Dell Optiplex 740 fails to load Linux Lite

[Norm]

Tried to install from USB stick to my old Dell Optiplex 740 which is currently running Windows 7. I get the initial LL feather and automatic boot in #seconds then it faults to 'Not enough memory to load specified image' which then gets stuck in a loop of the same thing until I Ctrl alt del.

I have used the pen drive succesfully on another computer.

Can anyone point me in the right direction please?

Note: unfamiliar with linux



AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual Core Processor 4400+ 2.30 Ghz
Ram 4.00 GB
64 bit

[gold_finger]

Hi Norm,

Welcome to LL.

Were you able to boot and use the USB in 'live' mode on the Optiplex and it just didn't run the installer correctly; or did it not boot properly at all?

I know you said you used the USB without issue on another machine.  What method did you use to create the live USB?  It is possible that one computer is fine with the USB produced as it is and another is not.  Have seen that plenty of times in forums.  (Don't know why that happens, but it does.)  In those cases, sometimes all that is needed is to either make the USB using a different method, or make a bootable DVD instead.  If you have a spare, blank DVD to use, that will probably be the quickest and easiest alternative.

If you burn it from a Windows computer, see the 'Install Guide' page of the Help Manual for guidance if needed.  Double-check the 'md5sum' of the ISO file before burning and make sure the number matches the one shown on the download page.

If you have the ISO file on a Linux computer and need guidance for checking md5sum and burning let us know.

[Norm]

Hello Gold Finger and thanks for the response. No it never got past the failed boot stage. I did try with a DVD as well and got the same result so i presume it is something to do with my old computer rather than the usb or dvd. I just have no clue what to do about it!  I may try a pendrive with puppy linux and a dvd with ubuntu to see if they are accepted at boot. I will post back here with the results. Thanks again.

[Norm]

Further,

both the latest version of puppy slacko loaded from usb and ubuntu ver 11.0 loaded from dvd without any problem.........


scratches head!!!!

[gold_finger]

Norm,
If these are the specs of the Optiplex, I highly doubt there should be any problem with it being too old.

AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual Core Processor 4400+ 2.30 Ghz
Ram 4.00 GB

That is plenty good enough to run LL, or many other distros for that matter.  Something else is causing the issue.  Did you check the 'md5sum' of the ISO file to see that it matched the one shown on the download page?  If yes, can you boot from the Ubuntu disk you spoke of and run the following command in a terminal:

Code:

inxi -Fxz

Copy the entire output of the command and paste it back here for us to look at.  Follow directions shown on this post for pasting the output between 'code blocks':  https://www.freecinema2022.gq/forums/index...opic=487.0.

[Norm]

Whoah! You mentioned the T word! lol

OK I will try my best and let you know if I can work out what you just told me to do!!!!

Thanks again

[Norm]

Sorry I am being dumb I know but whenever i try to type in what you said in your post in Terminal I get command not found. (Yes I know its me!!)

I tried it also in Ubuntu 12.10 and unsurprizingly got the same result.

Guess I am just Terminalphobic!

[gold_finger]

You're not 'being dumb' Norm.

I thought Ubuntu came with the inxi program pre-installed on it, but apparently I was wrong.  That's not a big deal.  It's easy to install to the live DVD.

Boot an Ubuntu DVD again, open a terminal and enter these commands one at a time - hit enter after each.

Code:

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:unit193/inxi
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install inxi
inxi -Fxz

Basically, those commands add the PPA for the program to the system, then update the list of packages available for install to include packages from the new PPA, then installs 'inxi' program, then runs it.  The program will give a nicely formatted look at all of your hardware specs for the computer.

[Norm]

Code:

System:    Host: ubuntu Kernel: 3.2.0-23-generic-pae i686 (32 bit gcc: 4.6.3)
           Desktop: Unity 5.10.0 (Gtk 3.4.1-0ubuntu1)
           Distro: Ubuntu 12.04 precise
Machine:   System: Dell product: OptiPlex 740
           Mobo: Dell model: 0HX340 v: A01
           Bios: Dell v: 2.0.12 date: 01/22/2008
CPU:       Dual core AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (-MCP-) cache: 1024 KB
           flags: (lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 svm) bmips: 4008
           Clock Speeds: 1: 1000 MHz 2: 1000 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] ATI RV515 [Radeon X1300]
           bus-ID: 03:00.0
           Display Server: X.org 1.11.3 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 80x24
Audio:     Card NVIDIA MCP51 High Definition Audio
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:10.1
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: 1.0.24
Network:   Card: Broadcom NetXtreme BCM5754 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express
           driver: tg3 v: 3.121 bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: NA (-)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD800JD size: 80.0GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 2.0G used: 90M (5%) fs: overlayfs dev: N/A
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   None detected - is lm-sensors installed and configured?
Info:      Processes: 190 Uptime: 33 min Memory: 317.1/4026.5MB
           Init: Upstart runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.6.3
           Client: Shell (bash 4.2.241) inxi: 2.1.28

[gold_finger]

Well, I've done a few searches using this search engine on both your graphics card and 'boot problems on Dell Optiplex 740'.  Looks like your Optiplex model has given plenty of others problems before too.  From what I've seen so far, looks like for some reason 32-bit versions boot and run without many issues.  64-bit versions give people headaches.  Try downloading and using the 32-bit version of LL and see if that solves your problem.

You could also try booting your current 64-bit version and hit the <Space> bar when the LL splash screen first starts.  Then pick the choice to boot in 'Safe Mode' and see if that makes any difference.

If no luck, use the search engine listed above to try finding more solutions while waiting for replies here.  I will be logging out and won't be able to check back for a while; but others may be able to continue on from here if the 32-bit version does not solve problem.

Good luck.  Be back to check on thread later in the day.