Full-text blog feedInstalling Kubuntu Is No Fun
I had once again summoned up the energy and courage to try to install Linux on a second partition of my C drive. Having tried this about six months ago, I had the basic routine fairly fresh in my mind. (My previous, and first ever, try, failed because I couldn't get the network to work. This time I seem to have that bit covered anyway.) So, I downloaded Kubuntu 5.10 for AMD 64, did all my backups and created a nice shiny 25 GB partition on my C drive as well as a 512 MB Linux Swap partition.
So far everything had gone fine. I activated the new empty partition, slipped the Kubuntu DVD into the drive, rebooted and hoped for the best.
All went well until I got to the partition manager of the installer. Even though I had specifically created an empty Ext3 partition as well as a swap disc, the installation's first suggestion was to wipe the whole 200 GB drive. How intelligent is that? Well, anyway. I chose the Configure boot table manually
option and tried to get some kind of confirmation of that it would install on the new partition and leave my Windows partition alone. There was none. But there was a little flash symbol next to the partition I wanted to use, so I guessed that must indicate the active partition (which I knew it was) and also that it would use that partition for installing. Only, while I was dodging back and forth between the screens, not knowing what to do, the big fat excuse of an installer hung on me.
After having booted up Windows, checking the download wasn't corrupted (using md5sum) and remade the DVD – I tried again. Still the installer kept hanging on me, at one stage or another. The furthest I've got so far is to Configuring apt - Testing network repository...
. Even if I get through all the prior steps, it always hangs there. I must have tried the whole procedure six or seven times now, and I'm pretty much getting fed up. If anyone knows how I can bypass this step, or make it not hang I would be very happy for any ideas or suggestions.
If all Linux distros have this bad installers (which I doubt they do) then it's no wonder that Linux is a geek thing and a geek thing only.
5 Comment(s):
At 5:48 PM,
Kris Silver said…
Thats a shame, Kubuntu to me is the best chance at really bringing Linux to the masses. Ubuntu is working hard on usability to hit Windows users, so this really isnt good.
I've installed 3 distro's in the past year. Linspire, lovely and easy to use, setup, run, install, but not free, and network probs. Tried Mepis, setup quite easy but not for novices. And alinux which is very XP like, with loads of audio/video codecs etc built in.
Overally big improvements do need to be made, and problems like this just send big no no messages to windows users. I really hope you inform Kubuntu about this so they can try troubleshoot, fix and problems and improve it, because I've got big hopes for Kubuntu! ;)
At 2:11 PM,
David Naylor said…
"because I've got big hopes for Kubuntu!"
Yeah, so had I. (And still do, really.) It was just so frustrating, after everything you've heard about the stability of Linux and all. Anyway, I'm not giving up yet. I WILL have Kubuntu or Debian installed on my computer if I so have to sacrifice my little toe.
:-)
At 7:45 AM,
Samat Jain said…
Have you looked at any of the Ubuntu support options at all? Forums, IRC channel, etc...
Regardless, freezing up points to a hardware problem--or at least a problem with your hardware and Linux.
Look up how to add boot options when booting up the installer. Try adding the "noacpi" option and then installing. If that does not work, try "noapic". Sans that, try both.
At 6:41 PM,
David Naylor said…
Well, I got past the freezing. I now have Ubuntu installed, but haven't been bothered yet to try installing drivers for my dlink WiFi card.
At 5:04 PM,
Anonymous said…
Well, I have Ubuntu installed on my Computer for around half a year now. It's one of the best Linux OS's ever. But, Kubuntu is crap. I tried to install it once and KDE just isn't integrated well enough.
I recommend Ubuntu if anyone is willing to use Gnome. But Kubuntu - only for people who like to have to configure a lot themselves. If you want KDE use Mandrake or Suse, etc.
Still I hope, and believe, that the next Kubuntu Release will be much better.
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