Stable Version of Linux

Hello everyone,

It's been a while since I've been at the ranch. My job has demanded that I take other certifications.I really hope to return to Java soon, and program Mobile Devices.

I bought Dell 1545 with Ubuntu 9.04 pre-installed. Now, software is no longer supported for Ubuntu 9.04 and would like to install Ubuntu 10.04 on top of it.

Problem is, I hear that Ubuntu 10.04 (and other versions of Ubuntu, for that matter) are not stable.

I need stability!!!

Can you recommend a version of Linux that has a Graphical User Interface and has minimal learning curve. I can simply download the ISO and create a bootable USB.

Please help, I am at my whits end!

I don't know where you heard that from. By the time Ubuntu (or most other Linux variants) gets to a release version, it is very stable. If you try hard enough, you can ignore all the warnings and install a snapshot or a beta release, but why would you unless you have a specific need for it?

It is possible that you are looking at old documentation. For example, I could mention that the latest non-stable version of Ubuntu is 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot), however this is only true right now - at some point in the not too distant future this will no longer be true.

The latest stable release of Ubuntu (at the time of me writing this) is 11.04 - you can get it from the downloads page

Ubuntu 11.04 is stable and better supported with large community. If you are new to linux installation, I would suggest go through some online guide to plan your hard disk partitions if you need dual boot etc and you can install using USB.

@ Andrew: Last year, when I was trying out 10.04, it failed on me. Now I am thinking after a year, it would have improved, but when I booted it from USB to install on top of 9.04, it just froze. Plus, I went to YouTube where there was a demonstration for installing 10.04, and people from 2 months ago were commenting how 10.04 is not stable.

@ Sandeep: I'll go ahead and create bootable USB of 11.04 - might as well ;-)

Two attempts, and I keep getting the same error when attempting to boot from USB

error is something along the lines of

cannot find keyword in configuration file
boot:

Any ideas?

debian is the distro that Ubuntu is built from. Its is far more stable than Ubuntu -- they only release new versions every couple of years, rather than every 6 months that Ubuntu does.

This is a two edged sword. Debian takes a while to support new hardware. But once it is working, it stays working for years.

I run debian on all of my servers.

I think this error has something to do with syslinux.cfg which gets created when you create Live USB. Make sure you have downloaded correct Ubuntu Live ISO and using latest Universal USB Installer http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/

Go through this thread http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1546737.html.

I got this problem when I tried to install Ubuntu from hard disk ( not USB ). Though I did not try to fix, I went ahead I created Live USB and it works ok with USB without any problem.

Also go through

http://alexsleat.co.uk/2010/11/27/how-to-fix-unknown-keyword-in-configuration-file-ubuntu-usb-boot/

Search following in google

install Ubuntu from hard disk unknown keword in configuration

Sandeep Awasthi wrote:I think this error has something to do with syslinux.cfg which gets created when you create Live USB. Make sure you have downloaded correct Ubuntu Live ISO and using latest Universal USB Installer http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/

.......

Thank you for all these references.

I will study these and keep trying.

I really need this stability since I software that used to install on 9.04 no longer does so.

Will keep you posted!

I removed ui as specified in one of the threads

The file located at "/syslinux/syslinux.cfg" when created shows the contents below:

# D-I config version 2.0
include menu.cfg
default vesamenu.c32
prompt 0
timeout 50
ui gfxboot bootlogo

And was able to boot.

However, I got an error when I attempted to install in the following instances
1- On top of 9.04
2 - Alongside 9.04 (I rather install alongside because 11.04 takes some getting used to!!!)

It was some Error 5, unable to copy to hard disk.

The installer encountered an error copying files to the hard disk:

[Errno 5] Input/output error

This is often due to a faulty CD/DVD disk or drive, or a faulty hard disk. It may help to clean the CD/DVD, to burn the CD/DVD at a lower speed, to clean the CD/DVD drive lens (cleaning kits are often available from electronics suppliers), to check whether the hard disk is old and in need of replacement, or to move the system to a cooler environment. Said it was probably due to faulty CD/DVD drive. But I am installing from USB.

Then I get a pop-up that Installer crashed and to upload /var/log/syslog and var/log/partman to https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+filebug

When I attempted to install again it said

Sorry the program "ubiquity" closed unexpectedly.

When I try to report it, I get another pop-up

The problem cannot be reported:

You have some obsolete package versions installed. Please upgrade the following packages and check if the problem still occurs:

apt, dpkg, ecryptfs-utils, initramfs-tools, initramfs-tools-bin, language-selector-common, libdbus-1-3, libecryptfs0, libnss3, libnss3-1d, libpam-modules, libpam-modules-bin, libpam-runtime, libpam0g, libplymouth2, libpng12-0, libxml2, perl, perl-base, perl-modules, plymouth, python-apt, python-apt-common, sudo, tzdata

Will continue troubleshooting this and researching at the earliest.

Will really appreciate if someone can chime in.

By the way, where do I send the var/log/syslog file? Is it touchpad?

But the thing that bugs me the most is that I am unable to install firmware for wireless, which means I must use 5- foot Ethernet cable to plug into the modem across the apartment!!! And, my original Ubuntu 9.04 won't boot, I must now use the USB to boot this laptop.

I have found wireless support to be rather spotty in Ubuntu. Wireless worked fine on my 4-year old HP laptop, from Ubuntu 7.10 all the way through 10.4. But in 10.10 it would not work. I haven't tried 11.04. But at least 10.04 is an LTS (Long Term Support) release, so I should be able to get patches and security fixes until the laptop dies (which I kind of hope is real soon, I'm itching to get a new one, 4 years is eons in laptop time)

But it sounds to me like you have complete botched up the system. I would go out and buy an new hard drive, swap it for the one on the laptop and try installing 9.04 first (at which point I would partition the drive to leave room for 11.04) and then install 11.04 in the empty partition. Then buy a USB drive enclosure for the old drive and use it for backup (after you get your files off of it).

How you created your Live USB?

with http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/

or with http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

or with Ubuntu's startup disk creator.

My suggestion is recreate live usb with http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/
You will need windows for that.

Because I don't have Windows, I used's Ubuntu 9.04 USB disk creator (I believe you go to System > Administrator > USB Startup Creator) to create the boot-up. That pendrivelinux website required Windows OS.

Of course, I had the USB formatted first on my Mac OS as MS-DOS (FAT).

When I purchased the Dell Inspiron 1545, I specified Ubuntu over Windows. Luckily they included a recovery DVD, which I am installing right now.

Will keep you posted.

EDIT: When I get Ubuntu 9.04 up and running, will create bootable USB for 10.04 LTS and get rid of that "ui". Will see if I can format USB on Ubuntu 9.04 OS (if it makes a difference)

Still receiving

[Errno5] Input/output error

This is due to faulty CD/DVD disk or drive, or a faulty hard disk ....

error when attempting to install 10.04

This does make sense because

1 - I am installing from USB
2 - If there is Hard Drive error, then why am I able to install 9.04 from the DVD that came along with Dell Inspiron 1545 (that I purchased in 2009)

Then I did googling, and found the following link:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/errno-5-input-output-error-639355/

These people are saying they did something with hardware. I never dealt with hardware before. How involved it this? Can you point me to a How-to guide? Or perhaps, there may be a simpler solution.

Please note, I downloaded the ISO from Ubuntu.com itself, it is not corrupt.

Also, I must re-iterate, that I am no longer able to download anything to 9.04, which is why I must switch to 10.04 LTS.

Can you give some guidance, or at least point me to other threads that may help. When I google my problem, most people say they burn CD at lower speed, or the discussion thread goes nowhere.

If you are very new to OS installation (any OS, windows,linux).. , disk partitions etc, better do not install it yourself. I also assumed that you have brand new laptop which do not contain any important data because deleting, re sizing disk partitions can result in loss of data.

The reason why I did not want you to prepare live USB from Ubuntu 9.04 is because Ubuntu 9.04 use legacy GRUB and from Ubuntu 9.10, Ubuntu started using GRUB2. All versions of Ubuntu 9.10 and above use GRUB2. This should not be problem why your live USB which is created from Ubuntu 9.04 USB disk creator is not working, but it can be. I am not sure.

The best option for you is create live USB from http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/ from other PC which has windows. But again if you are very new to OS installations, disk partitions etc, I suggest better get help from someone. If it is hardware problem, then you get help from Dell because your laptop should be in warranty period.

Sandeep Awasthi wrote:
The best option for you is create live USB from http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/ from other PC which has windows. But again if you are very new to OS installations, disk partitions etc, I suggest better get help from someone.

Looks like I'll borrow a Windows computer to create the live USB.

Sandeep Awasthi wrote:
If it is hardware problem, then you get help from Dell because your laptop should be in warranty period.

I'm trying to rule that out; if the Memtest fails, I'll be on the phone with Dell :-)

I managed to get a 16 GB USB and access to a Windows computer.

I am following directions on http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/ and have set the persistent file size the maximum possible.

Why is it taking so long?

I formatted the 16 GB USB in FAT32

It copied over the iso of Ubuntu 11.04 LTS (Long Term Support)

But for the past, almost 2 hours, the progress bar is still at one rod.

Is this normal?

I hope I'm doing this ok.......

It finally worked!

So the trick is to use a WIndows OS, format the USB as FAT32, then burn the Ubuntu ISO.