[Post-Install] My vintage gaming laptop dosn't appear to work properly

[steve7233]

My system appears to be badly broken on this about 17 y/o gaming/laptop that runs DirectX 10. I suspect Wayland. I switched to X11, but I suspect Calmerus, or however the installer is spelled, may not be able to install properly via Wayland. Is there a way to install via X11, or maybe a switch in 24.04 at boot time, or maybe some other switch is needed? I wanted to play Banished, which has both a 32-bit and a 64-bit main executable file. I eventually got Banished to work, but it doesn't work very well, and I suspect it would work better on a properly built system. For one thing, if I type ALT+F2, the system reports that the signal was sent, but for an unknown reason, Krunner isn't responding! HP Pavilion 1030 Gaming/laptop dv6-us. A Core2 Duo and a 4500 MHD Integrated graphics. 4 GB of 2 DIMM modules, which are DDR2. All Intel parts. If you need more information, I will try to get it, but this is a discontinued product, so HP has taken down almost all info on it from their website.

EDIT: I forgot to add that I already downloaded 24.04 because I suspect I may need to downgrade from 26.04. I haven't written it to the USB yet, as that would wipe out the 26..04. I am waiting for a response to this thread to see what switch or switches I should use and which version I need to reinstall, or maybe there is a way to fix my broken system. The installer said that Kubuntu is designed to work on old machines, but it also said 8 years, and this machine is twice that age.

[Snowhog]

RAM requirements were changed. https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/04/...equriments/amp

[die.boer]

but I suspect Calmerus, or however the installer is spelled, may not be able to install properly via Wayland. Is there a way to install via X11,

The live installer session boots into whatever session Canonical ships on the ISO (currently Wayland by default on supported hardware). There isn't a supported "Install using X11 instead" option.
do you have X11 session ? does it make a difference? if you don't have X11 ,install it with

sudo apt update && 
sudo apt install plasma-session-x11

then log out and choose X11 session at login screen.

it would also help to see precise what driver is used, please post output of

inxi -Gxx

first

[die.boer]

RAM requirements were changed. https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/04/...equriments/amp

my machine runs pretty smooth with 4gig ram on 26.04 (mind you i don't play games lol)

[steve7233]

inxi -Gxx
Command 'inxi' not found, but can be installed with:
sudo apt install inxi
steve7233@Hal9000c:~$
I already installed X11. This appears to be broken badly. A reinstall or deep repairs may be necessary. Is there a way to bring up the logs from the installer, as I suspect there were a large number of errors during install? I was looking at some of the output during the install and noticed lots of timeouts, so some parts may not have installed correctly. It's probably a wall bigger than the Vietnam Memorial, so I will post it to my Pastebin account and then post a link here. I just need the command to find it. Please and Thank You.

[die.boer]

can you run these commands

sudo dpkg --configure -a

sudo apt --fix-broken install

sudo apt update

sudo apt full-upgrade​

and then see if there are any failed systemd services:

systemctl --failed

[steve7233]

can you run these commands

sudo dpkg --configure -a

sudo apt --fix-broken install

sudo apt update

sudo apt full-upgrade​

and then see if there are any failed systemd services:

systemctl --failed

$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
[sudo: authenticate] Password:
steve7233@Hal9000c:~$ sudo apt --fix-broken install
Summary:
Upgrading: 0, Installing: 0, Removing: 0, Not Upgrading: 3
steve7233@Hal9000c:~$ sudo apt update
Hit:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute InRelease
Get:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-updates InRelease [137 kB]
Hit:3 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-security InRelease
Hit:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-backports InRelease
Get:5 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-updates/main i386 Packages [148 k
B]
Get:6 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-updates/main amd64 Packages [330
kB]
Get:7 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-updates/universe amd64 Packages [
201 kB]
Get:8 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-updates/universe i386 Packages [9
4.9 kB]
Fetched 911 kB in 2s (482 kB/s)
3 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
steve7233@Hal9000c:~$ systemctl --failed
UNIT LOAD ACTIVE SUB DESCRIPTION

0 loaded units listed.
steve7233@Hal9000c:~$

[die.boer]

ok all looks good there,no broken installation
please install inxi with

sudo apt install inxi

and then post output of

inxi -Fzxx

[steve7233]

ok all looks good there,no broken installation
please install inxi with

sudo apt install inxi

and then post output of

inxi -Fzxx

inxi -Fzxx
System:
Kernel: 7.0.0-27-generic arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 15.2.0
Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 6.6.5 tk: Qt v: N/A wm: kwin_x11 dm: SDDM
Distro: Kubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon) base: Ubuntu
Machine:
Type: Laptop System: Hewlett-Packard product: N/A v: F.02
serial: <superuser required> Chassis: Quanta type: 10
serial: <superuser required>
Mobo: Quanta model: 3627 v: 18.0B serial: <superuser required>
Firmware: BIOS vendor: Hewlett-Packard v: F.02 date: 11/14/2008
Battery:
ID-1: BAT0 charge: 0% condition: N/A/47.5 Wh volts: 8.3 min: 10.8
model: Hewlett-Packard Primary serial: N/A charging:status: not charging
cycles: N/A
Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech Wireless Keyboard ERGO K860
serial: <filter> charge: 100% (should be ignored) status: discharging
Device-2: hidpp_battery_1 model: Logitech Wireless Gaming Mouse
serial: <filter> charge: 55% (should be ignored) status: discharging
CPU:
Info: dual core model: Intel Core2 Duo T6400 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Penryn
rev: A cache:L1: 128 KiB L2: 2 MiB
Speed (MHz):avg: 1995 min/max: 1200/2000 cores:1: 1995 2: 1995
bogomips: 7979
Flags-basic: ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 ssse3
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel Mobile 4 Series Integrated Graphics vendor: Hewlett-Packard
driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-5 ports:active: HDMI-A-1 off: LVDS-1
empty: DP-1,DP-2,VGA-1 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:2a42
Device-2: Suyin HP webcam [dv6-1190en] driver: uvcvideo type: USB rev: 2.0
speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 4-4:3 chip-ID: 064e:c107
Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.22 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.10
compositor: kwin_x11 driver:X:loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
dri: crocus gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96
Monitor-1: HDMI-A-1 mapped: HDMI-1 pos: primary model: Philips PHL 328E9F
res: 1920x1080i hz: 60 dpi: 70 diag: 800mm (31.5")
Monitor-2: LVDS-1 note: disabled model: Seiko Epson 0x354c res: 1920x1080i
dpi: 98 diag: 405mm (15.9")
API: EGL v: 1.5 platforms:device: 0 drv: crocus device: 1 drv: swrast
gbm:drv: crocus surfaceless:drv: crocus x11:drv: crocus inactive: wayland
API: OpenGL v: 4.5 compat-v: 2.1 vendor: intel mesa v: 26.0.3-1ubuntu1
glx-v: 1.4 direct-render: yes renderer: Mesa Mobile Intel GM45 Express (CTG)
device-ID: 8086:2a42
API: Vulkan v: 1.4.341 surfaces: N/A device: 0 type: cpu
driver: mesa llvmpipe device-ID: 10005:0000
Info:Tools:api: clinfo, eglinfo, glxinfo, vulkaninfo
de: kscreen-console,kscreen-doctor wl: wayland-info x11: xdriinfo,
xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr
Audio:
Device-1: Intel 82801I HD Audio vendor: Hewlett-Packard
driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:293e
Device-2: Logitech [G533 Wireless Headset Dongle]
driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid type: USB rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s
lanes: 1 bus-ID: 5-1:2 chip-ID: 046d:0a66
API: ALSA v: k7.0.0-27-generic status: kernel-api
Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.6.2 status: active with:1: pipewire-pulse
status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
Network:
Device-1: Broadcom BCM4322 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN
vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: b43-pci-bridge v: N/A pcie:speed: 2.5 GT/s
lanes: 1 bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 14e4:432b
Device-2: Realtek RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet
vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie:speed: 2.5 GT/s
lanes: 1 port: 5000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8136
IF: enp3s0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
Device-1: HP Bluetooth 2.0 Interface [Broadcom BCM2045] driver: btusb v: 0.8
type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 7-2:3 chip-ID: 03f0:171d
Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 2 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 2.0
lmp-v: 3 sub-v: 41cf
Drives:
Local Storage:total: 1.82 TiB used: 107.51 GiB (5.8%)
ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Samsung model: SSD 860 EVO 2TB size: 1.82 TiB
speed: 3.0 Gb/s serial: <filter>
Partition:
ID-1: / size: 1.81 TiB used: 107.51 GiB (5.8%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda1
ID-2: /home size: 1.81 TiB used: 107.51 GiB (5.8%) fs: btrfs
dev: /dev/sda1
Swap:
ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 32 GiB used: 387.2 MiB (1.2%) priority: -1
file: /swapfile
Sensors:
System Temperatures:cpu: 80.0 C mobo: N/A
Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A
Info:
Memory:total: 4 GiB available: 3.75 GiB used: 1.94 GiB (51.6%)
Processes: 227 Power:uptime: 6h 6m wakeups: 0 Init: systemd v: 259
default: graphical
Packages: 2628 pm: dpkg pkgs: 2587 pm: flatpak pkgs: 30 pm: snap pkgs: 11
Compilers: N/A Shell: Bash v: 5.3.9 running-in: konsole inxi: 3.3.40
steve7233@Hal9000c:~$

[steve7233]

I think there might be 1 last MOBO firmware update for won 98, but that would be a manual install since fwupdate can't do it.

[die.boer]

if you run

krunner

in terminal , does the krunner window appear? are there any error messages in terminal window?

on another note , 1-your BIOS is from 2008 ,but i think finding a newer Bios from HP is gonna be tricky...
2-your CPU is running very hot at 80 degrees...that won't cause KRunner to stop working, but it can lead to thermal throttling and sluggish performance.check whether the fan is spinning properly,whether the heatsink is clogged with dust and, if you're comfortable opening the laptop, replacing the thermal paste. After 17 years, it's almost certainly dried out.
3- You're driving a 1080p external display...Your GPU is rendering a 1920×1080 desktop on hardware that predates Full HD laptops. The GMA 4500MHD can do it, but Plasma 6 is asking much more of it than KDE 4 or Plasma 5 ever did

[steve7233]

if you run

krunner

in terminal , does the krunner window appear? are there any error messages in terminal window?

on another note , 1-your BIOS is from 2008 ,but i think finding a newer Bios from HP is gonna be tricky...
2-your CPU is running very hot at 80 degrees...that won't cause KRunner to stop working, but it can lead to thermal throttling and sluggish performance.check whether the fan is spinning properly,whether the heatsink is clogged with dust and, if you're comfortable opening the laptop, replacing the thermal paste. After 17 years, it's almost certainly dried out.
3- You're driving a 1080p external display...Your GPU is rendering a 1920×1080 desktop on hardware that predates Full HD laptops. The GMA 4500MHD can do it, but Plasma 6 is asking much more of it than KDE 4 or Plasma 5 ever did

The firmware is available on the Linux firmware archive site. I forgot the URL. The fans sound like they are running full on, probably because it is very hot here in WLC, as in a record-breaking heat wave! Welcome to the summer of 26!🥵

edit ;
I forgot to try krunner
steve7233@Hal9000c:~$ krunner
QThreadStorage: entry 2 destroyed before end of thread 0x5ee9f9606080
QThreadStorage: entry 1 destroyed before end of thread 0x5ee9f9606080
steve7233@Hal9000c:~$
Seems broken to me.

[steve7233]

@ die.boer my computer is at 80 Celsius, not 80 Farienheight. I guess you misread it.

[Snowhog]

What is a safe CPU temperature? In 2026, a safe CPU temperature is between 65°C and 85°C (149°F – 185°F) under load. While modern processors can handle higher heat, 100°C (212°F) is the universal danger zone where thermal throttling begins, cutting your performance to prevent hardware damage.

Standard CPU Temperature Ranges (2026 Standards)


To ensure system stability and peak clock speeds, aim for these 2026 temperature benchmarks:

• Idle: 30°C – 45°C (86°F – 113°F) (Ideal for light desktop use)
• Gaming / Heavy Workload: 65°C – 85°C (149°F – 185°F) (Optimal performance range)
• Maximum Limit: 95°C – 105°C (203°F – 221°F) (Thermal throttling threshold)

[steve7233]

What is a safe CPU temperature? In 2026, a safe CPU temperature is between 65°C and 85°C (149°F – 185°F) under load. While modern processors can handle higher heat, 100°C (212°F) is the universal danger zone where thermal throttling begins, cutting your performance to prevent hardware damage.

Standard CPU Temperature Ranges (2026 Standards)


To ensure system stability and peak clock speeds, aim for these 2026 temperature benchmarks:

• Idle: 30°C – 45°C (86°F – 113°F) (Ideal for light desktop use)
• Gaming / Heavy Workload: 65°C – 85°C (149°F – 185°F) (Optimal performance range)
• Maximum Limit: 95°C – 105°C (203°F – 221°F) (Thermal throttling threshold)

Thanks, good to know.