Ubuntu 8.10 and 9.04 error but 8.04LTS OK on AW M17)

Actually this is just a shot in the dark.

I am happily running Ubuntu 8.04 on my laptop but I figured I would bring back a question that haunted me for many months last year.

Anyone know why you can't run Ubuntu 8.10 or 9.04 (beta) on an Alienware M17? Perhaps I should be more clear.

I tried installing Ubuntu 8.10 first, actually first I used a Live CD. It just wouldn't get to the login screen (both CD and actual install). It will just stay black for a while and then it will give you that screen with "No guarantees blah blah" and at the end "ubuntu@ubuntu:" Wubi didn't work either, same error.

I guess it is a problem loading X org or something but only a black screen with some of that text I typed above appears. Same thing happened with 9.04 Jaunty. So, after a giving up, I ran 8.04LTS and it worked flawlessly.

My issue is that when the time comes, I know it's far off (2011) but if all new Linux Ubuntu distros will not work, then it's clearly a permanent change. I only wish I knew what the issue is so I can fix it. Anyone happen to know?

 

Maybe this thread could help?
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1053142

 

Thanks Thomas.

I have seen that thread a thousand times. I even managed to contact one of those guys via email. No luck. Only Ubuntu 8.04 LTS works with me as well. It seems there are only three people in the entire internet that have an AW M17 with Ubuntu on it.... It's surprisingly annoying.

 

That's really weird.
What you can try to do is use the 8.10 Alternative CD, and install the ATI driver from the recovery mode and booting it up.

 

Ok, wait. Do you mean use the Live CD and try to install the ATI driver? Can you install things with only the Live CD running? I thought Live CDs where like read only-ish. At least I couldn't install anything the first time I tried running the Live CD with 8.10.

Perhaps it's too late into the night and that's why I don't understand.

 

No, I mean the Alternative CD, which is a text based installer CD.

 

whats wrong with 8.04? If it works then whats the problem?

 

OK, that I haven't tried. I read that it is useful when tweaks are needed after the installation. ATI drivers ring a bell here.

But I read this before downloading:

So will this install the same Ubuntu as the Live CD one? I don't want any special tweaks to lower the performance, etc. And as far as I know, I would have to upgrade to 8.10, then to 9.04. Assuming it will work on 8.10, will it work then on 9.04 from the inside upgrade? Or would I have to fresh install 9.04 from another alternative CD? That would mean losing all my stuff in my current Ubuntu.

Now that I think about it, attempting to fresh install from an Alternative CD would mean I would lose my current settings and stuff. I really rather do an upgrade... I am cornered. Perhaps I should try this on a USB. I assume I can install Ubuntu 8.10 on a USB drive using the Alternative CD just to see if it works?

 

No problem at all. I am enjoying my Ubuntu 8.04. This is just one of those things that left me thinking why it did not work, and what will happen when the time to end LTS comes around if all new distros will not work.

I know, too ahead I am thinking. I could get a new laptop (this one is 3 months old), war might break out, the world might end. Yes, I understand. But I am still curious on something I couldn't figure out for my life.

 

I have no idea why it wouldn't work. Though by the time LTS is finished There will more than likely be another release that will support your hardware configuration. I would venture to guess a large majority of alienware users probably don't buy the laptops to run anything other than windows, as it's a gaming laptop above all else, and windows is the pc gaming platform. Which might explain why you do not find too many people out there in the wild trying to put linux on that particular machine.

I personally had many problems with hardware support in eariler version of ubuntu, and while i liked the OS it was these hardware problems which kept me from using the OS on a daily basis. Of course it makes sense that you'd worry about being able to continue to use your OS of choice in the future. but since that release is supported until April 2011, it is probably best not to worry about it until around December of 2010 rolls around.

While i understand this doesn't ease your mind, or answer your question specifically, Have some faith, it'll be figured out.

 

Yes, it will be exactly the same.

 

Well, thank you both for the replies. They helped both ways. In any case, I will give that text installer a try on another drive, surely not on my awesome 8.04 drive, a usb will do just fine. Like I said, this was just a shot in the dark.

I will post results. Thanks fellas.

 

yep, xorg problem...my precision is finicky with anything BUT ubuntu....I'm going to try Debian on it, and install my nvidia driver from the command line and see what happens. I understand what's bugging you, but I think chances are it will be resolved, not stay the same....remember too...bluetooth worked great with 8.04, but 8.10 and 9.04 they've narfed it up. ok?

 

Can You Get the cube to work in 8.04 and get other applications for that OS. and one more thing when you run it as the mane operating system do all the drivers work ?

 

Ugh. I have the same exact problem on the same exact system. VERY annoying. Hope someone figures out a fix. I did to a fresh install, though.

 

If you are talking to me, then yeah, everything works, and I mean Everything with 8.04LTS. I'll be trying 9.04 and see if it has been fixed for my system, if not, 8.04LTS will do just fine, as it always has.