HD install freezes after Xorg or Xvesa selection

Booting, installing, newbie
Post Reply
Message
Author
Ratmonkey
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue 13 Mar 2007, 22:10

HD install freezes after Xorg or Xvesa selection

#1 Post by Ratmonkey »

I own a thinkpad 701 and 760 I am trying to load puppy linux on. They have no cdroms so I have to do a hard drive install. I used the method discribed in one of the forums (im sorry i dont remembe which forum and couldnt find it when i looked) putting the isolinux folder on the hard drive using another computer and booting the laptop with a start up disk and using a go.bat to use loadlin to boot puppy.

The install program starts and I get to the point where i must choose xvesa or xorg. No matter which one I pick my computer freezes afterward and I get no farther.

The same thing happens on both computers with puppy (and with dsl, i tried that after puppy peed on my leg, or laptop i guess). I think it might have to do with my video memory (which i low, but i am not sure how low, because the laptops are old). But i am stumped what to do now.

I hear linux runs faster on these old machines and from what ive read puppy is the fastest. I would like to give it a whirl.

Any advice or instruction would be apprieciated.

Ratmonkey

EdFromHouston
Posts: 176
Joined: Fri 07 Apr 2006, 06:21

#2 Post by EdFromHouston »

I think you may not have enough RAM to load puppy and that is why it stops when the shared video memory is loaded. I think this because you say the computer is old, without a CD, and DSL did the same thing so it most likely has shared memory and 32 or 48mb of ram which isn't enough. You need about 64 mb of ram to load Puppy or DSL..

You should make a linux swap partition on your hard drive to make up for the lower ram and make it 100mb if you haven't done so already. Puppy 2.14 works best with a EXT2 (first choice for 2.14) or EXT3 (first choice for 2.10 or 1.09CE) partition.

If you already have a swap partition you need to make sure Puppy can find it and it is about 100mb.

If you have over 64 mb of ram now which you can check in your BIOS then your problem may be a bad memory stick which you can check.

If you need to make a swap file search the forum stickys at the top of the beginners section for what you need to know or maybe someone else can post it here.

You should choose Xvesa if possible over the more advanced Xorg for such an old machine

I say all of this based on nothing being updated hardware wise.

EDIT: Google is your friend. The 701 spec sheet:

http://mdxi.collapsar.net/butterfly/tp701-specsheet.png

designengineer
Posts: 84
Joined: Wed 18 Oct 2006, 13:13

#3 Post by designengineer »

Ratmonkey,
Describe what you are seeing when you say "The install program starts and I get to the point where i must choose xversa or xorg. No matter which one I pick my computer freezes afterward and I get no farther." If you are getting a blinking cursor, then this post should walk you through it.

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=11931

If not, give some more details, and nclude the amount of RAM you have

EdFromHouston
Posts: 176
Joined: Fri 07 Apr 2006, 06:21

#4 Post by EdFromHouston »

According to the spec sheet above the max ram for the 701 is 40mb if I'm reading it right. It really is old.

Post Reply