Ubuntu 8.10 and 9.04 just amaze me!

[medjohnson77]

I am a newbie to Linux for the most part, I think I tried it around 5 years ago and just gave up it. However, in the last couple months some of the reading and web surfing has once again sparked my interest in Ubuntu Linux.

I have around 5 custom build computers, and several computers that were just given to me. One of them is a Amd Duron 650mhz with the Kt133 Avi chipset. I have around 196mb of ram installed on it and it had a ATI Rage pro in it, but I switched it out with a Nvida TNT 2 because I heard it was better then the ATI rage. I had tried using the regular install CD for several versions of Ubuntu 32 bit with out luck. I then down loaded the min. CD for 8.4, 8.10, and 9.04. 9.4 still gives me a bug and stack notice and will not go past the first install window. However when I installed the 8.04 min. CD it went thru and I thought all was good until I got to the reboot and it fired back up and just gave me the command line for the terminal. So I was to the point of calling it quits. Did some more looking around, and came across help in the Ubuntu site. The min. Install CD did not install the desktop and I just need to type in the terminal a command to get it installed. I have been now running 8.10 after a clean install doing the same thing with the terminal after the install.

I am amazed at how little ram I have in this very old rig, and the fact that it has a Duron 650ghz processor, and the fact that it is much slower then my other builds, but yet I find that it is still responsive and seems stable. I put XP home with service pack 3 on this same computer and it seemed very sluggish with only the 196mb of ram and the Duron 650mhz processor. I am going to try to update to 9.04 thru the updater in the OS and see if it still gives me the bug stack problem. Another thing I find unreal is that, there is no way that Windows Vista, or Windows 7 would ever install on a computer as old and low as spec's as this one has. Windows XP is very unresponsive with this computer. To me that says alot, and is a very nice thing about ubuntu.

I have a old laptop that was given to me, A Dell CPi D233ST with a PII at 233mhz and only 128mb of ram that can be upgraded to 256mb if I can find the ram cheap some where. I tried the full install CD's of Ubuntu and it acted like it would install it, but after two hours into it I just stopped. I believe that the Wireless B card I have would not connect to my N router and the Laptop has no other method of connecting to the Internet so It could not install ubuntu with out the Internet connection. I makes me wonder if I can figure out how to get wireless to work on it, how well Ubuntu will run on this old Dell. I tried putting in a wireless G usb stick in and it didn't see it.

I am getting ready to put Ubuntu 9.04 64 bit on my main rig, a phenom II, at 3.6ghz, and 4 gb of ram. I think I will be using Ubuntu as my main system to surf the net with, and anything else I can do with Ubuntu. I will try to only use windows for gaming for right now and see how it goes.

After getting Ubuntu to install on this one with the Duron I am impressed with Ubuntu, very interesting indeed....

 

[linux_0]

DSL http://damnsmalllinux.org/ usually runs better on machines with less than 256MB of RAM.

Give Slax a try too http://www.slax.org

XFCE should run better than Gnome regardless of which distribution you use.

Ubuntu uses Gnome, Xubuntu XFCE and Kubuntu KDE.

Fedora with XFCE will probably run with 256MB or more but it will probably be slow.

With the Ubuntu Alternate CD you should be able to install without a GUI as long as you have at least a 300MHz x86 CPU, 64MB of RAM and at least 4GB of disk space, but as the Ubuntu documentation says you should not expect it to run well.

Ubuntu 9.04 runs ok on a 900MHz netbook with 512MB of RAM booting from a 4GB SD card, although it can be a little sluggish.

The PII 233 with 128MB is not going to run very well unless you max the RAM and use DSL or Slax and even then it may be really slow.

Good luck

 

[medjohnson77]

Thank Linux_O,

I still have not been able to get any of them installed on the Dell. I am sure your right, it will be slow, but I have to wonder how slow? The old Duron at 650 mhz still seems decent, not as bad as alot of XP machines I've seen friends have with only 512 mb of ram. It just surprise's me. If they ever get some games that I am interested in, then I could become a full time Linux user.

I am having some problems however with my install, most has went well. I have installed all the codecs for DVD play back, and the mplayer is very jumpy, off snyc and stutters, and just locks my computer up. I am not sure what is going on here, but I have not been able to get it to fully work. Any Ideas?

 

[amdfangirl]

Personally I use VLC.

 

[medjohnson77]

do I just type in VLC in the package installer?

 

[amdfangirl]

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Many DL options there.

Sorry medjohnson, but I use Fedora, don't know much about Debian.

 

[linux_0]

On Ubuntu go to Applications, Add / Remove Software and search for VLC.

You should also install the proprietary drivers for your VGA if you can ( nvidia legacy ) or upgrade to a better VGA card with hardware acceleration.

Good luck

 

[amdfangirl]

Or download the .deb file from their site.

 

[sub mesa]

What games do you play which you would like to play on Linux? Alot of games already work on Linux by using Wine. I can check how well they are supported if you like.

 

[medjohnson77]

Hey Linux,

I have 1 4870 now, sold other, waiting on the 5870 to get here. I let Ubuntu install the drivers for the 4870 and the CCC which has no fan control for my card, which I don't like. I have not tried to install the drivers off ATI's site yet, not sure how. Does anyone know how to walk me through it?

Thanks AMD fangirl, I will try to look into how to get the real drivers installed of there site.


@ sub mesa,

I like to play DOW series, the new DOW II, shadow run, I have Risk II I also like to play, Crysis, I have a Star trek game I have messed around with.

 

[linux_0]

You can get the driver from amd but it may break your GUI on ubuntu.

If your GUI breaks you will either have to fix it using the text console or ssh or you may have to re-install.

Their website, FAQ and unofficial wiki do not mention anything about being able to control fan speeds.

Backup your xorg.conf configuration file and all important data before you try the ATI driver.

Warning: this driver may break your system

http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/linux/Pages/radeon_linux.aspx?type=2.4.1&product=2.4.1.3.36.3.2&lang=English&rev=9.9&ostype=Linux%20x86_64

Warning: this driver may break your system


YMWV

Good luck

 

[linux_0]

http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=6998

http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=1918

http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=9264

http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=5880

Good luck

 

[medjohnson77]

Thanks for the info guys and girls. I got the VLC installed and it works better then the others. However I am still getting some freezing, not sure what that is about yet. I have installed the real drivers from ATI 9.9 version and it worked. I got a extra CCC called super user and at first couldn't open it, but got it to open and to my surprise no fan control or temp monitor. I am assuming that it is better to have the real drivers then the default ones?

Thanks for the wine links linux, i will take a look at them.

 

[amdfangirl]

Any other questions?

 

[medjohnson77]

Well not sure what is up with my Ubuntu install but I still am getting some random freezing where the computer just locks up. I am still looking for Ideas on Ubuntu's help site. Other then that I am loving it.

 

[Pyroflea]

Well not sure what is up with my Ubuntu install but I still am getting some random freezing where the computer just locks up. I am still looking for Ideas on Ubuntu's help site. Other then that I am loving it.

Does it happen when you perform a specific action (ex. opening a program that uses lots of resources)? Is it a random occurrence, or does it seem to follow a 'pattern'? How often does it happen?

 

[medjohnson77]

Does it happen when you perform a specific action (ex. opening a program that uses lots of resources)? Is it a random occurrence, or does it seem to follow a 'pattern'? How often does it happen?

Seems to happen when I watch DVDs with any of the players I have tried, however, VLC seems to not do it as much as others. It also seems to happen when I have alot of task going, windows open, Fire fox. I think movie play back is what is causing it, but I am not sure.

 

[medjohnson77]

I think I may have found out what is wrong with the dvd play back on my rig. I am not sure yet and I am going to have to test but I have installed Ubuntu 9.04 32 bit instead of 64 bit on my rig on a partition in my 1500 gb seagate. The Snes emulator was having problems on 64 bit OS, and it now works using 32 bit Ubuntu. I was hoping that 32 bit would also fix the DVD play back problem on my main rig.

I have now installed 32 Ubuntu 9.04 on a friends laptop, and other then getting wireless to work, which I now have working everthing else works great. Dvd play back has no problems and works with out any problems. I first thought that Comp effects was maybe the problem. Well on my friend laptop it doesn't seem to be the reason.

I think it has to do with the fact that I am running HDMI inputs into my tv maybe? I am going to try to connect a VGA line and see if it clears up the issue. Anyone have any ideas if this could be an issue?

 

[linux_0]

Are you upconverting to 1920x1080?

Does it happen with all DVDs or just some?

 

[medjohnson77]

I have a Hanns-g 28" 1080p monitor, and I believe it at full screen mode it plays it at 1920x1080. I use the DMI to HDMI from my 4870 and it happens with all DVD's on my rig, and even when I just start up the movie in just the windowed mode. Some times sound will not play when it starts the movie, even though it did when Vlc first starts. It then locks up my computer and I can't do anything with it for quite a while. If I am lucky it will let me close down the player after 6 to 10 mins and but the mouse will move but will not click things.

I just tried SNES emulator on the laptop that plays movies good with out any problems and It does the same thing my Rig does. It will play for a while and then it just comes out of full screen mode into window mode, and locks up my computer, the mouse is no longer there and I can do anything but play the snes game in window mode. I have it set to 1080x780 i think. It set to what ever the native is on the laptop LCD. I am not sure if I just don't have things configured right with snes emulator or what? Any Ideas?

 

[medjohnson77]

well I have disabled effects and set them back to no effects. And dvd play back works without troubles, no skipping, or freezes. However in doing so I no longer can use the Avant dock bar, or get any extra effects like cube.

What is funny is that I never enable the effects in my friends laptop and it just left the three options blank. I installed the Avant and the doc works on her computer. At first it didn't but then it did after reboot. I am not sure the order I installed things in but this is really wierd that it isn't working. I tried the VGA instead of the HDMI line in and it did not help.

 

[linux_0]

If I'm not mistaken Ubuntu defaults the effects to on but doesn't set it to full effects.

Maybe the 2nd setting will work for you too, if that's true.

It's interesting your DVD playback works with effects disabled.

Good luck

 

[medjohnson77]

Yes it is very interesting. One of the things I really like about Ubuntu is the comp effects. I have tried the 2nd setting and it does not work. I have tried to remove both avant and ccsm and install them again. Niether worked and have now lost my avant bar on my 32 bit Ubuntu install and can't get it to come back up even if I turn on effects.

 

[amdfangirl]

You sure it's not just the drivers acting up?

 

[medjohnson77]

You sure it's not just the drivers acting up?

which drivers? I have installed the ones of of AMD's website, and I also have went with the default ones in the 32 bit install and both are acting that way. Both of them do the very same with comp effects enabled.... Not sure if it would be a driver issue or not? The compaq V2000 I believe uses a ATI onboard grafix, but there was no drivers that could be installed with it from the update driver option, but it all just works.