New instalation, old distribution, antique machine

[Dave Burrows]

On 7/31/2012 7:59 PM, Felix Miata wrote:
> On 2012/07/31 09:14 (GMT-0400) Dave Burrows composed:
>
>> We've tried everything we know to do to upgrade Ubuntu (Ubuntu 6.06 LTS
>> - the Dapper Drake) on this HP Omnibook without success.
> [...]
>> We use this machine exclusively to record sermons at our church with
>> Audacity.
>
> This begs the question whether there's any point in an upgrade. Is 
> this machine normally not connected to the internet? If not, there's 
> no real risk in keeping it as is. Even if so, maybe there's not enough 
> connect time to retain material risk that any security holes that may 
> be open in Dapper would be exploited. If Dapper can still do what 
> needs doing, what's the point?
Fair question.  There is a point; it's because Audacity made a fairly 
major upgrade that Dapper won't fetch.  Firefox, in addition, is in 
v.1.5 on this machine, and Dapper won't fetch the new version of that, 
either.  There are, in fact, 71 files it wants to upgrade, but when we 
tell it to, it can't.
>> I'm a total Linux novice beyond this machine.
>
> Others have made reasonable suggestions, but left one significant one 
> out. As long as Linux is already installed and functional, and decent 
> internet access speed is available, both upgrade and new installation 
> are possible by first downloading only the installation kernel and 
> initrd, booting them with Grub, and installing directly from the 
> internet via HTTP or FTP. This valuable method works when PXE is not 
> available, as well as when it is, and when booting from floppy, CD, 
> DVD or USB for whatever reason won't work. Only what's actually needed 
> gets downloaded this way, plus things not available on conventional 
> installation media.
Absolutely, I'm pretty surprised by all the responses, good ideas, all 
of them.  Thank you all very much!  I followed Nils Kassube's 
suggestion, of editing sources.list so it points to 
old-releases.ubuntu.com rather than archive.ubuntu.com.  I ran into some 
trouble when I tried to edit permissions in order to save the changes; 
it told me I wasn't the owner.

This suggestion sound pretty interesting also.  I'm somewhat concerned 
that it is going to run into the same permissions block that I've run 
into twice over the last 3 days of working on this. So, it seems to me 
that the next logical step would be to solve that.  I'd like to know a 
little more about your thinking, with a few steps to point me in the 
right direction...if you have the time, and patience, that is.  I almost 
understand, but it would be helpful to know how to find the installation 
kernel on the Ubuntu site, and to know what initrd is, and where to find it.
>> Does anyone have any ideas for a next direction?
>
> If you asked around the congregation you might find someone less 
> novice who is willing to help if you can't succeed on your own. 
> Barring that, you might ask outside about non-members willing to do 
> computer work gratis for churches. If you're within reasonable driving 
> distance of west central FL, you can bring it to me and I'll do it, by 
> temporarily installing your HD in a different system if need be.
Right, the real expert in Linux, who also shares responsibilities at the 
sound board where sermons are recorded, has been on the phone with me 
quite a bit, but we both felt like some outside ideas would get us 
moving again, and I think they will.  Thank you most kindly for the 
offer.  I live a couple of hours farther away from you than seems 
feasible...in Washington, PA, just south of Pittsburgh.

Peace,

Dave

-- 

Dave Burrows
741 Cleveland Road
Washington, PA  15301-2514
USA

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