2010.1 KDE Unable to Detect Hardware (SOLVED)

[Far North]

The KDE 4.4.2 LiveCD runs fine on my Gateway MX6425 -- a laptop of undetermined vintage as it was "refurbished" when I bought it in 2006. A sticker on the keyboard boasts "64-bit Powerhouse" AMD Turion 64 Mobile Technology + 1 GB memory. It probably was great back then!

I downloaded 2010.1 a couple days ago, burned (at 8X) to a CD and waited for this upgraded version to run. The CD loads nicely using the default version and the "Safe" version until it gets to "Detecting Hardware". Then the cooling fan shuts down and I'm admiring a lovely black screen. No messages, no sounds, I'm left in the "dark" screen-wise.

Am I too old for KDE 4.4.3 and/or for whatever updates may have been included in 2010.1?

If I install 4.4.2 and then upgrade to 4.4.3, will I again have a black screen to admire when I reboot?

I want to return to PCLOS after a couple years with a "reinstall-every-six-months" OS and I do like the new KDE especially since it has digiKam. I play with photography and like the program.

I did use PCLOS 2007 for a couple of years then, in a weak moment, decided to use something different. It was OK except for the "every-six-months" idea...

Can I get back to PCLOS? Is my system too old for 4.4.3? If so, I also have the LiveCDs for Phoenix (which doesn't have a way to to load my printer from the LiveCD -- offers only to set up a scanner. I don' have a scanner...) or LXDE which runs very well and automatically finds my printer. (I will address the Phoenix situation in their forum, if I'm too old...)

How can I get 2010.1 to detect my hardware? Due to my vintage, am I better to use one of the other 5 or 6 choices from PCLOS?

[menotu]

Hi Far North,

Your system should be able to 2010.1 - the update from KDE 4.4.2 to >3 isn't that "heavy duty" so your system should run it - 1GB should be fine (better with more of course  ) but you should be able to install it and at least try it speedwise etc.

Did you carry out a md5sum and/or media check on the CD - try that if you haven't.

If I install 4.4.2 and then upgrade to 4.4.3, will I again have a black screen to admire when I reboot?

Can't guarantee it but updating to 4.4.3 shouldn't cause a black screen that you are currently seeing.

If you do find it a bit too much for your hardware, it would definitely be worth trying the LXDE2010 or
LXDE2010-mini or the XFCE-Phoenix.  There is also the KDE2010-minime version which allows you to install  your apps post installation instead of coming pre-installed like the main KDE2010 does....

[Far North]

Thank you, menotu, for your prompt reply. I ended up away from my PC for the rest of the day so didn't see your reply until now.

The MD5 sum was fine for the download according to k3b so I burned it. k3b wrote it to the CD. Whether it did it correctly may be the question. Not be a command line guru, I'm not sure of how I would verify that the CD is correct. (I assume that the command line is how the CD is checked.)

A thread in the LXDE forum that I read a few days ago seemed to indicate that digiKam would run (http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,71528.msg590567.html#msg590567) so I may be fine with the LXDE version. It seems that the fair amount of KDE files required for digiKam won't cause too many problems for LXDE. If that is correct, then I shall proceed with LXDE.

I've never tried a "minime" version. I understand it comes with a desktop (KDE in this case) and the user adds the programs required/needed/desired. That may be an interesting challenge in the future.

My laptop is glad that you feel it still may be a "Powerhouse" even though it's hair is turning white.

[Old-Polack]

Far North:

I'm running the full KDE 2010.1 release on a 2002 Compaq with a 32bit AMD Athlon CPU, + 2GB DDR RAM. Runs great, and must be older than your kit.

[root@littleboy ~]# uname -a
Linux littleboy.home.local 2.6.33.3-pclos1.bfs #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri May 7 14:19:29 CDT 2010 i686 AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2100+ GNU/Linux

[uncleV]

... Due to my vintage, am I better to use one of the other 5 or 6 choices from PCLOS?

You mean your own vintage or the computer vintage?

The CD loads nicely using the default version and the "Safe" version until it gets to "Detecting Hardware". Then the cooling fan shuts down and I'm admiring a lovely black screen. No messages, no sounds, I'm left in the "dark" screen-wise.

The "lovely black screen" could be message itself.

Didi you try the other boot options?
There are
- "Video safemode - VESA",
- F3 for choosing resolution or even text mode,
- "No boot splash",
- Console.

[Was_Just19]

Thank you, menotu, for your prompt reply. I ended up away from my PC for the rest of the day so didn't see your reply until now.

The MD5 sum was fine for the download according to k3b so I burned it. k3b wrote it to the CD. Whether it did it correctly may be the question. Not be a command line guru, I'm not sure of how I would verify that the CD is correct. (I assume that the command line is how the CD is checked.)

Is there not a boot option for "Media Test" ?

[uncleV]

Is there not a boot option for "Media Test" ?

Yes there sits this option too.
I thought it checks LiveCD only but saw it checks some other stuff too including graphical card.

[Far North]

Although the different choices didn't seem to do anything yesterday and earlier, VESA worked this morning. I'm now writing this from the LiveCD that I burned last week. Whatever quirk I experienced hopefully has unquirked itself at least right now. I will need to test it again later today from a cold boot.

If everything works again, then I can install and rejoin the PCLOS fraternity.

UncleV, the "vintage" refers to both myself and my laptop, though I have a few decades on my laptop. I can actually remember writing on paper with a pen dipped into an inkwell. That was very hi-tech for a ten year old in the mid-1950s, I guess. I even used a fountain pen through high school...

I shall mark this thread "Solved" when I'm successful with the installation. Stayed tuned...

Thank you all for your help.

[uncleV]

I can actually remember writing on paper with a pen dipped into an inkwell.

And me too. I'm wondering at myself...

[Was_Just19]

I can actually remember writing on paper with a pen dipped into an inkwell.

And me too. I'm wondering at myself...

Just shows the memory is not too bad