[xubuntu-users] White Screen at CD boot

[Wee Dram]

Hello Fred,

I actually tried an approach similar to this before I put out my request for
help. Even so, I thought I would try your particular suggested approach.
Unfortunately, it was not successful. Booting from USB on this satellite was
not possible and I couldn't get the plop program to see the iso on the USB.
Thanks for you suggestions and help so far.

Ross

 

From: xubuntu-users-bounces at lists.ubuntu.com
[mailto:xubuntu-users-bounces at lists.ubuntu.com] On Behalf Of Fred Roller
Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2014 3:06 PM
To: Xubuntu Support and User Discussions
Subject: Re: [xubuntu-users] White Screen at CD boot

 

On 04/09/2014 01:50 PM, Wee Dram wrote:

Hello,

I am trying to install Xubuntu on my old laptop. It is a Toshiba Satellite
5000 running a Pentium III at 1.10 Ghz with 512 MB RAM and a 37.5 GB
Hard-drive. It is presently running XP. It has a NVIDIA GeForce4 440 Go
(Toshiba) video card. 

 

I want to first try it without installing but I'm having problems getting
past the first steps.

 

In summary: I burned a CD. I tried it on the computer but the screen went
white after a few moments. I tried the CD on a newer Toshiba and it seems to
work fine. After checking various help sources, I was able to get to the
boot menu on the older computer and try a few options there: 

Deleting the 'quiet splash' command

Choosing the nomodeset

Adding the following, individually, to the boot options lineAdding
i915.modset=0 

xforcevesa

fb=false

vga=771

 

The final result of doing each of these was the same: a white screen with
lots of CD activity for several minutes (as if the whole process is
proceeding) and then no CD activity. 

 

I am a total novice with this kind of thing so any and all suggestions of
next steps are welcome.

 

Regards,

Ross

 





Ross, been thinking on your issue.  Do you know if the laptop boots from
usb?  if not do you have either a) a built in 3.5" floppy drive? or b) an
external usb drive?

On a system which has internet access and a usb port go here:

http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

and download unetbootin appropriate to the OS you are working from (Windows
in the case of the Satellite for example.)

Once the program is installed put a thumbdrive, 1Gb ought to due, in a usb
port.  Once it is recognized then run unetbootin.  There should be two
option, Distrobution and Diskimage.  Choose the latter, Diskimage.  Browse
to the ISO you already have downloaded and select.  Ensure your thumbdrive
is listed in the "Drive" drop down menu then click OK.  Do not reboot, just
exit and eject the thumbdrive.

If you can boot from usb (enter into bios and push it up the boot priority
or hit the boot menu key, f12 I believe for your system) 

Insert thumbdrive into the Satellite and power on if you know it will boot
from USB.  Push the boot menu key (F12?) and select USB.  Xubuntu should
boot like the CD from there.  Choose try before install etc. etc. It has
been my experience that sometimes the faster usb over the cd makes a
difference in booting don't know why, perhaps timeouts.

If you cannot boot from usb then create the thumbdrive as above and go to
here:

http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/download.html

and download the plpbt 5.0.14 zip file.  Unpack the file and burn a cd with
the .iso file in the unzipped directory.  This program will allow you to
boot from usb.  Place the CD in the drive and the usb an available slot.
Boot the system and from the menu which comes up you choose usb.  The system
should boot as normal from there.  Again, choose Try before installing etc.

As this has worked for me in the past when cds would not boot I am hoping it
will help you.

HTH
Fred



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