learned/did something new lastnight:

[twistedjeepster]

I made my very first bootable Unbuntu flash drive and I am currently using it to make this post. Here's the story.

I work at a computer store called ATD computer solutions as a repair/custom build tech and we have had a Dell mini 910 laptop for some time to which I just recently found again. This computer came it because it wouldn't boot to Windows and the customer just wanted to get another computer. Well when I rediscovered this laptop I wanted to see if I could reload it and maybe put a few bucks in it and give it to my 11 soon to be 12 year old for her birthday. Well my boss says that she wants it and I can have the next one, and wants me to try and fix it so she can have it. Well I have been working on this stupid little thing for the past few days and can't get windows or linux to instal and finally decide to try and make a bootable flash drive. Well I have successfully done it with Unbuntu and believe it or not I actually did it with XP pro except for the fact that I still can't run XP pro I can however use it to run Unbuntu. Now I understand that there are some people that could do something like this blindfolded with both hands tied behind their back but this is the first time I have ever tried it so I'm pretty proud of myself. I may just have to keep this thing for myself and learn how to use this OS since I technically couldn't fix the laptop I just found a way to get on the net with it.

 

[jaf2976]

Very cool! Ubuntu is prety easy to learn, and has a lot of good free programs & support.

 

[shawn]

Can you get it to install Ubuntu to the hard disk from the thumb drive?

If you can't, no big deal... just keep running off the thumb drive.

Ubuntu is nice, but I've stopped using it for a primary OS. Win7 is better, and I can run Ubuntu in a VM. But the older versions in particular are very lightweight. It's a good option for older hardware.

 

[twistedjeepster]

This little guy has a tiny 8gb SSD (solid state drive) and I think it's just bad. I tried to load XP while at work using an external CD and it wouldn't go then I tried with the USB XP and Unbuntu and it wouldn't go either. I'm gonna see if I can find a replacement drive for it. It also needs a keyboard but I found those on Ebay for about $14 bucks and if I can find a drive for it on the cheap I may just get it and use it with Unbuntu. If I can get it working for under a $100 then I think it will be worth it seeing as it's not that old.

The error it keeps pulling is ntoskrnl.exe file is missing. I'm gonna work on it a little more today and see if I can't fix it.