- This topic has 12 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated Aug 24-10:03 am by seaken64.
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prices1950
SOLVED
Hello – just getting started here.
I have a lot of experience with bigger systems but not a lot with PC hardware. I was a Windows user with some Unix but only as a user.I have an old Dell Latitude C540 I am trying make useful. 348MB Mem and a 20 GB disk. No Wi-Fi and a single USB-1 port
Bios boot sequence is Floppy, CD, then HD (USB is not an option on the boot list)
I set up two partitions 18GB primary and a 2GB for swap. I thought there was a small partition at the low end but it is gone now.I have a antiX 19.2.1 386-base LiveCD working and trying installs to hard disk from there but first install attempt failed at the GRUB install
I told install to use all of the disk.
I restarted the system from the CD and used the disk partition to set the boot flag on the primary and asked for an install of grub on the main partition.
– the install runs to the end but when I remove the CD and try to boot I end up with a blank screen and no disk activity.
I am missing something related to the MBR – just have no clue what it might be 🙂****
I am working here from my desktop system- This topic was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by prices1950.
- This topic was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by prices1950.
BobC
348 mb of memory is very low for an X-Windows machine. I would check the specs to see if the memory can be increased. The chips are likely very cheap.
After the install I think you should have removed the CD so it would boot from the hard drive.
Try booting from the hard drive.
If it won’t boot from the hard drive, I would suggest rebooting again from the CD, and running the boot repair option from the control centre maintenance tab or applications, system menu.
rokytnji
I built me a PLOP floppy disc so I could boot off usb 1.1.
3.1. Floppy
__________________________________________________________________You create the install floppy with a floppy disk image. A floppy disk
image is a file that contains every sector of the floppy disk. You
cannot copy the image file on a floppy disk like a common file. It’s
required to use a special program that writes sector per sector of the
image file to the floppy disk sectors. There are many programs
available to do this.Download the current boot manager [94]plpbt-5.0.14.zip. Extract it to
get the floppy disk image. You find the disk image in the install
directory. The name of the file is plpbtin.imgHow to create the floppy:
DOS: You can use [95]diskimg.com with diskimg -d a -w plpbtin.img
Windows: Write the disk image with the program [96]rawwritewin to the
floppy diskLinux: dd if=plpbtin.img of=/dev/fd0
I’d start with base iso. You got to patient. Booting on usb 1.1 can be like watching paint dry. Things will improve after hard drive install takes over.
Keep it simple. Good Luck.
Edit: My quote is my notes on the 3.1 version. PLOP is now in version 5 I think. My instructions are still relevant. Version number naming is the the only difference.
2nd edit: Strike that statement by me about starting with base iso. One can switch over to other window managers using full and it would be better to have all libs and tools for a new user. Ram should not stop boot of full iso either.
- This reply was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by rokytnji.
- This reply was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by rokytnji.
Sometimes I drive a crooked road to get my mind straight.
Not all who Wander are Lost.
I'm not outa place. I'm from outer space.Linux Registered User # 475019
How to Search for AntiX solutions to your problems
Xecure
Welcome.
If the install finished correctly, except for Grub install, you can follow BobC’s advice:If it won’t boot from the hard drive, I would suggest rebooting again from the CD, and running the boot repair option from the control centre maintenance tab
antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.seaken64
Hello – just getting started here.
I have a lot of experience with bigger systems but not a lot with PC hardware. I was a Windows user with some Unix but only as a user.I have an old Dell Latitude C540 I am trying make useful. 348MB Mem and a 20 GB disk. No Wi-Fi and a single USB-1 port
Bios boot sequence is Floppy, CD, then HD (USB is not an option on the boot list)
I set up two partitions 18GB primary and a 2GB for swap. I thought there was a small partition at the low end but it is gone now.I have a antiX 19.2.1 386-base LiveCD working and trying installs to hard disk from there but first install attempt failed at the GRUB install
I told install to use all of the disk.
I restarted the system from the CD and used the disk partition to set the boot flag on the primary and asked for an install of grub on the main partition.
– the install runs to the end but when I remove the CD and try to boot I end up with a blank screen and no disk activity.
I am missing something related to the MBR – just have no clue what it might beHello prices1950, welcome to antiX.
I think antiX is a good choice for that old computer. I have antiX working on similar equipment. But it may be not straight forward and may require some effort to get the kinks worked out.
If I were you I would try to boot from the USB 1.1 port using a FULL iso. But if that won’t work then the Base CD will work. You may be aware already, sometimes the BIOS uses the “Hard Drive” category to boot from USB. Put the USB drive in the port before turning on then check if the USB drive is on the list of hard drives for booting.
PLOP works for me. I use a PLOP CD and then I set the USB 1.1 port to “Mode 1”. You may have to experiment with your hardware. Once you have it booting from USB you can make your Floppy as mentioned by Roky.
antiX-19 will run in 384M RAM. But if you can you should update the RAM to 1G. That machine supports two SO-DIMM chips of up to 512M each. At the very least get one 256M chip and get to 512M.
You may be having some video card issues. Or, it may be the Grub as you suspect. Try booting into Failsafe mode. Also, you may use gparted to wipe the drive and start fresh. I usually reset the drive to MBR, then reformat to one single EXT4 partition. Then let antiX installer do an auto install and take over the drive. It will repartition and format for you.
Good luck, and have fun.
Seaken64
Solved- but not sure exactly what solved it. I boot the CD again, and did a GRUB repair – putting grub in MBR on the root partition ( I think I am saying that right)
I rebooted without the CD and at the GRUB menu I edited the AntiX boot details to remove the quiet mode – so I could see what was happening.
F10 started the boot in verbose mode – there were a couple of times I thought it was hung, but it looks like some items needed to timeout before continuing.
Starting to look at the included applications, and will look very hard at some more memory for the system.
I am sure it will not be long before I start with more questions but for now…Thanks all
Nice job prices1950. Looks like the Grub repair worked.
Next will be to try to get the FULL version loaded.
Seaken64
Next will be to try to get the FULL version loaded.
Seaken64I think I will wait a until my memory upgrade arrives 🙂
Well a memory upgrade for the PC, I am afraid I do not get any more memory upgrades.Stephen
anti-ewaste
Well a memory upgrade for the PC, I am afraid I do not get any more memory upgrades.
You mean for another machine? I understand you may need to pull out one or both but Crucial shows this model can take 1 gig. Even if you pull out the 128mb module and put in the 512mb that would be decent. Might be hard to find but check Freecycle, Trashnothing and if nothing else eBay for someone who might be selling for a buck or two.
Well a memory upgrade for the PC, I am afraid I do not get any more memory upgrades.
You mean for another machine? I understand you may need to pull out one or both but Crucial shows this model can take 1 gig. Even if you pull out the 128mb module and put in the 512mb that would be decent. Might be hard to find but check Freecycle, Trashnothing and if nothing else eBay for someone who might be selling for a buck or two.
I think Stephen was referring to his own memory, not the computer.
Stephen, did you ever get your computer’s RAM upgraded? Did it help?
Seaken64
OK – yes 1 GB memory upgrade for the laptop worked I am up and running quite nicely – and yes it was a joke about no more memory upgrades for me – meaning me 🙂
I am now trying to sort out a dust cabinet as I want it in my woodshop with lots of fine sawdust all the time. Thinking I will build my own positive pressure box using an external keyboard, monitor and a trackball.
Brian Masinick
RE: “…yes it was a joke about no more memory upgrades…”
Many of us are probably in that. I’ll use a slightly different, but similar analogy – pertinent to job schedulers, Web servers, and system programs – and me – memory leaks can be quite a problem.
I fix mine, but they seem to return with regularity! 🙂
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Brian MasinickOK – yes 1 GB memory upgrade for the laptop worked I am up and running quite nicely – and yes it was a joke about no more memory upgrades for me – meaning me
I am now trying to sort out a dust cabinet as I want it in my woodshop with lots of fine sawdust all the time. Thinking I will build my own positive pressure box using an external keyboard, monitor and a trackball.
Good. Thanks for reporting. Usually a memory upgrade on that generation of equipment can be quite useful for antiX.
Yes, a shop box will be a good idea. I remember some of the wood shop magazines I used to read showed advertisements for such boxes to help keep the dust out of the computer.
Seaken64
- This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by seaken64.
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