Forray Into The Land Of Linux

[Maevik]

Ok, so it's taken some time, but I've finally got all the pieces I needed and have gotten started on this project. I've got an extra system that I built from hodgepodge acquired by fixing friend's/family's computers. The goal is to put Kubuntu on the bastard, learn something about Linux and see if I can't have a little fun with it!

There are a few hardware hangups that I didn't anticipate (some of which I probably should have >< )

My mouse is a pretty sweet little dude called the G5 from logitech. I never really saw the benefit in investing in a decent mouse till I got this thing and fell in love. The bad thing is that it's a USB mouse that isn't ps/2 backward compatible. The KVM switch I bought uses ps/2 so I can only KVM my Keyboard and monitor. I figure it's not so bad just having a second mouse on my desk till I can get a different KVM switch. QQ

The Rig:
Mobo: TYAN Tomcat K8E S2865
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3400+
Video: ATI Radeon x1300 512mb
RAM: 1.5 GB
HDD: Western Digital WD1600JB 160 GB

So yeah, here you can see some of the other hardware issues. Firstly, my friend said n-vidia is the best bet for linux (most likely to support), but this is what I have. A quick google search suggested that it's pretty well supported by Ubuntu, but we'll see I guess.

Downloading and burning Kubuntu installation CD was easy enough. Powered up the compy, and it wouldn't boot from CD. Changed the disc into my DVD-RW (Slave) from the DVD-ROM (Master) and tried again... It worked!

So I get the happy little Kubuntu splash screen, choose English and proceed with the installation. Everything seems to be going fine for a couple minutes, until:


"(initramfs) Unable to find a medium containing a live file system"

A quick google search tells me that it's either a problem with my SATA hard drive (HA!) or it's having trouble locating my CD-ROM. An hour or so of troubleshooting the problem bears little fruit, so it's time to switch out the drives so that the DVD-RW is the master. It's an excuse to take off some stupid CD mount panel flap thingies on the case that I didn't want anyway.

So computer is back together and I'm starting it up, I KVM over to my main rig to take care of something, the timer for the lasagna in the oven goes off. I come back a few minutes later, KVM back to linux machine to see how things are progressing and I see this:



So, things are successful to this point. Now I just need to install and have everything set up. Oh yeah, and learn everything. FUN!

Updates to come :D

[short]

This is definitely interesting ! We did something similar but used Arch linux to host a web server from our laundry room. FUN!

edit: it was definitely the first time we used linux at all, sooo much to learn. We used a server-rack style though, probably a little different.

Oh well keep the updates coming, I like watching others learn

[Ginto8]

Linux is tough to learn, but once you learn it you can do SO much with it. Keep up the good work!

[K-Bal]

Linux is tough to learn, but once you learn it you can do SO much with it. Keep up the good work!

I don't think that i.e. Ubuntu 9.10 is harder to learn than Windows 7 if you have absolutely no computer background. Things work different but not harder/easier.

[dandymcgee]

I've got Dell Optiplex running FreeBSD at home right now, running a webserver and MySQL database, but haven't had a chance to do much with it since I set it up.

[Maevik]

Kubuntu installed ok, but it doesn't want to boot on it's own. I can boot it with the CD, but otherwise it will just keep trying to boot from CD (the second boot drive) or if I set BIOS to only boot from HD I just get a cursor that blinks forever. I've spent a fair amount of time trying to fix this but nothing works so far. Just thought I'd update before I go back at it.

[K-Bal]

Kubuntu installed ok, but it doesn't want to boot on it's own. I can boot it with the CD, but otherwise it will just keep trying to boot from CD (the second boot drive) or if I set BIOS to only boot from HD I just get a cursor that blinks forever. I've spent a fair amount of time trying to fix this but nothing works so far. Just thought I'd update before I go back at it.

I think you have some hardware issues I am very sure that Kubuntu is not to blame.

[Maevik]

Hmm, well I reinstalled Kubuntu using the 64 bit version (something I should've done in the first place ::facepalm::) and it's still not booting on it's own. Turning into quite the headache, may just table the whole project till I can bribe one of my linux friends with a case of beer.

[Maevik]

I've got Kubuntu 64 installed, and I've reinstalled GRUB a dozen times and still can't get this to boot on it's own. Trying to get help from the Kubuntu forums, but doesn't seem to be getting anywhere

I refuse to give up though! Grr

[Milch]

Linux is tough to learn, but once you learn it you can do SO much with it. Keep up the good work!

I don't think that i.e. Ubuntu 9.10 is harder to learn than Windows 7 if you have absolutely no computer background. Things work different but not harder/easier.

I myself have a virtual machine running on Ubuntu and I must say, its much easier than any windows - at least for a developer.
Just started up Ubuntu, opened the packet manager and downloaded all the stuff I need ( SDL , Codeblocks , the Compiler , ... ) and after like 10 minutes, everything worked!
The only thing that still bothers me is the file system and that I cant access some folders, but I guess I have to bear with that ( so no changing SDL Header files =/ )

[K-Bal]

I myself have a virtual machine running on Ubuntu and I must say, its much easier than any windows - at least for a developer.
Just started up Ubuntu, opened the packet manager and downloaded all the stuff I need ( SDL , Codeblocks , the Compiler , ... ) and after like 10 minutes, everything worked!

Absolutely! Linux is developer heaven.

The only thing that still bothers me is the file system and that I cant access some folders, but I guess I have to bear with that ( so no changing SDL Header files =/ )

Open a terminal and enter "sudo nautilus".

[mattheweston]

I will say that having learned DOS as my first OS made the transition to windows much easier. =)

[avansc]

you should not change sdl headers, or any headers for that matter that you did not author. ever, you destroy the portability of the code 10 to 1. not even portable from os to a next, but from one computer to a next, regardless of os. (unless you give the new headers)

if you really wanna do that, make a copy of sdl to your local project path. edit them, and reference then, build them, and ship those headers and rebuild sdl.

[Maevik]

I will say that having learned DOS as my first OS made the transition to windows much easier. =)

I had DOS as my first OS too. I think that's part of being old though. I remember getting my first windows system right around the time Right Said Fred came out with "I'm Too Sexy" O_o

Anyway, I've isolated the problem! Fixing it is another thing altogether though As it turns out there's a Broadcom NetXtreme Boot Agent already installed on the MBR that is trying to boot the computer across a network. This is keeping GRUB from doing it's thing. I didn't know it was there because I got this MoBo from a friend who works up in silicon valley and he had pulled it out of the parts bin at his software company. Anyway, I'm having an incredibly difficult time trying to remove it.

[Ginto8]

I will say that having learned DOS as my first OS made the transition to windows much easier. =)

I had DOS as my first OS too. I think that's part of being old though. I remember getting my first windows system right around the time Right Said Fred came out with "I'm Too Sexy" O_o

Anyway, I've isolated the problem! Fixing it is another thing altogether though As it turns out there's a Broadcom NetXtreme Boot Agent already installed on the MBR that is trying to boot the computer across a network. This is keeping GRUB from doing it's thing. I didn't know it was there because I got this MoBo from a friend who works up in silicon valley and he had pulled it out of the parts bin at his software company. Anyway, I'm having an incredibly difficult time trying to remove it.

well I have a solution:
1: boot from a linux live cd
2: determine what the drive is represented as (/dev/sda, /dev/hda, w/e - just can't have numbers after it)
3: enter the command "dd if=/dev/zero of=" followed by the drive name. Wait about a minute, then repartition it and put the bootloader on.

How this works is that it completely zeroes the MBR so that there aren't any residual things like that Boot Agent. It pretty much gives you a clean slate with it.

Edit: though I'd recommend seeing what other people think of this suggestion. I've never zeroed an MBR and I'm unsure of what it's negative effects are (other than destroying all data on the MBR).