Help! Install of v6.06 LTS Crashes after Language Selection

[ac]

glcarter at comcast.net wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I am a new Ubuntu user, well not even new yet since I can't get it installed.
> 
> I am desperate to rid my Dell Insipiron 1200 notebook of its virus infested copy of Windows XP.  I have 40 GB of disk and plenty free.  It has the required minimum of 256 Meg of RAM.
> 
> - I insert the Ubuntu CD into the drive, start the PC and immediately press F12.
> - I change the boot device to the CD Drive.
> - After about 15 minutes (should it really take this long?) I finally have an Ubuntu desktop with an icon that reads: Install. 
> - I double click the Install icon
> - After another 10 minutes (sirttl?) I get to Install screen 1 of 6 to select a language.
> - I select English and press the Forward button
> - After about 15 minutes (sirttl?) the screen freezes, never moves from Install 1 of 6, the progress icon stops spinning, all device lights are off.
> - Everything is frozen I can't even pop open the CD drive
> 
> I thought Ubuntu would be perfect for just light work and internet browsing on this laptop.  Am I wrong?  Am I doing something wrong?
> 

Welcome!

I have no particular trouble with an Inspiron 1100 slower than yours, 
but with 512 ram. I get a reduced size display because of a problem 
with this model number (same problem exactly with XP), but it is 
easily fixed in linux before installation at live CD stage.

Boot and run live cd:
5 minutes 5 seconds for ubuntyu 7.04 to boot live CD in the inspiron 
1100   512MB RAM
6 minutes 10 seconds  PII 400MHz    328MB RAM

I think reduced RAM has led to 15 minutes boot iirc in a slow machine 
- ram is very important for live CD operation.

Have you used the 'Check CD' facility at the start of the live CD boot 
process? CD or drive problems should be highlighted there, - it is 
slow, though......

As suggested elsewhere in the thread, might be worth considering the 
non GUI install using the 'alternate' CD. I used it successfully in a 
laptop PIII 650MHz 128 MB ram (toshiba tecra) - install of xubuntu - 
this took just over 1 and half hours.

hth
good luck
-- 
ac