5 replies to this topic

[arinekhen]

What is the minimum memory requirement for Yast?

Insufficient RAM for Yast was the error given during my attempt to install ubuntu (via unetbootin) on an older 256mb/p4 dell. I found an apparently out-of-date document listing 64mb, but since the machine in question has 256mb, that must be wrong. I may have just overlooked the RAM requirements at http://en.opensuse.org/YaST, and if so I apologize for bothering you folks.

When this error occurred I was asked for a swap slice, but since I didn't have a linux swap slice on the box I just gave up for the moment. My real problem isn't memory, it's trying to work around the lack of a cdrom drive (due to a motherboard issue, not the cd-rom's fault) and the inability of a dimension 8250 to boot via usb: the goal was to replace the xp os with ubuntu. I can add a swap partition to the secondary hard drive if the consensus is that retrying unetbootin is my best bet. Any suggestions for alternatives to it and Instlux would also be appreciated.

Thanks for your time!
Doug Simmons

[Wonko the Sane]

I don't get it.

If the PC cannot boot from USB what is the use of Unetbootin to create a bootable Linux install USB stick?

Wonko

[arinekhen]

Unless I have been smoking the cheap stuff, my understanding was that I could mount an iso and use it to boot - I have an ubuntu iso on the second hard drive, and I told unetbootin where it was during the installation in the xp os. I then used the unetbootin entry added to the xp boot menu to boot up - then it did start loading ubuntu but ran out of memory. I think. ? :-)

[Wonko the Sane]

Unless I have been smoking the cheap stuff, my understanding was that I could mount an iso and use it to boot - I have an XP iso on the second hard drive, and I told unetbootin where it was during the installation in the xp os. I then used the unetbootin entry added to the xp boot menu to boot up - then it did start loading ubuntu but ran out of memory. I think. ? :-)

Cannot really say , but it is perfectly possible that your dealer has given you something from the "wrong" bag, it is typical of the new generations.

Let's see if we can clear things.
Unetbootin is :
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

Introduction

UNetbootin allows you to create bootable Live USB drives for a variety of Linux distributions from Windows or Linux, without requiring you to burn a CD. You can either let it download one of the many distributions supported out-of-the-box for you, or supply your own Linux .iso file if you've already downloaded one or your preferred distribution isn't on the list.
Requirements
Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, or Linux. If you are having trouble with the Linux version, try the Windows version, it usually works better.
A broadband internet connection to download the distribution's .iso file (unless you're using pre-downloaded files)
Features

UNetbootin can create a bootable Live USB drive, or it can make a "frugal install" on your local hard disk if you don't have a USB drive. It can load distributions by automatically downloading their ISO (CD image) files, or by using existing ISO files, floppy/hard disk images, or kernel/initrd files, for installing other distributions.

mainly an app to create installs from USB stick.

Did you use it to make a "frugal" install on hard disk, instead?
But then it won't be an Ubuntu install, it will be a "frugal" one.

Anyway, given (trust me ) that your question is NOT:

What is the minimum memory requirement for Yast?

and it is not either:

Do I have to create a linux slice and how?

but is actually:

I want to install Ubuntu on a Dell Dimension 8250 that I wasn't able to have booting from USB. Is it possible? And, if yes, what is the easier method?

To which the answer is probably:
The easiest would be to make it boot from USB.

Forget Yast for one moment, which exact Ubuntu version? (I seem to remember that latest version of Ubuntu will need more than 256 Mb of RAM to work properly - or work at all).

How did you manage to load unetbootin and the other files to that PC?
I mean, are you copying it from USB in the booted XP?
Or is the machine connected to network/internet?
The machine has two hard disks, I seem to gather, how big? How are they partitioned/formatted now? And how would you like to have the "final" result to be?



Wonko

[arinekhen]

Thanks for being willing to try to help!

You asked, did you use it to make a "frugal" install on hard disk, instead? Since I don't know what frugal means in this context, I think the answer is no.

Good point about needing to focus on the goal. I'll try to restate it. I would like to install Ubuntu 9.10 even though 256MB ram will require turning off a lot of unnecessary features and processes, and in spite of my not being able to boot from either USB or CDROM. The machine has 64MB GeForce video, two 30GB drives and a working NIC in addition to a working XP.

You asked, how did you manage to load unetbootin and the other files to that PC? I booted to XP, downloaded it and installed it. Or so I thought. As we have established, I may or may not have actually done anything at all. <giggling>

Part of this project is wanting to play some of the little cutesy ubuntu games, part of it is just being fond of ubuntu and wanting it at home in spite of having only a marginal machine for it, and part of this is that I have not yet completely lost my tendency to take up a geeky challenge. :-)

I am a UNIX admin at a university, so I don't think I'm ompletely out of my depth. I have RHEL 5, Solaris, W7 and Vista running in VirtualBoxes on my Ubuntu desktop. In fact, my first inclination was to treat this like a headless Sun box and boot/install over the network. But setting up tftpd and so on with my only other home box being a Vista machine seemed... like more trouble than it's worth. My next inclination was to somehow install ubuntu on the second drive in another machine and then put it back in this one, but I have no other machines similiar enough architecturally to give me any confidence of that working. I mean, it might be a fun experiment - just how good IS ubuntu at detecting hardware changes?

I started an instlux install, but discovered that will take a couple of hours over my 1mb dsl, and end up giving me an ubuntu on NTFS. Ick. That's why I gave up on instlux and tried to try unetbootin...

UNLESS. Could I use instlux to get ubuntu running (slowly) and then use the ubuntu on the first drive to install ubuntu on the second drive?

I'd appreciate any ideas you have. Up to and including those which may involve statements like, "Oh for pity's sake, just go clean out the barn and quit jacking around with this crap."

[Wonko the Sane]

Good.

So why not using a "plain" installer for Ubuntu from Windows?

Would something called "Wubi - the official Ubuntu Installer for Windows" seem like a good choice:
http://wubi-installer.org/
provided that you want to install Ubuntu from Windows?

BUT check the memory requirements:

Requirements

384 MB memory

5 GB harddisk space

Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista

They don't seem like knowing the actual requirements:
http://wubi-installer.org/faq.php

What are the system requirements?

256 MB RAM and an 1 GHz or faster Intel/AMD processor is recommended for optimal performance, though Xubuntu might work on less. As for disk space, the installation requires a minimum of 5GB free. This space is mostly used by the virtual hard disk file. Most computers purchased within the last 3 years should be able to run Ubuntu fine, and Xubuntu is suitable for older computers. Software raids (aka fakeraid) are not supported. Encrypted disks are not supported.

Maybe an older version would do.

I guess that the 384 are for Ubuntu and the 256 are for Xubuntu.

So, wouldn't it be better to use XUBUNTU:
https://help.ubuntu....temRequirements

And/or check thoroughly this:
https://help.ubuntu....owMemorySystems

Wubi works also with local files:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/WubiGuide

So if you have alternate means to place on that machine the .iso and Wubi you should be allright.


Wonko