Best way to test Trisquel
Hi, folks!
I just started my Trisquel download and I would to know how is the best manner to test without install: it's by DVD live? USB? VM?
I want to test the driver to my NVIDIA 9600GT - work with 2 monitors, screencast performance, etc - and some Compiz effects (or alternatives), like Enhanced Zoom Desktop.
Also, I would to ask if it's possible to have a "Global Menu" in Gnome or XFCE, like Ubuntu, instead the menu of progams appearing all the time.
Regards!
Probably a live CD.
Regarding the "global menu", I honestly don't know what that means, but you can install Unity (Ubuntu's default DE; sudo apt-get install unity gnome-session). You could also try GNOME Shell (sudo apt-get install gnome-session gnome-shell).
Luckly I found this: https://launchpad.net/xfce-appmenu-plugin (this is the Global Menu), but I don't know how to install this, can you help me?
The same with the GPU driver: how I'll install that by the Live CD? The system will not restart and I'll lose everything?
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I'd say a flash drive is your best bet. If you use a tool like
unetbootin or Trisdquel's usb-creator app, you can easily make
persistent storage. This way, you can run the system, natively, without
changing your computer's hard drive. Virtualizing may introduce its own
complications, thereby confounding any tests.
-Dave
I prefer a Live USB. It's easy and fast. I boot Trisquel only with 15 seconds. With CD is 3 minutes or more ;-)
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For several tests I always go with liveUSB. Probably because I always install something.
As per the global menu: would installing gnome3 do the trick?
Thank you for all the replies! I decide to use a Trisquel instalation in a USB driver formated specially for that. Unfortunatelly, I couldn't complete the instalation due to a strange error (image here: http://imageshack.us/scaled/landing/849/imagefa.png).
*icarolongo* will test the instalation by a liveCD, but if you guys could make some tests too, I think this will help all the community (because, possibly, it's a bug).
*Andresm* when I install with success, I'll make this test. Another doubt: I saw it's possible to install Unity in Trisquel, but Unity is free software?
Have you taken a look at /var/log/syslog? Have "tried again"? If it failed again, have you "continued anyway"?
If I click in "Continue anyway" or "Try again" the result is the same: the process stops in that "welcome messages"...
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I also had problems with usb-creator-gtk, but a fellow Trsiquel user opened my eyes a while back that one can also do something like:
sudo dd if=/path/to/trisquel.iso of=/path/to/usb
But doing like this, can I save stuff on USB? I mean, if I install drivers, save files and other things, when I restart the computer all the things will remain?
You can get some sort of persistence by making another partition on the stick with label 'casper-rw'.
If you make the partition type FAT, you can read it on legacy operating systems. If you choose type EXT you can make it larger than 4 GB.
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you can try the command line bit and see if stuff is saved after reboot.
by the way, try doing the liveusb without internet connection.
I installed through "dd" command, installed stuff and reboot. The data not remains...
I tried install Trisquel by a LiveCD in a pen drive and the error appears again...
Indeed, I still want to test those things on Trisquel to migrate, but neither the instalation is working... What you guys recommend to do from this point?
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If yu use the dd command, you will not have persistent space unless you
create another partition on your usb drive called casper-rw, of type
ext4. If you're doing this from some other gnu/Linux system, after
doing the 'dd' command to write the Trisquel image, go to disk utility,
select your usb drive, and make the casper-rw partition after the disk
image, which should show as a partition of type iso9660, or something,
with the rest of your device unallocated.
HTH,
Dave
Indeed, before the "dd" command, I had tested make 2 partitions with GParted in my 8GB pendrive: 6GB (to /) and 2GB (to /home). But I didn't know I need to name it with the "casper-rw" name. Can you tell me how I'll do this?
Anyway, with or without a separate partition to files, what about the instalation error? If the instalation not goes on, I'll never can choose my pendrive as install device... =/
That's a bug of the v6 or what? What do you recomend?
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Oh, I missunderstood. I thought you did the dd command. You installed,
using Ubiquity, to the flash drive? That should work, and be
persistent. Not sure what might be happening there.
To add the casper filesystem, write the Trisquel image with dd, as you
had done before, from another GNU/Linux. after it's done, use disk
utility to find your flash drive onto which you did the dd command. Or,
you can use gparted. After the 'squasfs' filesystem on the flash drive,
there should be additional space that is free. make a new partition,
using all this free space. You'll be shown options for boot flags and
filesystem type. The new partition does not need to be bootable, but
does need to formatted as ext4 (maybe it says 'Linux'? and be named
casper-rw.
There are two tools that take care of all this for you, one being the
startup disk creator found in Trisquel, another being unetbootin from a
repository called ppa:gezakovacs. Add this to your sources list, then
install unetbootin. You can launch unetbootin with a gui or commandline
options. Homepage: unetbootin.sourceforge.net. I've used this tool
many times, with success, from the commandline.
After maaany attempts to properly test Trisquel, here I am, without success.
I burned a LiveCD and did some basic tests, but when I try to install Trisquel in a USB device through "Startup Disc Creator" and UNetbootin (great tool, btw, thank you for the tip, Dave Hunt!) but, in both cases, when I reboot my computer and set USB boot, the message "Boot error" appears and nothing happens.
This, plus the fact the instalation of Trisquel always to show an error and simply installs nothing, in my opinion it's a baaad thing about Trisquel and his reputation.
I'm willing to migrate to a real free software OS, but in this proposal, Trisquel is disappoint me a lot! Probably it's a bug with the v6, but I can't find any other version in "Download" section...
So, please, don't blame me for this thought, but if Trisquel isn't reliable to new users even to make a test install or test more appropriately through the "Startup Disc Creator" tool, how it's possible to trust him an try to make Trisquel my oficial OS?!
I'm very very disapointed, because I was very excited about all that conversation about "GNU/Linux", freedom and stuff. Unfortunatelly, looks like the "fake free software" works better - at least I can install it...
That's a shame.
Trisquel doesn't seem to be the only one experiencing this issue.
Ubuntu and (GNU/)Linux Mint seem to have the same issues as well.
I have found three plausible solutions after researching exit code 141:
1) Are you using a RAID setup for another OS? Apparantly there are issues where a live instance tries to access the RAID array for possible installation paths and fails. You will need to press F6 at the initial installation screen (on the live instance) and define No RAID disks (nodmraid).
2) Do you have more than 1 HDD/SSD in your machine? Someone solved their problem by removing the HDD they were not going to install GNU/Linux to and put it back after the installation was complete.
3) Have you tried formating the partition you were installing Trisquel using GParted. Some people reported that formatting an existing partiton using the live version causes issues.
Procedure: Boot Trisquel LiveUSB --> Install GParted --> Format Partition --> Reboot --> Go through LiveUSB installation like usual.
I had no issues installing Trisquel from liveusb so I have no knowledge if these will work or not.
I hope these can be of help.
1) No RAID here.
2) Yes, I have 2 HDDs. 1st is the one with Windows 7 32bit installed; 2nd with Ubuntu 12.10 64bit. Bot with 2 partitions: 1 for OS, another to files. But, in fact, I'm trying install in a pen drive (thank goodness, imagine that mess in a production machine). But that sort of situation isn't a 90' thing...? I though the actual GNU/Linuxes automaticly recognize every hardware and deal with (I'm with a Core2Duo E4600@2.4GHz width 4GB of RAM here).
3) As a say, for now I'm testing the install in a pend drive. I already tried the instalation of Trisquel (and Trisquel Mini) partitioning the device with GParted; using dd command and the "Startup Disc Creator" Trisquel tool and; UNetbootin, failing in all them.
Honestly, I never really bothered much with the persistence thing, but I did put it there with Unetbootin on the Linux Mint sticks I made, and I don't recall any success there (though I wasn't unable to boot like you; that must be a problem with your BIOS or hardware, because a USB stick was how I installed Trisquel 6 on the laptop I'm using right now).
Why don't you just create a small partition on your hard drive for testing Trisquel? That's what I would do personally, rather than fiddle with that whole USB stick "persistence" thing.
Regarding your trouble installing Trisquel, it looks like you still haven't posted the information on /var/log/syslog. That's probably important for understanding what's failing. I've successfully installed Trisquel 6 on four computers (one of them 32-bit), so I have a strong tendency to think it's something about your hardware that's the problem (or maybe a corrupt disc).
I *really* need some persistence test becausa I need to make sure Trisquel will suport and work well with my NVIDIA 9600GT with 2 monitors, some Compiz effects and properly deal with screencasts production (I use RecordMyDesktop and made editions with Audacity and Kdenlive in my actual Ubuntu configuration).
I can even test with a small partition in my HD, but, in theory, the partitioning thing isn't supposed to work with flash drives?
I have to repeat myself here and to be shocked with this 90' hardware thing... My configuration (Core2Duo E4600@2.4GHz width 4GB of RAM) isn't so old, at all, I'm right?
Today I'm tried to install in a VM just to clean my consciousness, but even the live feature not worked... Here's the error screen: http://imageshack.us/scaled/landing/687/trisquelvmerror.png
I'm not a hardware expert, but a Core2Duo E4600@2.4GHz isn't a x86_64 thing?
Here's the generated syslog: http://pastebin.com/2aD7UspJ
If you run in a VM, what processor you have doesn't matter.
Probably the system you use is 32-bit or you choose the 32-bit option in the VM (VirtualBox?) and the image is 64-bit.
If you only want to test that once and ensure that everything works as expected, you can use a Live system with no persistence and install whatever you want in the Live system (it will be installed in RAM but 4 GB should be enough). Of course, the installs would not survive a reboot but, again, if it is only to test once...
I am actually challenging the premiss that you *really* need persistence to make those tests. With 4GB of RAM, you could try to "install" RecordMyDesktop, Audacity and Kdenlive inside the Live system. The nouveau driver and Compiz already are in the Live image (no need to install anything).
OK, I didn't know this... But when I run Trisquel by Live CD, only 1 monitor shows images, there's a problem with Nouveau driver or there's some place I can configure this? Please, help me! :-)
Anyway, even if all the tests pass, how I'll install in HDD with this instalation problem?! In all my attempts, when I click "Install", I never get the screen I choose the device, partitions, etc... The "steps" stops in the avatar pick, just after login info.
PS: Just to be in, I made all those installation tests with the 32bit image with no success, too...
Regards!
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Hi, sorry to see you have problems.
Maybe we are looking at it the wrong way? some people have been able to install trisquel 6.
have you tried trisquel-mini?
your bios settings seems to work for dvdrom but not usb?
you have not tried to install to hdd but only tried to do live usb?
if you are willing maybe you could do a recap?
there are other free gnu/linux os. parabola and gnewsense for instance
. trisquel is not the only one so you can try others. maybe that can help find the problem?
Have you really heard about successful installations with v6? That's a good thing, because I was concerned about Trisquel team was released a version without even test the instalation... This confirms that all this which is happening with me is an exception. :-(
Yes, I've tried Trisquel Mini in all the ways I'm reporting above.
I can run the "Live USB" as well Live CD, my BIOS offers support for both.
That's correct: all the tests I did was trying to install on a USB stick (with persistence). Here the steps:
1. Initialize Trisquel with Live CD
2. Run GParted to make 2 partitions (/ and /home)
3. Click in "Install"
4. Chose some options (until the avatar pick, just after login info)
5. Error: http://imageshack.us/scaled/landing/849/imagefa.png (as I said before, independently the option I choose, the installation stucks)
There'is a variant, too:
1. Use GParted in my actual Ubuntu instalation
2. Initialize Trisquel with Live CD
3. Click in "Install"
4. Chose some options
5. Error
Also, I've tried the "Startup Disc Creator" in Live CD and UNetbootin and, in both cases, when I'll boot from USB, the black screen error "Boot error" appears.
It's a funny thing you recommend me another "really free GNU/Linux" distros, but, seeing some videos in YouTube, Trisquel is, indeed, the one in that FSF distros lists with a great look and it's based on Ubuntu wich I use today, so a think a (eventual) migration will be less painful for me.
But, well, if I can't do this tests and install Trisquel, one way or another, unfortunately I'll be obliged to test something else... :-/
Through the thread, I see there's no problem with the instalation (Flash drive, HDD or whatever), except with me... Or better: with some piece of hardware I have.
Thank you for all those help me with my doubts and, in anyway, tried to help me. I'm sure Trisquel it's a good OS by the few minutes I play with in the live sessions, but it's just not for me for while.
Who knows in Trisquel 7? ;-)
Best regards, folks!
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hi again.
thanks for summing up your problems!
sorry that it did not work for you. But if you are still around what I meant that you could try another free distro that is a debian derivative. i think gnewsense is. if it does not work either and fails at the same point then it must be something in your configuration/hardware. but I would understand it should really work with trisquel. you obviously tried different iso images.
I am really sad that it does not work for you.
maybe not to wait until version 7. you can try again in some months if you get a chance?
Trisquel 6 here on VWware. I like what I see so far and will probably do a hdd install this weekend. Seems smooth and everything working so far. Im really impressed with such a small install and my dinosaur machine is loving it.
A username and password prompt for a live CD? Are you kidding me? Call me a quitter but I dont care.I went to the disc after I deleted my vm machine so I could run live and possibly carve up some hdd space for an install. Whats up with the username/password prompt to run a live cd? That was a first for me.