Hey all.

I have an HP Pavillion 9000Z.

I'm trying to install Kubuntu (latest version) on it.

It won't install.

I hit "install" at the splash screen after rebooting, it shows the kubuntu loading screen, then it starts going through a diagnostic check in which it says a bunch of crap and [ok] next to it. After it does the diagnostic it just sits there - screen black as the ace of spades, and nothing happens after that.

The only thing I've noticed is that right before the diagnostic it says something about "unable to allocate memory" - it's hard to tell though because it only displays this message for 1/10 - 1/5 of a second, then it starts the diagnostics.

The memory reads 2GB / 2048mb though - so I don't know what the temporary error msg is about, or why it goes away so quickly, or why it won't boot.

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

I know it's not much to go on, but it's not like I can tell you anything else.

PS: I'm NOT looking to format the entire drive. I have some space set aside and plan on using Kubuntu's format system to allocate the empty space and install kubuntu on it.

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In case the above doesn't make any sense, note that I don't know anything about computers.

"Horsepower sells motor cars, but torque wins motor races"
- Carroll Shelby

Did you try using the text installer?

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Ubuntu 8.04.1

Gnome 2.22.3

No, I only tried installing under regular install mode, and install with safe gfx mode.

You're not the first one to mention this "text installer" - I tried this on this computer last summer with no results in the same area.

This is what the install screen looks like, I don't know how u get the other stuff.


I did the whole "check CD for defects" and I didn't get any errors...and now i'm doing a memory test. Only problem with the memory test is I've been doing it for the last 10 hours and 50 minutes. How long is a damn memory test supposed to take? It's 2GB, DDR2.

EDIT:
And under the "more options" (F6) it just brings up a text line so you can add more stuff to the "start/install" command line. I don't know what you would possibly add to that.
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This user added the following:
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I just talked to my friend about it, and he said he's had it with kubuntu/ubuntu. He said it has a problem with everything and becomes a pain trying to "help you out" on higher level stuff. So he said he's 'had it' with debugging ubuntu.

He also said that's the easiest one to use, though. I'm not very linux oriented (I can't compile kernels 'n shit, or do linux programming...I have to do basic unix stuff since all of the sun computers in the Java lab use some part of the UNIX family (sun microsytems computers), but they also have gnome, which is kinda queer in terms of appearance, but sorta eliminates the need for terminal interface asside from starting programs and compiling java apps :-\)

So he said that if there was a list, top to bottom, of how hard stuff was, kubuntu/ubuntu would be at the top (easiest to use). Then he said the next one that he would use is towards the bottom. I wanna stay KDE but I'll switch if it means better distro :-\ - He said the next one down the list he would use is archlinux, but he also said that's almost as hard to install as gentu. Now I don't know anything about either, but I don't think kubuntu/ubuntu is going to install on my computer.

I have very bad luck with computers, very VERY rarely can people help me fix my computer problems.

So is there any other distros people recommend that are better for "all around" use...or any help installing kubuntu would be ideal but I just don't see that happening...

PS: I did a memory test 16 times (14 hours) and 0 errors...

Any help would be greatly appreciated at least.

__________________
In case the above doesn't make any sense, note that I don't know anything about computers.

"Horsepower sells motor cars, but torque wins motor races"
- Carroll Shelby

To use the text installer you need to go and download the iso again but check you need alternate cd.

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Ubuntu 8.04.1

Gnome 2.22.3

PC (Intel x86) install/live DVD
For almost all PCs. This includes most machines with Intel/AMD/etc type processors and almost all computers that run Microsoft Windows, as well as newer Apple Macintosh systems based on Intel processors. Choose this if you are at all unsure.

64-bit PC (AMD64) install/live DVD
Choose this to take full advantage of computers based on the AMD64 or EM64T architecture (e.g., Athlon64, Opteron, EM64T Xeon). If you have a non-64-bit processor made by AMD, or if you need full support for 32-bit code, use the Intel x86 images instead.

The first one is what I installed.

Though now that I look at them again, I'm thinking maybe i shoulda installed the second one...

You'll have to forgive me, I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to computers.

Though the specs on my laptop is:
HP BIOS (I think it's an HP BIOS, HP Manufactured the DV9000)
AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-60

2.01 Ghz 2GB RAM at 1200? (DDR2), so on and so forth.

I did the first one the first time..now that I look at it, I'm thinking I shoulda did the second one. Does the turion 64 mean it's 64 bit? I thought it was a 32 bit...I'm using 32 bit windows media center, so on and so forth.

I'ma download the image anyways as I'm awaiting confirmation on this.

Maybe I should try the second one?

EDIT:
If Indeed I shoulda tried the second one, I wanna at least give it a go before I attempt to use the text installer.

Also, I can't afford to format the entire drive, the information is valuable, I should be able to make a blank partition of 25gb or so outta my current main drive with XP on it (C:\) with partition magic and leave it unformatted, then format the partition with the Kubuntu Live! CD.

Any info is thanks.

EDIT2: Ha, nvm for dl prep time, there's a kubuntu mirror at my college (RIT), 9.6mbps dl speed ftw

__________________
In case the above doesn't make any sense, note that I don't know anything about computers.

"Horsepower sells motor cars, but torque wins motor races"
- Carroll Shelby