Installing question

rabo

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Hi,
I am very very new to Linux after working my entire life with apple. But I want to try Linux and eventually turn over to it. In order to do so, I bought an older computer (Windows 10 is preinstalled) and wanted to install Linux. (Mint/ Cinnamon edition) My problem is now, that (maybe) I cannot boot from a USB-Stick or I have another probem that I do not know now, cause I do not have any glue about non-apple computers.;)

So I also do not know whether I can start from a USB-stick when using a Lenovo Think Center (desktop computer) that is more or less 10 years old.
Or (another possibility) I can start from the stick, but another problem is responsible. ;)

Starting from a DVD would be more complicated as the computer has no DVD-burner. So I would have to buy one first. :(

Thanks for your ideas!
Raphael
 


You can probably install from a USB stick.
You need to change either the BIOS or the Boot Order.
What model of ThinkCentre do you have?
 
...There are tools you can use in MacOS...
Thank you f33dn3bits. but I want to quit the mac, cause it becomes more and more unrepairable. Therefore I bout a windows machine 8the Lenovo) for doing some tests, if I can work on Linux. (I am a designer.) So using MacOS will not be a grat help i suppose.
 
Yes, that is right. ;) sorry.

Nevertheless: Booting from a USB-stick is rather recommended for newer machines?
 
Yes, that is right. ;) sorry.

Nevertheless: Booting from a USB-stick is rather recommended for newer machines?
Pretty much for two reasons. Faster read and write times and because newer machines don't have any ports for optical media.
 
My problem is now, that (maybe) I cannot boot from a USB-Stick
So I also do not know whether I can start from a USB-stick when using a Lenovo Think Center (desktop computer) that is more or less 10 years old.
Easiest way to find out is to just make a bootable USB with Linux on it and try it and see.
No harm. No foul.
Do you know how to make the bootable USB?
If not see here;
https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/linux/create-a-bootable-ubuntu-usb-flash-drive-the-easy-way/
( HT for the link @arochester ! )
 
The easiest way to find out is to just make a bootable USB with Linux on it and try it and see.
No harm. No foul.
Thanks for the posting. But I already have created a bootable USB. (I tried several possibilities I read about. Maybe I should try also one using "Rufus" as you recommend in your link.)

My problem is rather that the computer is not willing to start from anything else than from the built-in hard drive. No matter which button I press while he is starting: f1, f2, f12, enter... It always starts "normally" and ends up with Windows 10 activated. So it seems to be a Lenovo problem I suppose. ;)
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the posting. But I already have created a bootable USB. (I tried several possibilities I read about. Maybe I should try also one using "Rufus" as you recommend in your link.)

My problem is rather that the computer is not willing to start from anything else than from the built-in hard drive. No matter which button I press while he is starting: f1, f2, f12, enter... It always starts "normally" and ends up with Windows 10 activated. So it seems to be a Lenovo problem I suppose. ;)
Have you enabled booting from USB in your BIOS settings?
Did you try the instructions on the page @arochester shared a link to?
 
Thanks, everybody for answering, I am back again!

And I have partly good news: After three days of experimenting, I already could start installing of Linux. ;) (unfortunately not finishing) But nevertheless, I am hoping to finish it this year. ;)

The secrets were:
1) Starting from a USB-stick is obviously not possible on that machine.
2) I downloaded in the first place a somehow corrupted Mint and that brought other complications.

But finally (after downloading Mint again), I could boot from the DVD and I could see the Logo of Linux-Mint on the screen. ;) Then I had a choice between several possibilities. Unfortunately, choosing did not work, non of the keys of the keyboard worked. The screen was frozen.

So I stopped the process in a hard way (by pressing the "OFF button") and booted again. That time something new happened: (Linux is always willing to entertain me with new gadgets.) This time I can see on the screen:

No emulation System Type -00
Failed to load COM32 file vesamenu.c32

The second line reproduces itself in a kind of endless loop.

My new questions now are:
1) Would it make any sense to use a different hard drive with nothing on it, to start from the DVD, and then to install Linux on the alternative hard-drive? Or are the problems I described not in connection with the hard-drive?

2) Is there any problem with the 64bit distribution? The repeating line
>>> Failed to load COM32 file vesamenu.c32
makes me think of it. But I had a look at the machine and it says, it is a 64-bit system. Also, the Window 10 is a 64-bits edition.


Any ideas?
Thanks
Raphael
 
This may help.

Linux Mint documentation.

 
This may help.

OK, As far as I can see, the problem is windows 10 and the extraction-method. (Sorry, I am MacUser)
In order to avoid that problem, I might download it again, do as described in the link (uncheck the .iso extraction) and then it might work.

Let's see. ;) I will report.

Thanks for the lnk!
Raphael
 
Haven't touched a Mac in a long time. But, doesn't MacOS have some sort of a terminal application, and does it not have the dd command line program?

If so, then using dd to "burn" an ISO image to a fat32 USB thumb drive, is a very effective way of creating a bootable and usable Linux installer.
 
Haven't touched a Mac in a long time. But, doesn't MacOS have some sort of a terminal application, and does it not have the dd command line program?

If so, then using dd to "burn" an ISO image to a fat32 USB thumb drive, is a very effective way of creating a bootable and usable Linux installer.
No, I want to leave the Macs completely, as they are more and more unrepairable. Therefore I bought an old Lenovo to install Linux on that machine. Then I want to try, whether I can work with Linux or not. So all I am asking in in connection with the Lenovo.
 
OK, finally I give up. ;) Maybe I will have to ask somebody professional. But I downloaded the files from the official website from 3 different distributors (2 of them are universities) I burned 4 DVDs (using different programs), and whenever the computer wants to start from one of those DVDs, it says, that he cannot find a startup file on the DVD.

I do not have any glue whatever I could do differently. :(
Thanks anyway.
Raphael
 
What, exactly, are you using to burn the DVDs? Need to know the machine, the OS, and the burning program.

Also, what steps have you taken to prepare the Lenovo to receive a new OS. I believe someone discovered that the Lenovo you want to use is UEFI. There are steps needed on that machine, especially if it had a Windows version on it at some time. Lenovo machines are generally very Linux friendly, but some prep is needed.
 
Hi jglen490,
thanks for your help.

I bought the Lenovo from a second-hand computer dealer. It has (more or less) only the Windows 10 installed, not much else. So the burning program was that one that is preinstalled in Windows 10. I also tried imgburner, but with the same result. :(

The machine is a Lenovo ThinkCentre M58p Tower PC Computer - Intel Core 2 Duo-E7500 2x 2,93 GHz

It seems to have only a BIOS as it is pretty old. I just want to see, if Linux can substitute my Mac environment. therefore I did not want to spend too much money on a computer. But maybe the dealer who sold me the machine can do the job. I will ask him.
 

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