Failed every time I tried to install Linux

[rayl]

It's been a while since I did much with Linux (the kernel version was 0.91).
I have this old HP Desktop with Win7, and I wanted to install a Linux distro and be able to dual boot either Win7 or Linux.
The old PC is an HP Pavilion Slimline s3620f PC. It has 4GB ram, a Samsung EVO 860 500 GB SSD and a DVD.
The BIOS is Phoenix Tech. 5.16 8/13/2008. It has Pentium dual-core E5200 @ 2.5 GHz.
Currently, the SSD has Win7 on the first half of the SSD (approx. 232GB) with the remaining half of the drive (approx. 232GB) as unallocated.
My thinking was to install a Linux distro onto the last half of the SSD in such a way that I would be presented with a boot menu giving me a choice between Win7 and Linux.
Currently the only Boot Menu I have access to is the one provided by the BIOS via the ESC key. It allows me to choose between the SSD and the DVD. That choice is temporary.
I also can change the Boot device via the setup menu accessed via F10.
This PC CANNOT boot from a USB drive -- only Floppy, HDD, DVD, Network.
I have thus far tried Fedora, Zorin, OpenSUSE and Debian. I've tried the "Live" install, and I've tried the "netinst" of each.
Usually, I was working toward a GUI desktop as my final stopping point. I tried various Desktop environments as well.
I am just about to give up and either pitch the PC into the trash or just keep it around for nostalgia's sake.

Back in the day, I used Slackware and it seemed pretty good. Today, I don't hear much, or anything about Slackware.
I'd be happy if I could install Linux to a login prompt via a shell and then, maybe later install a GUI.

 

[f33dm3bits]

Currently the only Boot Menu I have access to is the one provided by the BIOS via the ESC key. It allows me to choose between the SSD and the DVD. That choice is temporary.
I also can change the Boot device via the setup menu accessed via F10.
This PC CANNOT boot from a USB drive -- only Floppy, HDD, DVD, Network.
I have thus far tried Fedora, Zorin, OpenSUSE and Debian. I've tried the "Live" install, and I've tried the "netinst" of each.
Usually, I was working toward a GUI desktop as my final stopping point. I tried various Desktop environments as well.

You haven't exactly explained where you failed and where you got stuck when trying?

 

[Brickwizard]

That is a 2008 budget machine, in theory it should be USB bootable [check bios if USB boot is available and if so enabled,
I had an intel t series machine that ran with mint LMDE 64 bit [a bit slow but no problems] If you are using DVD then I found on older kit DVD-r were more reliable [yes lower case r]

 

[Mike-BTU]

Welcome, @rayl !

 

[Condobloke]

G'day rayl, Welcome to Linux.org

"This PC CANNOT boot from a USB drive"

That is interesting. The tower shows usb ports...is there damage to them, or is there another reason?

Either way, you can always 'burn' an .iso file to be used in the dvd player.

 

[Alexzee]

I've been running Slackware for the last 15 years and it still runs great.
The stable version runs exceptionally well. Slackware_ 64_current runs well also however, with Slackware current, the updates will take up a lot of drive space.

What exactly is going on with the Linux installation that is causing it to fail?
Details please.

Most installers that come with the distribution will ask if you want to install alongside of another operating system.

 

[Mike-BTU]

IMHO, he didn't plug in the USB stick before he booted it.

 

[rayl]

You haven't exactly explained where you failed and where you got stuck when trying?

I wish there was a way I could reply to all you good folks who replied to my plea. Maybe there is but I don't see it!
Where could I possibly begin? I tried more Linux Distros than I listed as failures, like Manjaro, for example -- but there were more.
I couldn't begin to tell you where the install failed in every case since it was different for all.
Basically, in some cases, I would see a message about something failing to load or start and then later, when it tried to bring up the desktop after re-booting, it would sometimes go to the shell login prompt, but not always. In some cases it would simply freeze.
I was amazed at how all of these distros failed somewhere in the install process.
I decided to try my first Linux, Slackware and guess what -- it worked!
Granted, it's only a shell login prompt -- NO GUI desktop. I'm currently exploring how to install/ bring up X.

One of the things that amazes me is how many folks can't imagine a PC that can't boot from a USB DRIVE!
That was very common when I first began messing with PCs!

I'm currently trying to decide what to do -- do I keep working with Slackware and configuring X or do I ask the community for a suggestion on which Linux distro to install that has a graphical installer and ends with a GUI desktop installed and coming up after I select it from a boot menu like GRUB2 or whatever.

I prefer to keep Win7 on the machine and install Linux into the 232GB unallocated are after Win7.

One of the things that I believe could be making my life difficult in this Linux install effort is the video adaptor -- it is a NVidia GeForce 7100 (I think the 7100 is correct -- I know the NVidia GeForce is.)

Thank you everyone who responded to my post -- if anyone out there feels sure enough to "signon" to my "INSTALL project" by committing to communicate with me during an install attempt -- THANKS for your help.
Thanks to all,
Ray Leiter

 

[Brickwizard]

One last shot in the dark, it may be that your motherboard may only be 32 bit [and yes is was common practice on budget machines] try downloading LMDE6 and installing it [it is the last version of mint holding both sets of codecs]

https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=308

 

[tpkusr]

You can dual boot windows and Linux without USB drive.
I have a step by step tutorial how to do this.
You can see the link

https://fixmyos.hashnode.dev/dual-boot-linux-with-windows-11-without-usb-drive-or-creating-partition

 

[rayl]

You haven't exactly explained where you failed and where you got stuck when trying?

I tried so many distros, and the points of failure were different for each. Sometimes it failed during loading the various packings (I think!), whereas, other times, it failed when trying to bring up the GUI desktop.
I didn't have any clear information about why it failed.

I'm currently thinking of taking this approach:
I have 2 SATA interfaces on the MB and 2 SSDs (1 @ 250 GB and 1 @ 500 GB).
The 500 GB SSD has Win7 on it and I could leave it as-is.
The 250 GB SSD could be used to do a full install of Linux on the entire drive.
Bothe SSDs could be made bootable, and I would use the BIOS Boot Menu to select which drive to boot from.
That way I would avoid any difficulties involved with the dual-boot scenario.

First, I want to mention that I have 2 mini PCs -- one with ubuntu and the other, I can't remember, but it's one of the common ones.

I mention it because I don't want to install one of the Linux distros I already have.

My question for you is which Linux do you recommend that uses a GUI installer and results in a boot up to a GUI desktop rather than a Shell login prompt?
Thanks,
Ray

 

[tpkusr]

Grub2win support windows 7 and it has gui installer and if you use porteus linux or slax Linux ( both based on Slackware) will boot up to a gui desktop.

 

[rayl]

That is a 2008 budget machine, in theory it should be USB bootable [check bios if USB boot is available and if so enabled,
I had an intel t series machine that ran with mint LMDE 64 bit [a bit slow but no problems] If you are using DVD then I found on older kit DVD-r were more reliable [yes lower case r]

The BIOS has no mention of USB for anything -- I explained all of that kind of info in my initial post.
I have DVD-R media and I have DVD-RW media, both of which work quite well. I use my HP EliteDesk 800 G3 to do the DVD burning. I always select the option to check the DVD after burning. It has never failed.
I think I'll try the 2 SSD approach next -- I just don't know which distro to go with -- suggestions?
Thanks,
Ray

 

[rayl]

Welcome, @rayl !

I take it you are recommending the Manjaro distro with the KDE Plasma GUI Desktop?
I might go with that choice when I try the 2 SSD approach in place of the dual-boot from the same drive.

 

[rayl]

G'day rayl, Welcome to Linux.org

"This PC CANNOT boot from a USB drive"

That is interesting. The tower shows usb ports...is there damage to them, or is there another reason?

Either way, you can always 'burn' an .iso file to be used in the dvd player.

Of course, the machine has USB ports -- 2 of them in front and 2 more in the read. They are for normal I/O.
The issue of whether a USB port can be used to boot is determined by the code in the BIOS.
This BIOS from Pheonix Tech. makes no mention of USB in the BIOS (at least not related to booting).
Ray

 

[rayl]

I've been running Slackware for the last 15 years and it still runs great.
The stable version runs exceptionally well. Slackware_ 64_current runs well also however, with Slackware current, the updates will take up a lot of drive space.

What exactly is going on with the Linux installation that is causing it to fail?
Details please.

Most installers that come with the distribution will ask if you want to install alongside of another operating system.

I was successful with Slackware. I am now working on the issue of using X rather than just a shell.
Thanks,
Ray

 

[Brickwizard]

my HP EliteDesk 800 G3 to do the DVD

have its smaller brother, the 400G3 for my office duties, my post #9 above

 

[rayl]

Grub2win support windows 7 and it has gui installer and if you use porteus linux or slax Linux ( both based on Slackware) will boot up to a gui desktop.

Thanks,
I might try slax -- since it's based on Slackware.
Ray

 

[rayl]

You can dual boot windows and Linux without USB drive.
I have a step by step tutorial how to do this.
You can see the link

https://fixmyos.hashnode.dev/dual-boot-linux-with-windows-11-without-usb-drive-or-creating-partition

Your link doesn't work!
I always get "Waiting for fixmyos.hashnode".dev to respond"

 

[tpkusr]

Your link doesn't work!
I always get "Waiting for fixmyos.hashnode".dev to respond"

It's cloudflare security check, after waiting few seconds it should redirect to website.