# Ubuntu Help



## andrewguif (Jun 22, 2012)

I am working on a new computer, and I've just finished installing all the parts. As excited as I'd want to be, the computer won't boot  my selected operating system, Ubuntu. I chose this operating system because I hear it is the best free alternative. I don't have the money to pay for Windows 7, so I just want to use this free OS. The problem, as I've said, is that it won't boot. I downloaded it, installed it on a flash drive with UNetbootin, plugged it into the new build, and it doesn't boot. What I get as a result is some start up page of the motherboard, and then the screen of UNetbootin stating that it is ready to boot. Instead of actually booting, however, it goes back to the first screen. I cannot go into BIOS anymore. When I hit the delete button (like it tells me to in order to go to the BIOS screen), it is unresponsive and nothing happens. 

Can someone please tell me what to do, or give me any tips on how to solve this? I really just want to finish this build as I've been working on it for months now.


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## lucasbytegenius (Jun 22, 2012)

Try selecting the "Install" option when booting from the Flash drive, sometimes unetbootin doesn't do the live cd thing right.

Not sure what the issue is with your keyboard and the BIOS, is your keyboard plugged in?


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## johnb35 (Jun 22, 2012)

Disconnect the hard drive to see if it gets past the post the screen.  If it does then you have a bad hard drive.


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## andrewguif (Jun 22, 2012)

lucasbytegenius said:


> Try selecting the "Install" option when booting from the Flash drive, sometimes unetbootin doesn't do the live cd thing right.
> 
> Not sure what the issue is with your keyboard and the BIOS, is your keyboard plugged in?



Install option? Doesn't appear. All I'm getting is Default on the screen. Nothing under it. I can hit tab for options, but it takes to some lines of text that I don't understand.

Yes, my keyboard is plugged in haha.


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## andrewguif (Jun 22, 2012)

johnb35 said:


> Disconnect the hard drive to see if it gets past the post the screen.  If it does then you have a bad hard drive.




Post screen? Anyway, will try.


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## johnb35 (Jun 22, 2012)

The post screen is the black screen where it tells you all the info before windows starts to load.


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## andrewguif (Jun 22, 2012)

I'm assuming that's the first screen I get. I don't have Windows, by the way. Anyway, I unplugged the hard drive, and it did the same thing. Does that mean I do have a bad hard drive?

Also, I fixed the BIOS problem somehow.

EDIT:
When UNetbootin screen comes up, hitting tab causes options to come up. The text that I don't understand reads "/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit"


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## lucasbytegenius (Jun 23, 2012)

andrewguif said:


> I'm assuming that's the first screen I get. I don't have Windows, by the way. Anyway, I unplugged the hard drive, and it did the same thing. Does that mean I do have a bad hard drive?
> 
> Also, I fixed the BIOS problem somehow.
> 
> ...



Usually just pressing enter on the console area like that or typing "boot" then pressing enter will get it booting.


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## andrewguif (Jun 23, 2012)

Tried that. Nothing.


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## NyxCharon (Jun 23, 2012)

First thing first, I understand you used unetbootin to install to a flash. Did you let the program download it for you, or did you download the iso and then specify it in the tool? If second, verify the md5 sum for the iso file. 

Which Ubuntu version? The newest (pretty sure) is 12.04.
i386 or amd64?

As far as "/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit"
you don't need to worry about that. It's beyond the scope of the issue. 

Next, motherboard. What mobo do you have? Some have severe issues booting a linux usb drive. 

What version of unetbootin?

Lastly, have you tried the fallback graphics option for unetbootin?


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## andrewguif (Jun 23, 2012)

I downloaded the ISO, and specified it, and the flash drive in the tool. Don't understand the second part of the question.

Yes, I'm using Ubuntu 12.04 (desktop version). It's amd64. 

Very well. 

Asus M5A97 Motherboard. 

The version of UNetbootin is the latest one. I cannot find a place where the actual name of the version is listed though. 

What?


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## NyxCharon (Jun 23, 2012)

You need to verify that the iso you downloaded was downloaded correctly. You do this by checking the MD5SUM of the file. Simple how to is:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM just scroll to the OS you have available too you.

Second, there should be a option for safe graphics mode or something similar in the unetbootin menu. Try that. If they removed it, well shame on the devs. 

This is either a hardware issue or a bad download, Ubuntu 12.04 works fine with Unetbootin for me.


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## andrewguif (Jun 23, 2012)

I'm certain now that the first time I downloaded it, it wasn't downloaded correctly. This time around, it's taking much longer. I'm at 77%, but when that finishes, I will check that the file downloaded correctly. 

I see nothing. Shame on the developers, indeed. 

I'm really hoping it's a bad download. I already messed up the CPU, and that set me back $120 or so. To waste even more money on malfunctions would be a shame.


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## NyxCharon (Jun 23, 2012)

Yeah, the most common problem for stuff like this is a bad download, it's always the first thing to check. Let me know if it works this time around, and if not i'll see what else i can dig up to try to help.


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## andrewguif (Jun 23, 2012)

Well, thank you! Even if it doesn't work, I appreciate you trying to help. 

The new download should be done in about twenty minutes, so I'll get back to you within the next hour.


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## andrewguif (Jun 23, 2012)

So the download finished, and I'm 100% sure that you're right, and it was a bad download. I don't know how I didn't notice this, but the old ISO file that I was using had only 10MB of information. . . . I'm sure that when I find the file (i lost it, it isn't in my download folder for some reason) I'll be able to install the OS successfully. 

For now, any tips on how to find the file? Haha.


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## NyxCharon (Jun 23, 2012)

The one you just downloaded? If you are in firefox you can hit control+j and then right click the download and hit open file location. Otherwise, assuming you are in windows you can just search for the file in the file browser i guess. 

If not using firefox, check your preferences to see where it puts the downloads. I know IE sometimes likes to put them in a temp folder.


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## Hyper-Threaded (Jun 23, 2012)

> I'm really hoping it's a bad download. I already messed up the CPU, and that set me back $120 or so. To waste even more money on malfunctions would be a shame.



?  Mess up CPU by trying to install ubuntu? I think your just lost here. If that download does not work, how are you getting the iso onto the flash drive? By pendrivelinux?


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## NyxCharon (Jun 23, 2012)

Hyper-Threaded said:


> ?  Mess up CPU by trying to install ubuntu? I think your just lost here. If that download does not work, how are you getting the iso onto the flash drive? By pendrivelinux?



He's using unetbootin, as already stated in the OP


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## andrewguif (Jun 23, 2012)

After figuring out why nothing was downloading, fixing it, and downloading Ubuntu two more times, I put it on a flash drive with UNetbootin only to find that it still didn't work. More options were listed after Default (some repeated actually), but even if I clicked on Install Ubuntu, it didn't work. I am now trying it with Universal USB Installer 1.9.0.2. Hopefully this works.


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## andrewguif (Jun 23, 2012)

Still doesn't work. /: Goes to boot, but then the screen starts glitching out, and it just stays on that screen until eventually it goes back to the post screen. I have no idea what to do at this point.


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## NyxCharon (Jun 23, 2012)

andrewguif said:


> After figuring out why nothing was downloading, fixing it, and downloading Ubuntu two more times, I put it on a flash drive with UNetbootin only to find that it still didn't work. More options were listed after Default (some repeated actually), but even if I clicked on Install Ubuntu, it didn't work. I am now trying it with Universal USB Installer 1.9.0.2. Hopefully this works.



Did you format the flash drive before putting Ubuntu on it? Unetbootin doesn't erase anything before hand, which can cause some issues. I always format before using that tool. Also, you did verify the MD5SUM right?


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## DMGrier (Jun 24, 2012)

instead of doing all this work with a flash drive just put it to disc, 

download Active @ISO burner
http://download.cnet.com/Active-ISO-Burner/3000-2646_4-10602452.html?tag=mncol;5

and just burn it to disc and tell us how that works.


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## andrewguif (Jun 25, 2012)

NyxCharon said:


> Did you format the flash drive before putting Ubuntu on it? Unetbootin doesn't erase anything before hand, which can cause some issues. I always format before using that tool. Also, you did verify the MD5SUM right?




Yes I did.

No I didn't. Can't figure out how lol.


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## andrewguif (Jun 25, 2012)

DMGrier said:


> instead of doing all this work with a flash drive just put it to disc,
> 
> download Active @ISO burner
> http://download.cnet.com/Active-ISO-Burner/3000-2646_4-10602452.html?tag=mncol;5
> ...



Downloaded it. I tried putting it onto a disc with PowerISO, and it didn't work. Perhaps my DVDs are the problem. Anyway, will try.

On another note, if this doesn't work, I'm just buying Windows 7.


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## DMGrier (Jun 26, 2012)

andrewguif said:


> Downloaded it. I tried putting it onto a disc with PowerISO, and it didn't work. Perhaps my DVDs are the problem. Anyway, will try.
> 
> On another note, if this doesn't work, I'm just buying Windows 7.



If this does not work I will be surprised, are you sure your computer is set up right?


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## andrewguif (Jun 27, 2012)

No, I'm not sure, but since everything else is working fine, I assume it is. 

I didn't try putting it on a disk, since my laptop can't read disks, apparently. Whenever I put a DVD in, it doesn't show up. I give up, I bought Windows 7. Thanks for the help anyways! I greatly appreciate it.


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