Help on getting Linux MCE installed

[justapyro]

Okay, Here goes...  FIRST AND FOREMOST!!! I have never used linux other than Knoppix to do emergency recovery of files for friends/families computers when windows crashed.

I have installed Kubuntu 8.10 via CD onto an older desktop a HP 754n, it also has a DVD drive, but for some unknown reason refuses to boot from it.  Following the install instructions listed here at the wiki, http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Installing_0810, for an internet installation upon reboot, I get a terminal screen, not very good.  First time around I figured something went wrong so I reinstalled Kubuntu and tried to see if I could do the DVD install, or at least access that installer.  However, Kubuntu won't mount or automount the media.  I've tried both audio cd's in the cd-rom and DVD's in the DVD writer.  Couldn't get it to mount anything.  So next step I retried the internet install... which failed again and its currently sitting at a black terminal screen, which I can't get it to load the KDE desktop environment.

The idea behind using the old HP754n is due to circumstances I had two of these computers given to me, and wanted to remove some extra HD's from my main desktop and convert the other two machines into a MCE/file server to dump some older files to. 

[_if_]

did you modify the sources.list to match the right repositories before installing linuxmce?

[justapyro]

no I didn't know you had to modify it, as it wasn't listed in the instructions to install.

[purps]

Is the DVD you burnt the latest snapshot? http://linuxmce.iptp.org/snapshots/

The thread explaining the source.list modification is "stickied" in the Users section of this forum.

[justapyro]

I burned a copy of the latest DVD, but unfortunately the PC i'm converting won't boot it, but my other desktop will.  I believe its a firmware issue with the old drive.   

I messed around with the source.list file and got it corrected, but when I installed I got an error regarding MySQL not being found, it rebooted, and went to the command prompt.  No idea how to get back to the KDE desktop.  Its getting a little old reinstalling Kubuntu every 2 hours... 

as a side note, before updating anything, when I insert a cd/dvd into either drive on the system, Kubuntu doesn't mount either? any ideas on that one?  The drives are older IDE drives if that would matter.

[purps]

Sounds like the drive might be knackered, I would get it replaced.

Did you edit sources.list correctly? Post a "before" and "after" if you wish so we can have a look.

You can type "startx" at the command prompt to start up the GUI.

[justapyro]

#deb cdrom:[Kubuntu 8.10 _Intrepid Ibex_ - Release i386 (20081029.1)]/ intrepid main restricted
# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.

deb http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid main restricted
deb-src http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid-updates main restricted
deb-src http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid-updates main restricted

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team. Also, please note that software in universe WILL NOT receive any
## review or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
deb http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid universe
deb-src http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid universe
deb http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid-updates universe
deb-src http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid-updates universe

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in
## multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu
## security team.
deb http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid multiverse
deb-src http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid multiverse
deb http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid-updates multiverse
deb-src http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid-updates multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports'
## repository.
## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as
## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes
## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.
## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review
## or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
# deb http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid-backports main restricted universe multiverse
# deb-src http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid-backports main restricted universe multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from Canonical's
## 'partner' repository. This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is
## offered by Canonical and the respective vendors as a service to Ubuntu
## users.
# deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu intrepid partner
# deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu intrepid partner

deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu intrepid-security main restricted
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu intrepid-security main restricted
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu intrepid-security universe
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu intrepid-security universe
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu intrepid-security multiverse
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu intrepid-security multiverse

here is the modified sources.list, I just changed all the .archive&.security to old-releases.

[phenigma]

Remove the 'us.' portion of the addresses in all your sources.list entries.

For example: deb http://us.old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid main restricted
should be: deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid main restricted

J.

[justapyro]

Okay, so LinuxMCE is now installed, I'm just having problems with the AV setup Wizard black screening after I set my resolution.  I set it currently at 480P, even though the TV its hooked to is a 720P LCD TV.  I first set it to 720p, and it black screened, not sure about it but I'm going to be doing some tinkering to see if there is another setting?

[purps]

It can take a little while to sort itself out sometimes, so be patient.

If you are using a 720p TV, then use the 720 resolution! What cables are you using? I find HDMI/DVI to be a lot more predictable than VGA.

[justapyro]

VGA, the computer only has a VGA output, and the TV doesn't have a DVI in.

I've set it to 720P and walked away for several minutes, once it showed the "Do you want to confirm this resolution" screen for the 15 seconds, but then blackscreened and would never come back up.  After restarting after that I was able to get into the LinuxMCE desktop, but couldn't get it to play anything?  Still trying to work out if the IDE DVD drive is crap or not?

[justapyro]

well it will now play Audio CD's can't get DVD playback, I think the DVD drive is crap, but I might be getting another one soon.  However, i finally did get the Resolution fixed... but now the LinuxMCE home screen? is about 1/4 the screen, and positioned wrong.  Can't get into the AV wizard to adjust the position/zoom... is there  a way to manually configure it?

[phenigma]

Drives are very cheap these days and can fail pretty quickly.  Older drives tend to not be very compatible with RW material, especially for booting (in my experience).

Are you using the onboard Intel graphics or an add-on AGP card?  The video issues you are describing suggest the video mode is not being configured correctly.

I use my EeeBox B202 with Intel graphics through a VGA connector.  I choose the VGA output, 720P resolution and 60Hz (I am in NA) refresh rate to connect with my LCD monitor.  This also works with my Toshiba Plasma Television but I have to tell the television that I am using a 'wide-screen' resolution or it doesn't display properly.

Some televisions only support VESA graphics modes through the VGA port, check your television's user guide and see if the modes you are trying to use are supported.

J.

[justapyro]

sorry about the long time, my wireless card in my main desktop took a crap on me... not a good week.

The DVD drive is shot, might be getting a new one for free.  I'll double check the graphics modes as well, I'm using the crap Intel onboard graphics for now, this is more or less a LinuxMCE test machine before I build a working server.