Hi,

I've been trying to install Ubuntu 12.04 on an old pentium 4. I had problems trying to boot from the CD, where it would try and load Ubuntu, but end up giving me the error:

(initramfs) Unable to find a medium containing a live file system.

So I've got it to the install screen, finally, by using plpbt.iso, to allow me to boot Ubuntu from a USB. The problem is how slow and unresponsive it is, it slow to move the curser, and i click on the "continue" box but nothing happens. I did end up getting to the screen where you select whether to install third party software, but it took hours to get there!

Any ideas on whats causing these problems?

The symptoms you are describing suggest that your computer may be too old/slow for a "bells and whistles" distribution such as Ubuntu, but I can't say for sure unless you tell us your hardware specs. (CPU speed, RAM, video card)

You might have better luck with a distribution for old hardware such as: Lubuntu, Xubuntu, AntiX, CrunchBang, etc.

Ok, the CPU is a Pentium 4 2.6hz,
CPU Bus Speed: 800Mhz
System Memory: 256Mb
Memory Speed: 333Mhz
Active Video: Intel 865G Graphics Chip (8Mb shared system memory, 64MB Graphics Aperture)
IDE Drive 0: 40016Mb

I'm only want to use this computer to run a program called LinuxCNC. I probably should have read a bit more because they say that it will run on Ubuntu 8.04 or 10.04. But it may have been writen before Ubuntu changed its LTS version to 12.04.
Do you think my pc would be able to run one of either of those OS's?

I'm thinking maybe I don't have enough RAM for 12.04, however I'm thinking the older versions would have been designed for older computers, it might be the go.

According to http://www.linuxcnc.org/index.php/download/21/ they have a Live CD. You can just download that; you don't have to download and install Ubuntu separately (if I understand the instructions; I have not tried this).

256mb RAM is very low but you may be able to upgrade at a reasonable cost.

I'm not sure about the "live CD" option, as currently it has no OS installed. I think I would have to open the live CD from whithin another OP. Maybe not, I'm not a computer wiz, I just try and learn enough to solve the problems I encounter.

RAM is cheap anyway, and should make it run whatever I put on it run better. 2 x 512MB off ebay for $12 AUD! I'll get them and download Ubuntu 10.04 and see how that goes.

Cheers for the help.

Ubuntu 10.04 is oly supported until April 2013, I wouldn't recommend to go that route. With 1GB of RAM I would recommend to try it with Xubuntu 12.04, it should run fine on that system and it is supported til April 2017.

You may want to try Lubuntu: http://lubuntu.net/
Lubuntu is Ubuntu with the light and fast LXDE desktop. It should install and run much better on your system than the increasingly bloated default Ubuntu with Unity.

In order to rule out a corrupted CD as the source of your problems, be sure to run the option to check CD for defects when you boot from the Lubuntu CD:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Lu...on/CheckISO_CD
You should do this with your Ubuntu CD you have now as well. In order to do that for Ubuntu, see this: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Bo...e_Page_Options
Just hit any key when the Ubuntu CD boots, then choose the option to check the disc for defects. The CD check will take a minute or two to run since it checks every file on the CD. If it reports no errors then the CD is valid.
Be sure to always burn a Linux install CD or DVD at the slowest possible speed in order to minimize the chance for burning a corrupted CD.

Also, in order to rule out faulty computer memory as the source of your problems, run memtest from either the Ubuntu or Lubuntu boot screen. Let memtest run for a least a couple of hours to insure that the memory is not faulty.