How to fix the "no root file" problem ?

[DiaNobb]

Have an old PC. Want to use it for visiting websites. Have tried many OSs and found only Lxle would run well on my old hardware. Have been testing the Lxle live bootable for many days and found it running well on the old hardware. Tried to install Lxle on a hard drive. Failed. At "Install Type" and after clicking on "Continue" to install, a message popped up saying "Install - no root file identified. Please correct this from the partition menu."
How to make the correction, please?
Thanks.
DiaNobb

Note:
1. The hard disk was formatted to ntfs format and partitioned in Windows.
2. At Lxle installation, when it came to Install Type, A. there was only this hard disk showing, B. there were no options like "install alongside... or erase the disk and install... or something else.... No, no these options.
3. There were only Quit, Back, Continue for user to select.
4. The above mentioned issue happened after I clicked on Continue.

 

[Brickwizard]

Have an old PC. Want to use it for visiting websites.

erm..my crystal ball is in for cleaning, please quote full make and model [ saying old just means different things to different people, youngsters consider a computer over 2 years old as old, many users will consider a machine 5 to ten years of age as old, I dont consider kit old till its past 2008 manufacture and 32 bit]
also are you trying to install as a multi boot alongside windows or as a clean installation to the harddrive. or to a VM/VB ?

 

[DiaNobb]

erm..my crystal ball is in for cleaning, please quote full make and model [ saying old just means different things to different people, youngsters consider a computer over 2 years old as old, many users will consider a machine 5 to ten years of age as old, I dont consider kit old till its past 2008 manufacture and 32 bit]
also are you trying to install as a multi boot alongside windows or as a clean installation to the harddrive. or to a VM/VB ?

Thank you.
We bought three desktop machines, Acer Aspire 5700, Windows Vista in 2008. They were replaced by Windows 10 machines and stored in our storeroom all these years. I took them apart and put some of the hardware on a piece of wood board and tried to run a simple OS on them without the case. Don't know whether they are old enough to be considered old.
Tried a half dozen of light Linux distros and found only Lxle would run on my old hardware. But I could not install the OS on a hard disk, a SATA, WD1200. When tried to install the live bootable of Lxle, came to Install Type, a message saying "install - no root file identified. Please correct this from the partition menu."
Do not know how to make the correction.
Please help.
Thanks.
DiaNobb

 

[McCloud]

A quick search turned this up.

• During installation, when you reach the "Installation type" screen, choose "Something else" to begin manual partitioning.

This should allow you to partition your hard drive. You'll need to assign a root partition to mount point / and format it with a suitable filesystem, probably ext4.

 

[Brickwizard]

These machines came in several variants as business machines, the Celeron single core being 32 bit the dual-core Celeron is a 64-bit CPU , BUT around this time manufacturers were still using 32 bit motherboards on their budget ranges, My thoughts would be try Mint LMDE 64 bit first [if it runs LIVE then we know its 64 bit,] then Anti-x 32 bit

 

[deb_user]

You have to tell the installer where to install the root filesystem. I don't know anything about that installer, so I can't tell you how to do that.

 

[Brickwizard]

With many distributions you get a choice use complete disc, install alongside [keeping current OS] or something else which leads to Manuul partitioning with the first 2 options the installer will do the partitioning for you, you will also be asked if you want to install Grub/bootloader say yes and it will be installed in its own partition at the beginning of the Linux installation

 

[DiaNobb]

A quick search turned this up.

• During installation, when you reach the "Installation type" screen, choose "Something else" to begin manual partitioning.

This should allow you to partition your hard drive. You'll need to assign a root partition to mount point / and format it with a suitable filesystem, probably ext4.

Thank you.
The hard disk was formatted to ntfs format and partitioned in Windows.
At Lxle installation, when it came to Install Type, A. there was only this hard disk showing, B. there were no options like "install alongside... or erase the disk and install... or something else.... No, no these options.
There were only Quit, Back, Continue for user to select.
The above mentioned issue happened after I clicked on Continue.

 

[DiaNobb]

These machines came in several variants as business machines, the Celeron single core being 32 bit the dual-core Celeron is a 64-bit CPU , BUT around this time manufacturers were still using 32 bit motherboards on their budget ranges, My thoughts would be try Mint LMDE 64 bit first [if it runs LIVE then we know its 64 bit,] then Anti-x 32 bit

Thank you.
Excuse me, "try Mint LMDE 64 bit first [if it runs LIVE then we know its 64 bit,] then Anti-x 32 bit." What do you mean? Do you mean try 64b first as live bootable, and it will run on the hardware for running 32b OSs? So, it would run on my old hard ware?
DiaNobb

 

[DiaNobb]

You have to tell the installer where to install the root filesystem. I don't know anything about that installer, so I can't tell you how to do that.

Thank you.
In search for a suitable OS to use on my old machine, I have tried installing various light weight Linux distros. Have never come across with this kind of installing process. It might be that Lxle do not want people to install it any more. Only my guess.
Appreciate.
DiaNobb

 

[DiaNobb]

With many distributions you get a choice use complete disc, install alongside [keeping current OS] or something else which leads to Manuul partitioning with the first 2 options the installer will do the partitioning for you, you will also be asked if you want to install Grub/bootloader say yes and it will be installed in its own partition at the beginning of the Linux installation

Thank you again!
There was no options at the point of Install Type except for Quit, Back, Continue. This appeared to be a bit of unusual. Maybe, just my guess, maybe this is Lxle trying to prevent people installing the OS since it is no longer supported.
What do you think?
DiaNobb

 

[wizardfromoz]

@DiaNobb - LXLE is defunct.

It went EOL (end of life) April, last.

I would not be installing it and allowing it internet access unless you want to open yourself to risk.

It was indeed a great little distribution. I used it from 12.04 until its demise.

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

 

[Brickwizard]

Excuse me, "try Mint LMDE 64 bit first [if it runs LIVE then we know its 64 bit,] then Anti-x 32 bit." What do you mean? Do you mean try 64b first as live bootable, and it will run on the hardware for running 32b OSs? So, it would run on my old hard ware?
DiaNobb

the reason I say try a 64 bit distribution first is that the first commercial 64 bit CPU was released in 2003 and machines with it hit the market later in that year but many makers were sill using 32 bit CPU's up to around 2010, and some pairing 64 bit CPU's with 32 bit motherboards on budget machines, The reason I say try a 64 bit distribution first, is if it works you have a wider choice of modern distributions, Many think that because a machine came with 32 bit XP/W7/W8 they must have a 32 bit machine.

 

[Brickwizard]

Just to add the first generally comercial intel 64 bit CPU's was the P4 with Prescott core, machines with this CPU hit the general market late 2004

 

[DiaNobb]

@DiaNobb - LXLE is defunct.

It went EOL (end of life) April, last.

I would not be installing it and allowing it internet access unless you want to open yourself to risk.

It was indeed a great little distribution. I used it from 12.04 until its demise.

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

Thank you.
Yeah, it is not supported anymore. I know. The reason I am trying to use it is because of the fact that it is the only light weight OS runs on my old hardware.
DiaNobb

 

[wizardfromoz]

@DiaNobb , you said at #3

Tried a half dozen of light Linux distros and found only Lxle would run on my old hardware

You have not said what they were.

Can you please tell us, have you tried

1. antiX?
2. Bodhi Linux?

Thank you

Wizard