SOLVED:Install problems, both with 7 Express CD and F19 full

[abukrupu]

Hi there,

I am a complete newbie at Linux after many years with WHS v1 and 2011. I have wanted to try Amahi, but can't get my install working neither with Amahi 7 Express nor full Fedora 19 DVD, both burnt as ISO images with imgburn, checksums ok.

With both install media, my screen says dev/sr0 is write-protected and will load read-only version; I have googled that this refers to the DVD drive, so I also tried switching SATA ports for DVD and HDD to no avail. It does go past the anaconda 1-4 option screen every time, but then everything just stops; no crashing, just doesn't carry on with the install. The Trouble Shooting and other install options on the media gives me very little to work with given my beginner's (lack of) insight.

I have tried formatting the HDD from NTFS (this setup is ex-Win7 64-bit with no bad history) to ReiserFS with Acronis Disk Director and now also tried deleting all partitions and left it raw, checked BIOS for any boot-protect settings, plus there is no UEFI on this board. Still no luck installing amahi on the HDD. What am I doing wrong?

Intel D510MO mini-ITX atom 1.6 board
Intel GMA 3150 graphics
2GB Kingston HyperX PC6400 DDR2 RAM
160GB 2.5" Toshiba HDD
H-L GSA-T50N DVD-RW

Any pointers most welcome.

Abu Krupu

[bigfoot65]

Can you try the USB install?
https://wiki.amahi.org/index.php/Fedora_19_USB_install

Also did you verify that the DVD image was not corrupt?

[abukrupu]

Thanks for the reply. Both install media were verified earlier as part of my own troubleshooting; they are fine.

I tried installing via USB last night as per your suggestion; files were duly booted from the USB, so the process starts well just like with the two DVD media, but the outcome is practically the same as before. The installation stops some time after showing the write-protect remarks listed in my first post and will not proceed on to the GUI shown in the Amahi tutorial video. A notable difference, however, was that this time, there was visible text instead of just a blank screen when the installation quit - please see enclosed photo.

I would love to forward the journalctl to this forum, but - sorry for my lack of Linux - how exactly can I do that since I don't know what the USB drive is called during installation, and which command(s) should I use in order to save the report there?

[abukrupu]

Also tried this morning to disconnect the DVD drive so only the HDD and USB drives were connected for the USB install. Still won't get to the GUI.

[bigfoot65]

You mentioned USB drives. Recommend you only have the hard drive you are going to put the OS on and the install media. Try DVD first, maybe even use 32-bit as well.

See if that makes a difference. I presume the hard drive is internal, correct?

[abukrupu]

Apologies for being unclear: I mentioned HDD and USB drives in one sentence. There is only one of each. The HDD is indeed a standard Toshiba internal 2.5" SATA disk.

Only HDD and the respective installation media have been connected in all but my first attempt at USB-install, where the DVD drive was connected to SATA as well. However, disconnecting it made no difference in my USB-install attempts this morning.

Unless I have misunderstood the intention of your last post, "Try DVD first" ended up as my main leisure activity last night. The USB thumb drive was not connected at that time, only the HDD and DVD drive.

I tried installing with the DVDs six times; first with the HDD "as was" (NTFS partitions intact with Win 7 Pro 64-bit), then raw, and finally formatted to ReiserFS; each time first with Express 7, then the full Fedora 19 ISO. All attempts started as expected until showing the green highlighted anaconda choice 1-5 line, despite "complaining" along the way about the write-protected dev/sr0, then each time ending the same way by petering out leaving me with a blank screen and nothing happening, not even a blinking cursor.

FYI, the USB thumb drive was formatted before adding unetbootin for the USB install attempt.

[bigfoot65]

Ok, makes sense.

My thought was for you to try installing via full DVD for 32-bit.

What are the specs for your hardware?

BTW, have you tried booting from a Live CD? If that works, then it's not the hardware. If it has issues, then maybe there is something hardware related wrong.

[abukrupu]

SOLVED

Tried once more for the heck of it using the Express 7 DVD. Accidentally pushed my mouse after the dreaded blank screen occurred and saw a B/W arrow cursor on my otherwise black screen. Nothing else became visible despite scrolling up and down, but this led me to think the preceding DVD installation(s) actually may have gone OK without me knowing, only the Intel GMA 3150 graphics perhaps weren't handling it properly despite 256MB VRAM and a lowly 1024x768 screen.

So tried reinstalling this time with basic graphics settings, and voilá, I could now see the GUI. Success!

I am now set up and busy experimenting with my new toy.

...I don't know whether this might be a common issue with basic graphics like my Intel GMA?

In any case thanks for the prompt replies, which at least helped boost morale when things looked bleak. For future reference, I enclosed my HW specs in the original post.

[bigfoot65]

Awesome, glad you got it working. Sorry I overlooked the specs in the original post. You are probably correct about the graphics card. Not all systems play well with Fedora. Persistence dominated in this case.