More dysfunctional Ubuntu-isms

[Steve Litt]

On Wed, 2 Nov 2016 18:38:24 -0700
Michael Butash <mike at butash.net> wrote:

> So yet another chapter of ubuntu-isms begins in my life, trying to 
> install on my new desktop.  Step 1 defeat, their server install won't 
> even boot with a 16.04.1 server disk.  Internal cdrom or external usb 
> cdrom, no usb thumbdrive.
> 
> Then tried a 16.04.1 desktop installer for kubuntu, which got into 
> setup, but proceeded to just lock up indefinitely at the drive setup 
> screen, twice.
> 
> This is really why I have a hate/love relation with ubuntu, it never 
> fails to disappoint.  My road to 16.04 has been all upgrades so far, 
> this time I'm using 16.04.1 cd's from scratch.

Curious: What do you love about it? You seem like the kind of person
who could work with any distro.

> 
> I really don't want to have to make a circle of distro's to end up
> back here again, but ubuntu is always so basically dysfunctional
> these days with the most basic things, it's hard to want to care.
> 
> I wonder how much others have seen this.  This is with legacy boot in 
> bios, no uefi crap, and just a basic d-i based ubuntu server install, 
> and/or kubuntu.

I used Ubuntu for several years because it "just works." The trouble
was, as I got more sophisticated, Ubuntu's seatbelts and airbags and
danger sensing devices and training wheels and all that other stuff so
necessary to the newbie badly got in my way.

So I ditched Ubuntu for Debian, and that was great, but then Debian
went systemd so I switched to Void Linux, and after a rocky 5 weeks of
Void newbie-ism, Void has turned out to be the most useful, maleable
and stable distro I've ever used. I've used Void for over a year now.

I think you've probably outgrown Ubuntu.

BUT, as far as your current no-booting installer problem, I wonder if
your media are bad. Just for fun, boot System Rescue CD and have a look
around the system to verify no disk or RAM problems, and that the
processor is what you think it is. If you can't boot System Rescue CD
either, that points an accusing finger at your DVD drive.

Also, try burning your disks with cdrecord (or wodim) instead of a gui.
I use a command something like this:

cdrecord dev=/dev/sr0 padsize=63s driveropts=burnfree \
-pad -dao -v -eject myimage.iso

The padsize=63s and -pad help with the Linux readahead bug. Burnfree
means you don't unknowingly make coasters or bad discs if your computer
can't deliver the data fast enough.

If you perform the burn like I mentioned above, you *should* be able to
md5 check the disc to the same md5sum as the iso file by following
directions here:

http://www.troubleshooters.com/linux/coasterless.htm

HTH,

SteveT

Steve Litt 
November 2016 featured book: Quit Joblessness: Start Your Own Business
http://www.troubleshooters.com/startbiz