"This kernel needs pae" .... and my CPU doesn't have it!

[br1anstorm]

So.... I thought I would try to run a LiveCD session of Linux Lite on the older of my two laptops.  It is a Dell Inspiron 8600 with an Intel Pentium M 1.5GHz CPU and 512Gb of RAM.  Old, but not ancient, and it works fine with XP (I'm not into gaming or other heavy-demand high-speed usage).

Didn't get past first base. The live session wouldn't load.  Instead I got a message which said "This kernel requires the following features not present on the CPU:  pae.  Unable to boot - please use a kernel appropriate for your CPU".

Now as far as I am concerned a kernel is what you find inside a nut.  That's all.

Do I conclude that I can't run, or install, Linux Lite on this computer?  Period?  Or if I do want to run some sort of Linux OS, do I have to go for one that is as old and obsolete as the laptop seems to be?  If so that's depressing.  I  had until now believed that Linux would work well on older machines that were unable to cope with increasingly resource-hungry versions of the Windows OS.

Is there a way forward that doesn't require serious geek qualifications?  I just want to get an alternative to XP which works more-or-less straight off.  Like wanting to drive a car just by sitting in it, turning on the ignition, and using the controls in front of me -  not having to tune the engine, adjust the carbs, and fiddle with the spark plugs before I even turn the key!

I am still trying to be optimistic about Linux, and I'm keen to learn.  But I can only work with the hardware I've got, and it isn't looking easy at the moment...

[Scott(0)]

Hi Br1anstorm,

I feel your frustration.

It's my understanding that LL 108 does use a non-pae kernel on the Live CD and pae can be added later if necessary. None of that is helpful to you now.

I'm not sure what's causing LL problems on your computer and hopfully a fix exists but in the meantime and in the spirit of moving forward I recommend the LXLE distro (http://lxle.net/).

I did some basic testing in virtualbox and the LiveCD booted successfully with no-pae support.

~Scott

[gold_finger]

As I stated on my reply to your other post, you can likely use the other laptop of LL.

Regarding this laptop, your best bet would be to find distro's that don't have that requirement.  Scott(0)'s recommendation is one.  Another would be something like AntiX.  And you can probably find more looking through this site:  http://distrowatch.com/.

[br1anstorm]

Thanks Scott (0) and gold-finger (again!). 

It's good to know there are other Linux OSs which don't need a CPU with pae in it.  I have had a quick look at LXLE (which is based on Lubuntu.....).  Seems quite appealing although it appears that the only way of downloading it is via torrent, which I have never used, and it's not clear whether that delivers an ISO image which I can run as a LiveCD to try it out.  Still, I might give it a go.

In case others are wrestling with the same questions as me, I did find this site which suggests another route to follow (at least if you want Ubuntu on an an older non-pae system).  I post the link in case it is of interest or use to anyone.  It is here http://www.webupd8.org/2012/05/how-to-in...n-pae.html 

[N4RPS]

Hello!

If you choose to download an ISO file from a torrent, you'll have an ISO file when you're done. Just do an MD5  hash check to make sure everything downloaded properly.

Just look for a non-PAE version of Ubuntu, or...

Here's a link that describes more about working around a lack of PAE - even in the newest one, 14.04:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Lubuntu-fake-PAE

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

[br1anstorm]

Ah, choices, choices!

Thanks, Rob.

I have successfully managed to download LXLE via torrent (that was a whole new experience!), checked the md5, and then burned the .iso to a DVD.  Then - success again - I have just run a Live session from it on the 'old' (non-pae) laptop.  Seems quite decent. 

It's not that I'm lazy, but I'd rather load something that works, than select another distro which then needs some kind of workaround in order to get it to function on a non-pae computer.  Maybe once I'm a lot further down the road with Linux I will be more willing to tackle workarounds and stuff in the dark spaces of the "terminal"!

[N4RPS]

Hello!

You're welcome. I certainly can't fault anyone for wanting to follow the path of least resistance.

As for myself, I learn best by trying to make something do what I want it to when it's fighting me...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob