Trying to install Ubuntu MATE next to Windows XP

[lah7]

At the end it ask to save details and close. Where should I save that? Just where it opens up?

You don’t have to worry about that. It only saves the details in case you need to look back at the operations you did. Simply “Close”. Mission accomplished!

Would you possible consider recording your desktop while doing that? Would be nice to see how it’s done and then try to recreate it.

I think @Wimpy has done a good job at presenting those instructions for 14.04. As he suggests, a majority of it will be waiting to download/install – while making coffee and cakes if it’s a very slow internet connection. I’ll pass this opportunity to others who are into producing video tutorials.

Note for 15.10 using the blog’s instructions – I don’t think those PPA’s are applicable anymore.

[ele]

Ummm… I’ll leave that opportunity to someone else who’s into making videos. I’m not determined to just screen record a boring video (no narration/music), sign up just to upload it somewhere, then neglect it. I can imagine the comments section already

That’s fine, I see your point. I’m just better when I can see photos or videos about how things are done, rather then just reading text a few times and then wondering around while also trying to translate everything from English to my language and see where things are. Especially when I first try to install something new and big, like OS, as I never done it before.

I think I will go with 14.04, if that’s possible, even if it’s mini version, should then have some peace after installing it. It still has longer support right? I will try to install it in Virtual box first then and if there will be any problems or I wont know where to go next I will ask again.

Hopefully I will have some time tomorrow to finally test it out and install everything.

[lah7]

I think I will go with 14.04, if that’s possible, even if it’s mini version, should then have some peace after installing it. It still has longer support right?

Really, the mini version is installing the bare bones of Ubuntu, and then installs the Ubuntu MATE packages on top. Also, the 14.04 (and 14.10) builds are just before the project became official members of the Ubuntu family, but the team are committed to supporting for the full 5 years.

[rogerharkavy]

I’m late to this conversation but I saw that the PC is old. Is it possible the CPU doesn’t support PAE? If so, try booting the live CD with the --forcepae flag.

[alpinejohn]

Also, if it’s old hardware, it might not support the current kernel architecture. I ran into that problem recently with a 10 year old IBM ThinkPad (Pentium M processor). As I only wanted an off-line machine I installed a distro version from the old days. It does what I want it to do.

Even linux can only support legacy hardware up to a point, some things just can’t be made to work… which is sadly not good news for the environment, or your budget.

[ele]

Today I finally got some time to try and see if I could make it work. So I put CD with GParted on and I got to the screen where it shows my partitions

I wanted to resize 114 GiB partition, but all of the sudden my monitor says No signal Analog and shut itself off Why? Does it really have to give me so much trouble

[lah7]

I’ve never heard or experienced of this happening, so this raises the alarm that in the worst case scenario… it could shut off while it’s resizing!

Why the hardware would shut off is beyond me, but it could be:

• Not enough memory
• Processor/motherboard experienced an illegal instruction (possibly?)
• Hard drive does not permit tampering (never heard of such a case)
• This version of GParted/the kernel is too new for your hardware.

Try the fail safe mode when you boot the disc instead:

1. Other modes of GParted Live
2. GParted Live (Failsafe Mode)

[ele]

It's strange, I think the computer itself is still running by the sound of it, it's just the monitor that turns off (for no reason I could think of). I try it twice and it looked as if some time have passed and then monitor shuts off. If it helps that's happen before It gets to Debian and then GParted

Will try the other options then, if it will work...

[lah7]

I/O Error sounds like a faulty disc drive or bad disc, I’m afraid to say. I’m thinking more a faulty drive, since it’s struggling to correctly boot two discs - Cleaning the tray and/or checking its cables are securely in place may or may not make a difference.

You may wish to look into other ways to boot the medium, such as USB drives, booting over a network (PXE Server) or booting the ISO from the hard drive.

These links may be useful:

• https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromWindows
• http://askubuntu.com/questions/339427/is-it-possible-to-install-ubuntu-through-network
• https://assylias.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/installing-ubuntudebian-with-pxe-using-a-windows-machine/

[ele]

Try the fail safe mode when you boot the disc instead:

Other modes of GParted Live
GParted Live (Failsafe Mode)

That didn’t work as my keyboard wasn’t responsive at start, but then could easily select options that comes before Debian starts…

I/O Error sounds like a faulty disc drive or bad disc

If I’m not mistaken I think I had to change cd/dvd drive on that pc (or was it on previous I don’t remember, but I know I had problems with it and had to get it replaced)

Are Automatic processes any good? Do you still need to make free space for it or make own partition for it?

Will check more later or probably tomorrow and see if I will have more luck with those.

[lah7]

Are Automatic processes any good? Do you still need to make free space for it or make own partition for it?

I have never tried to resize a partition using the Ubuntu Installer - but I think it may possible with the “Custom” option – always double check the dialog box before proceeding – and beware if there is no window status during the operation.

This help article advises using GParted for Windows XP partitions:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowtoResizeWindowsPartitions

The easiest way would be to shrink it (either by GParted Live or Ubuntu MATE Live Session, when we get it booting) and then use the “Install alongside Windows XP” option during set up. The installer will take care of setting up Ubuntu’s partitions.

Sorry that we’re 30 posts in and still haven’t managed to boot Ubuntu MATE on your older machine. We’ll get there eventually.

[lah7]

Turns out after all, ubiquity is able to split up partitions during installation. I never knew that:

While the Wiki advises to use GParted for Windows XP partitions, my tests show that it works fine using the installer.

[ele]

I have been busy with other stuff so haven’t done much on my old PC and what I did didn’t turn on anything really.

So I read the links yo provide about installation from Windows, but some links didn’t work and didn’t really want to use automatic ones… While other two were to technical and looked to complicated to do and I didn’t have that much time.

I also tried to boot CD with Lubuntu 14.04 on it, because it fitted on CD, but when I put it in I got shown language to chose, but neither my keyboard or mouse worked then and I couldn’t select anything… I was wondering it that could be because they are both connected to pc trough usb and it somehow doesn’t work when trying to install from CD.

I did finally buy new USB stick trough And successfully install Ubuntu MATE 14.04 on my old laptop alongside Windows 7 and I have to say it doesn’t overheat much underneath UM which it great Will probably need to install few more stuff on it once I remember what I missing. I think Welcome isn’t available for 14.04, right?

So when I will get more time I will try to get some floppy disk that I still have and try to install it with that usb stick, since I know it works, just need to get floppy disk to work.

I assume this will also work when having disk split to 2 parts… I already forgot how exactly it set as it’s quite a long time since I started.

Thank you so much for all your help so far trough @lah7 really appreciate it.

[lah7]

No problem, any further questions/problems, do ask! Myself and others can try to help.

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ubuntu-mate-welcome wasn’t introduced at the time of 14.04, I imagine it’ll be in the “development” repos at that time.

Now, you say your keyboard/mouse stopped working, I wonder if the system freezes up at this point - it could happen because this is a low RAM machine with 512 MB of RAM. Out of memory = Locked up.

There is some sort of non-graphical installer if need be. Again, I think this is now part of the netboot/mini ISO we talked about a few weeks ago, but this gets a little advanced.

[wolfman]

Several of your questions answered here:

Ubuntu beginners guide, complete how to install and run first update

WARNING 1: BACKUP ALL YOUR DATA BEFORE YOU START TO INSTALL IN CASE THINGS GO WRONG!. SAVE ALL YOUR IMPORTANT FILES AND FOLDERS TO EITHER AN EXTERNAL USB DRIVE AND/OR TO A 2ND HARD DRIVE ON YOUR PC. DO NOT SAVE ANYTHING ON THE SAME DRIVE YOU INTEND TO USE FOR LINUX UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND/KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING!. ONCE YOU START PARTITIONING AND YOU COMMIT TO FORMATTING YOUR PARTITIONS, THERE IS NO GOING BACK!. WARNING 2: IF YOU HAVE A RECOVERY PARTITION AND HAVE NOT CREATED ANY RECOVERY DISKS…

For partitioning:

GParted partition guide for Linux and Windows users

Linux beginners should also look here: You can only partition on an unmounted drive using an installation disk of your Linux flavour with a partitioning tool included, use the Gparted tool in live mode, or you can download a copy of Gparted from the link below and create your own Gparted disk: http://gparted.org/download.php WARNING BEFORE YOU START TO PARTITION YOUR DRIVE: MAKE SURE YOU DEFRAGMENT YOUR WINDOWS DRIVE BEFORE YOU START RESIZING THE WINDOWS PARTITION AS IT MAY WELL LEAD …

Hope it helps!.

[ele]

ubuntu-mate-welcome wasn’t introduced at the time of 14.04, I imagine it’ll be in the “development” repos at that time.

Yes, I know it didn’t exists back then, would save me some problems, but I found that there is link to it on the forum, just a bit lower into the topic. I really like how you can easily install stuff from there and will definitely install it next time I will have that pc on and will remember to do it.

Now, you say your keyboard/mouse stopped working, I wonder if the system freezes up at this point - it could happen because this is a low RAM machine with 512 MB of RAM. Out of memory = Locked up.

I don’t know. When I change running order in bios it’s working, but then when cd starts it’s like there is no life in it, no led indications or anything, but at least monitor stay on now, which wasn’t the case when i put gparted cd on and it turn off before I could do some serious work, like partitioning.

I haven’t done anything more to that old pc as for now I got laptop with win 7 on working and it doesn’t overheat much under Ubuntu MATE, which it great

Thanks @wolfman I really like your tutorials with so many photos, it’s much easier to see how to do things, where they are and how the screen looks.

I might read all those things again when I get back to fixing it and see if I miss something and give it another try then.