but then I remembered my tuner card.  I have the tuner card from hell, it uses the cx18 module and I have to include in kernel options the vmalloc=256M mojo.  Something similar?

I also remember trying to get linux to install on Dell dimensions back in the day - the ones with integrated graphics a particular one, you had to increase the memory allotment in the BIOS or else you got similar black hole.

Do any of these situations apply to youz?

[Rudge]

Maybe I am an idiot but how do I get a different kernel installed if I can't get the OS installed? Are there options on the live CD?

[Rudge]

I had the same this morning on my media pc but then I remembered my tuner card.  I have the tuner card from hell, it uses the cx18 module and I have to include in kernel options the vmalloc=256M mojo.  Something similar?

I also remember trying to get linux to install on Dell dimensions back in the day - the ones with integrated graphics a particular one, you had to increase the memory allotment in the BIOS or else you got similar black hole.

Do any of these situations apply to youz?

Yes yes, perhaps I can look in the bios for a stinky fish. Thanks!

[T6]

"Maybe I am an idiot but how do I get a different kernel installed if I can't get the OS installed"

you know that if you say that you are a idiot it could be possible that no one comes and say " no you are not a idiot!"?   

a remastered version with one of the other two kernesl could be a option

about the ram, most bios set this with intel video cards automatically, i used a acer netbook last week, the thing reports in bios 8 mbs of video, in windows reports 256 mbs, it seems that it takes up to 128 mbs of ram from each ram module(it has two 1 gb modules)

[Nish]

If you Google Dell dimension + linux + black screen you will probably find it.  Circa 2006-7 or so?  Dell was stingy with video ram on a particular board, the default was something pathetic like 4MB?  LOL, maybe not that bad but I don't remember exactly but I do remember when I went in there and maxed out the video allotment all was better

[Texstar]

Trying to install the new PCLinuxOS 2010 Minime onto a Dell Dimension 2350 with a P4 running at 2.20ghz and 1gig of ram. The video card stinks, 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated.

On the install, it does the partitioning fine. But once it starts the "Installing" part, it gets about halfway and then the screen goes blank like a screen saver kicked in and the cd eventually stops spinning and it's dead in the water.

Side note, if I just push the power button and let go, the system actually tries to shutdown like normal but gets an error stating that the hard drive can't be unmounted because it is busy. I have left it in this hung state overnight just in case it was taking a really long time. Trust me, once it hangs it's dead.

Using Gparted to completely delete all partitions before the start.

I verified the check sum, did a media check on the pc in question (passed) and have successfully installed from this very media on a different box with similar specs.

Ideas?

EDIT: is there at least some way to watch the install so I can have a clue what it's doing when it fails?

Probably your cdrom drive has a heat fail safe feature and when the motor gets too hot it shuts down and resets the drive which causes the installer to fail. You might try the copy to ram feature so it isn't running your cdrom drive so much just once to copy to memory.

[fishfillet]

Trying to install the new PCLinuxOS 2010 Minime onto a Dell Dimension 2350 with a P4 running at 2.20ghz and 1gig of ram. The video card stinks, 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated.

On the install, it does the partitioning fine. But once it starts the "Installing" part, it gets about halfway and then the screen goes blank like a screen saver kicked in and the cd eventually stops spinning and it's dead in the water.

Side note, if I just push the power button and let go, the system actually tries to shutdown like normal but gets an error stating that the hard drive can't be unmounted because it is busy. I have left it in this hung state overnight just in case it was taking a really long time. Trust me, once it hangs it's dead.

Using Gparted to completely delete all partitions before the start.

I verified the check sum, did a media check on the pc in question (passed) and have successfully installed from this very media on a different box with similar specs.

Ideas?

EDIT: is there at least some way to watch the install so I can have a clue what it's doing when it fails?

Aside from what Sir Texstar said, you might want to try to boot it on VESA.

[nerdful1]

That doesn't sound like texstar, tex where did you get that info?

[Texstar]

That doesn't sound like texstar, tex where did you get that info?

Huh? I had an old cdrom drive that would do the exact same thing.

[nerdful1]

well they just have a tiny brushed dc motor. They are not like a furnace motor or sink pig with a thermal shutoff.

Go back to what you are good at. No need to specify what.

But other than the overheating, probably some marginal drives don't like being put to the task.

[Rudge]

Besides, there are two cdroms in this box and I am having the same issue with both. Also an install out of RAM does the same thing. I also burned a different copy and,,,, same thing.

T6 I wasn't trying to be a smart @ss. LOL