Need Help installing kubuntu 14.10

[BaritoneGary]

Help! I can't even get my old Dell Latitude D820 to read the DVD. I have installed a new SSD and upgraded to 4GB of memory. I got Precise Puppy to run, but I can't get kubuntu 14.10 DVD to load correctly. Tried with USB 4GB flash drive, and was told that there was no bootable partition. I copied the OS directly from the DVD. Checked the download hash, and all was good. I am really sick & tired of microsoft's bs. I really need this to work. I want to learn and now have the time, since I am now retired. Thanks!

[claydoh]

Have you read this:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto
which also links to a page for making a bootable flash drive:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/In...n/FromUSBStick
You have to "burn" the image in a special way, even on a usb stick.

When burning a dvd, sometimes using a slower speed helps.

I have a D630 and a D830, which are very similar to yours, and run great with Kubuntu.Though I can't say much for the dvd drive, I don't recall ever using it, definitely not to install. usb sticks are faster, easier, and ultimately cheaper

[Teunis]

Another 'thing' is this ISO starts up to an empty prompt, clicking the Tab key will give you the available options, I prefer to use Live.
Start up the live session, use it to partition the HD and only then you continue with the install.
Don't use the option to do updates during the install, it's typically very slow and might even hang the system, the update can wait till you have a working system.

[SteveRiley]

You have to "burn" the image in a special way, even on a usb stick.

That was true several releases ago. But no longer -- the images are configured in such a way that simply dding the .ISO to a partition on directly to a USB drive is sufficient.

[bobbicat]

Does the USB drive partition need to be flagged as bootable, or is simply doing the dd sufficient?
Also, does the formatting of the partition matter?

[SteveRiley]

Actually, you don't even need to create the partitions, those are contained within the image. I verified this just now. Simply dd the ISO directly to the device node. For example:

sudo dd if=/path/to/iso of=/dev/sdc bs=16M

Using a 16 megabyte block size greatly accelerates the transfer.

[kubicle]

sudo dd if=/path/to/iso of=/dev/sdc bs=16M

Just be careful with the "of" path (make sure it points to the correct device), so that you don't wipe a hard drive.

[bobbicat]

Perhaps it would be better to specify 'of=/dev/sdX' in the code line, where X specifies the letter defining the thumb drive to be used, this would help noobs and fools like myself to avoid copying and pasting into disaster.

I'll be using that 'bs=16M' tip on my next install, it was news to me and anything that speeds up install is always welcome.

[claydoh]

That was true several releases ago. But no longer -- the images are configured in such a way that simply dding the .ISO to a partition on directly to a USB drive is sufficient.

Yes, using dd is a "special way". The op had mentioned copying things directly from the dvd, and I was too lazy to type more in-depth instructions, sorry! Gonna be a long few months till this broken wrist heals.

[bobbicat]

will the dd command work for a windows user wanting to install Kubuntu for the first time?
does the windows user need to download and install anything to let this happen?

[SteveRiley]

Gonna be a long few months till this broken wrist heals.

What happened?

[SteveRiley]

will the dd command work for a windows user wanting to install Kubuntu for the first time?
does the windows user need to download and install anything to let this happen?

To create bootable media from ISOs in Windows, use Win32 Disk Imager. Most of the other tools don't properly create UFEI bootable drives.

[Qqmike]

SteveRiley
Actually, you don't even need to create the partitions, those are contained within the image. I verified this just now. Simply dd the ISO directly to the device node ...

I tested this, it is true (so it seems to me), but it seems GParted is confused about the image partition, and finally I pose a question, here (separate thread):
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...698#post370698

[claydoh]

What happened?

I tripped on a box behind the cash registers at work, landed on my wrist, which broke in two places.

[Teunis]

Sorry to hear about that cursed box...
Must hurt too!
So now you have to type with only five fingers...