My Anti-Linux Laptop

T

thomas234

Big Geek
Hi!

I've recently being trying to get Linux running on my laptop, because I'm bored of Windows and need something to do during the holidays. At the same time though I'd like to keep windows (a dual boot) so I can carry on playing multiplayer games with friends.

On the advice of a website about my laptop running Linux (Acer Aspire 5050), I've upgraded the BIOS to the latest version. They said they got Ubuntu running well when they did that, but now I cannot even boot Ubuntu 6.06 or the latest 7.something

I downloaded Mandriva One Spring 2007, which I was really pleased with as it seemed to work brilliantly! Even those cool fancy 3D effects worked when running from the Live CD. So I installed to a separate partiton from Windows, and when I rebooted the wired network that had worked fine on the Live CD stopped working.

I have the Slackware discs but I don't really want to run it because there is no software manager thingy and everything takes 10 hours to figure out how to install.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should try next?

Thanks, Thomas
 
thomas234 said:
...I have the Slackware discs but I don't really want to run it because there is no software manager thingy and everything takes 10 hours to figure out how to install...
Click to expand...
Actually slackware does have a package thingy, but it is mostly CLI tools. Simple solution: install a package manager. ;) gslapt, kpackage, or many others.

But in reality you would be better of using a slack-based desktop system rather than pure slackware. Look at Zenwalk, VectorLinux, and Ultima.

*buntu should boot fine with the noapic option, as Impotence suggested.
 
unfortunately without apic your not going to know your battery's doing :( [Ubuntu Gusty is due in October though, you can hope :)]
 
Ok thanks y'all I'll give Ubuntu another look when openSuse has finished downloading. I've also downloaded Freespire to try.

I think that the no apic thingy should work because when I was trying to install a boot loader for Mandriva yesterday it only worked if I unchecked the APIC option, not unchecking it froze the laptop. I'm not bothered about knowing the status of my laptop battery as I keep it plugged in most of the time anyway.

Thanks, THomas
 
No sadly the noacpi or noacpi option (I wasn't sure which, so I tried both :) ) didn't work. It loads the blue kubuntu logo and the progress bar appears (7.04). 6.06 Gets quite far and then sticks at loading ACPI modules. :(

I'm burning Freespire now to see what it's like. And if that fails I might try Slackware again and get a download manager. Slackware is the only OS I've ever had wireless working with (and that wasn't this laptop).

Update: Freespire doesn't work, although I'm testing the disc because it doesn't work on the computer either.
 
Ok, this is embarrasing, but I have to ask because I must be doing it wrong.

How do you add flags when Ubuntu boots. What i've been doing is pressing F6 and just typing noacpi, then pressing enter.

I guess this is wrong! :O
 
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