Can't load Ubuntu

[Douglas Pollard]

On 04/23/2011 02:31 PM, Ric Moore wrote:
> On Sat, 2011-04-23 at 13:23 -0400, Douglas Pollard wrote:
>> Hi All,  I have an old Dell computer that had xp on it. I accidentaly
>> wiped windows out but I don't need it anyway.  It is one Ghz with 512
>> memory card.  I am trying to install 10.04 with EMC . I have a CNC
>> milling machine almost finished and want to use EMC as my controler.  I
>> put a desktop cd in the drive and it ran right to the end but would not
>> open up in the monitor. After several tries I tried a complete install
>> of Ubuntu 10.04  from another cd. It seems to install but does not start
>> up only a blank screen and no sound of starting. In this operation I
>> accidentally did away with windows.  Grub comes up and I can select
>> Ubuntu. The monitor is and older one that I have used with Ubuntu before
>> I Moved it out the the workshop I think I used it with 8.04 so I guess
>> there are drivers in 10.4 that will work with IT??  The monitor did work
>> with XP.
> I just installed 10.10 to an old Dell with a Pentium 4 and 1 gig of ram.
> I dinked and hammered on it for almost a entire wasted day, and finally
> noticed that at random times the keyboard didn't respond. It had a USB
> keyboard hooked up to it. So, I scrounged and found a old PS-2 Dell
> branded keyboard, plugged it in and the install went forth smooth as a
> greased eel. I also jammed an elderly nVidia board into it, for better
> graphics. But, the best resolution I could get was 640/480. So, I
> replaced that monitor for a newer old one. Now, it runs at 1280/1024.
> Old Iron can be picky. It sure didn't like that USB keyboard and the
> monitor was for crap, it's on it's way to the bone yard, to rest in
> peace.
>
> "If thy eye offendeth thee, pluck it out." works on installs.
>
> If Ubuntu is the only OS on that machine, I wouldn't think you would
> have to select it. Now that you've lost that Win partition, just let the
> installer run on cruise control, let it do the choosing by formatting
> everything, erasing the all of the old partitions completely, to start
> over from scratch. Also, check your bios to make sure that it can write
> to the boot track, with virus protection turned off, before starting.
> Trouble shooting with a shotgun, Ric
>
>
>
OK, I do have a new usb keyboard so that may be a problem. When grub 
starts I get the usual choices of safe mode etc.  But Ubuntu does not 
start on it's own after 30 seconds or so and I have to click enter. 
After that I get a blank screen. I'll bring the old machine into the 
house and hook it up to my new monitor.  I also have an old key board, 
kind of sticky but it will tell me if the keyboard is a problem. Thanks 
this is all something to work with.    Thanks,    Doug