I bought a used Dell Precision 490 computer

[FredRdr88]

Dell Precision 490 2x Intel Xeon Dual Core 5150 2.66HGz 1TB HDD Computer Desktop
8GB Memory RAM / Nvidia NVS290 / No OS / Keyboard+Mouse

Just curious, will I need some sort of adapter cable to hook up an ordinary monitor to the graphics card. I have an unusual cable but I plan to put an old monitor on the computer. I guess I just need to buy a cable or something? I don't plan to use the Y cable for two monitors. I only need one. I don't have any monitors that would plug into the NVidia connector, although I can buy one if need be.

 

[FredRdr88]

I have an NVidia card and so I might have to use the nomodeset option on boot - I'll have to try that option but right now I'm trying to run Ubuntu as a live program. If that fails, I'll just choose F6 on the next boot and try the nomodeset flag. It might work.

 

[FredRdr88]

I tried the nomodeset flag - at least I can see al the blk_update_request errors. I see this also with GParted but at least GParted CD works. I just ruined my Sunday night. I just wasted a huge amount of time. I'm so angry.

 

[FredRdr88]

I decided to burn a server 17 Ubuntu - perhaps I had burnt a bad DVD or something or there was just something else incompatible. So I'll try again.

 

[FredRdr88]

Right now I know it has set up keyboard, and found the DVD rom drive and it's just sitting there with a purple screen. I guess I would think that it would send some info to the screen and/or the DVD drive would blink but I see nothing happening.

 

[FredRdr88]

I have no idea what to do at this point. Burn another DVD? Different version? I don't know.

 

[FredRdr88]

Now I'm trying Linux Mint Cinnamon and it wants a username and password so I put in root and some password but it won't let me past the screen.

 

[FredRdr88]

I've looked at a dozen Linux Mint Cinnamon install tutorials. Not one of them has a login screen that pops up.

 

[FredRdr88]

I keep trying things like Ctrl Alt F1: mint; admin;password, I have no idea what the username and password are. How can someone log into an operating system during the install? I cannot believe it.

 

[william p]

I get my Live DVDs with a Linux magazine at the news stand. It's a little pricey, but comes with some hand holding. I assume you have the DVD set as 1st boot device in BIOS. Try F12 for Dell boot menu.This is from the Ubuntu disc I got today. F8, F9 usually do something during POST on a Dell also. No CTRL ALT needed, that's inside Windows, just toggle the F keys during boot. If you hold them you get a keyboard error.

 

[FredRdr88]

Hi sorry, I had forgotten I'd asked for help. It turns out that the DVD device I was installing from was bad, so I took an external USB DVD off of another machine and the install went fine. There was one other minor problem. I had chosen to put the boot code to /dev/sda1, but it needs to be /dev/sda. After those two issues dealt with, it installed just fine. I also put a WIFI stick I found on my desk in and it used it during the install to update stuff. I then put my SCSI card in and it recognized it and installed the driver automatically. But while I'm on this subject, I now have yet another problem, probably nothing major.

The SCSI card is U320, it has one internal connector (which is female), and 2 external connectors. I just bought an internal cable for it but the internal cable is female. I need some way to adapt it to the female (ie. a gender changer). HP 350141-001 SCSI U320 Cable
So currently I cannot use the internal card connection and I also can't yet use the external until tomorrow when it arrives. But any help to understand these cables better and how and where to order. I notice some on ebay, Tripp It, Wal-mart, and Amazon.


I ordered an external cable:
EXTERNAL 8FT 68PIN HD/HPDB68 M TO VHD/VHDCI68 MALE SCSI CABLE 5183-2675 C2362B

I'm sure the external cable is that sort of mini-centronics type of 68-pin which is correct, my only fear is that it's only up to U160 in speed. Am I right or wrong on this point? Is that only a U160 and so it would slow me down.

These types of cards have generally 68 to 68 or something like that.
Like this:
3ft SCSI Ultra 2/160/U320 LVD Cable VHDCI68 to HD68 M/M 3' - this would do for the external and I believe it's male to male.

It was hard for me to analyze this but I'll find the user manual for the scsi card, and I DID open my case. It's hard for me to open the case right now. But the connections to the card are a smaller looking connector than to the drive (it's not like the old 50 to 68's).

By tomorrow, I guess I can try the cable that comes in the mail. But if I can find a gender changer, at least I know that my internal cable IS U320. Just not sure where I would find a gender-changer.

This is a solvable issue - just sick of these details and wish I could get running by tomorrow. I was stunned when I opened my case tonight, went to plug in my U320 cable, and realized it's the wrong gender. I want to use external in the end though, since I have 2 external connections, and since it would allow me to keep the computer's case closed. I almost always run on internal because that's all I had the cables for. I need to invest in some cables.

 

[FredRdr88]

I just ordered an extra external SCSI cable which will be nice since I have two external ports. This one I KNOW is male to male and it's the right type, AND it's U320. And I will probably just order another internal cable since I have no idea how or where to find a gender-changer for that one.

 

[FredRdr88]

I think my external cable is only a U2W which means it's only 160MPBS, U160. So I'm pretty much unable to use any of the 3 cables I've bought. I need to keep searching. I can't find what I need.

 

[FredRdr88]

The one I JUST ordered is probably ok, but it will take a while for that to come in the mail.

 

[FredRdr88]

On the up side though, is that the drives I'm hooking up to CANNOT talk faster than U160, so I should be ok with the cable that comes tomorrow for a month or so, until I get faster hardware to test out. So I should be ok, but I would love to find a gender-changer for the internal cable anyway.

 

[FredRdr88]

While I'm waiting for my cables to come, if anyone can think of how I can do this and does it ever matter when we go 50 to 68 - do we ever lose pins that are needed depending on what type of SCSI - 1, 2, 3, 4, ..etc..?

If anyone can think of a way to accomplish these, I DO have an HD 50 male to HD68 male one of whose ends I can use on the drive, the HD50 would ultimately need to be converted to 68-pin VHDCI. I could do it either of the following two ways, neither of which is easy to find, but perhaps a solution exists using either adapters, cables or both.

HD50 female to a 68-pin VHDCI male
HD50 female to HD68 male then adapt HD68 to VHDCI 68

 

[FredRdr88]

The third cable arrived today - it DOES in fact fit onto the external card stubs - although I wish it screwed in better it's not too bad.

So the U2W cable will have to work. I hope the one that's coming is U3W as I might have U320 devices later.

For now this should work. I'll have to test it today.