New to Zorin & Install Troubles

Hi,


I am new to Zorin, and after being an xp user forever, then learning that to go to 8 means i lose everything, well it wasn't hard to see this was my opportunity to release the chains of Bill Gates & Co. that hold users down in endless "unimplemented features" with 8 digit codes that always lead to a KB something or other article, and a download to implement this "feature."

I still have my XP on my main drive in the computer, a Western Digital 500 GB.

My installation is being done on a Western Digital 160 GB via usb 2.0 connection. It is in an old IDE case I have, 133.

Zorin is the only partition running on the hard drive, as I wanted to see how it would run alone and with some space to try some older windows apps that I hear will run via wine in many cases. The game Tera I hear hasn't been solved yet but I am hoping that happens soon, and, since their game is free, maybe something between Zorin and En Masse could happen to package Tera on the gaming systems -- wishful thinking I know.

CPU: AMD 8120 (8 core)

Graphics Card: Nvidia 460 with 2 gb of DDR5

RAM: 8 gigabytes of Mushkin 1333 I think is the normal speed, I have it set to 1600.

I am gonna type in some of the error message in the bottom pane of the installer (I don't know how to copy and paste it, or if I can) and hope one of you Linux, Ubuntu, and of course Zorin specific experts can give me an idea what's happening, as it happens when the "creating user" bar is showing on the installer approximately 20% done, and the installer never finishes:

This is the first one that seems to happen a few time, the numbers "18:20," the 18 increments by 10 as it posts over and over:

"(ubiquity:3805): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: nautilus.css:18:20: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'."

Next after those repeat:

"(ubiquity:3805): Pango-WARNING **: error opening config file '/root/.pangorc': Permission denied

"Error opening file for reading: Permission denied
ERROR: Could not load classifier cascade /usr/share/opencv/haarcascades/haarcasc
ade_fontalface_alt2.xml
update_release_notes_label()
Home directory /home/live not ours.
update_release_notes_label()
Home directory /home/live not ours.
[it repeats the above line 13 times, and then]
Error opening file for reading: Permission denied

**(ubiquity:3805): CRITICAL **: unable to create '/root/.cache/dconf'; dconf wi
ll not work properly.
Home directory /home/live not ours.
Cannot connect to server socket err = No such file or directory
Cannot connect to server socket
jack server is not running or cannot be started
Home directory /home/live not ours.
Home directory /home/live not ours.
update_release_notes_label()
[1670:1670:0325/223349:ERROR:master_preferences.cc(104)] Failed to read master_preferences file at /opt/google/crome/master_preferences.
Falling back to default preferences.
[1670:2186:0325/223350:ERROR:obmect_proxy.cc(608)] Failed to get name owner. Got org.freedesktop.Dbus.Error.NameHasNoOwner: Could not get owner of name 'org.chromium.Mtpd': no such name"

Theres a few more of those and then:

"[1670:1670:0325/223405:ERROR: extension_prefs.cc(1576)] Bad or missing pref 'version' for extension 'aohghmighlieiainnegkcijnfilokake'.

A bunch of those in a row.


There's more but my eyes are playing tricks on me looking at the white letters on the black background so not able to type more in.


I hope someone can help me, I'll be going back to xp probably as I can't do anything with this if it won't even install, I mean at least for now.


Thank you,


Bill Thompson


P.S. When I go to the upper right corner while the installer is running after booting from my usb flash drive it shows that the system is connected to the internet, obviously or I couldn't be using chrome to post this and hoping the Creating User bar advances.

UPDATE: I tried the lite version, same issue of it not creating user, not finishing, but this time the error messages aren't in the installer.

Perplexed.


Bill Thompson

Hi Bill,

did you burn the disks at the slowest speed possible, if you didn't, this could well be the reason why you are having the problems you mention because it creates read/write errors when you burn the disk at the fastest possible speed!!.

I can only recommend that you re-burn the disks at the slowest speed possible if you didn't already do so.

Did you try out the disk in live mode and did everything work??.

Have you also tried using a USB version of Zorin??.

http://www.linuxliveusb.com/en/download

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal- ... -as-1-2-3/

See also:

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/help/cre ... on-windows

Regards Wolfman

HI, and thanks for the reply.

I used up my stack of blank dvds, gave up on trying to make a dvd so then just did it fro a usb stick (hadn't read any forums at that point, came here once the usb stick didn't work). The errors I am getting are all occurring at the point it tries to create my user, everything is fine before that.

All I know is that an installer that doesn't note that there is a problem by some sound from the computer and a window in the middle of the screen saying something like "An unrecoverable error occurred and I cannot install Zorin. Please go to our forums, thank you" isn't going to be something I know has been installing for too long haha

I started thinking about it and wondered, do I have to have a version of Linux installed and Zorin is just a front end for it or is the LInux part of "Zorin OS?"

And the lite verfsion didn't give me those errors, but stops at the same point in the install (20% in) and just doesn't do anything after that, As a side note the area of the installer where the messages are posted when you click the pull down next to where it says what part of the Installation it is doing, well that box is like 1/8th the size of the one used in the 64 bit core version, so I couldn't even try to read a whole line of what it said, but of what was there nothing seemed to have the word "ERROR" in it. Surprised the installer log window size was so small.

Hi Bill,

did you use a 32 or 64 bit version, if you tried 64 bit, try again using the USB install and use 32 bit only, that may help, you didn't say whether or not it worked in live mode no problem!!.

Regards Wolfman

I used the 64 bit core the first time, the one that I typed the errors in from.

I then read that thread about installation problems that I posted to also and then downloaded the lit version and put that on the usb stick with unetbootin, so I've done both 32 and 64 bit.

Are you saying there is a way to install the 64 bit as 32 or to try the 32 bit core version of the core? if the latter, done and failed. If the former, no idea how to do that, and I still need to know if Zorin is inclusive or I need to download a Linux distribution from someone else first. it seems complete but want to make sure that I am not missing something that would be a crucial step hahah


Bill Thompson

Okay, hahaha I know how this is because I used to answer people in HEX, Octal, and binary off the top of my head.

-- "Now to me, alarm bells rang when you mentioned 'Creating User' - You cannot have any capital letters in your username or it will screw the install - this is GNU/Linux specific and not a Zorin specific issue - each distro has different ways of dealing with user creator - some ask for your real name and you type in 'Bill' and the username field below shows 'bill' - that's just the way it is!

Also, avoid attempting 'encryption' of your '/home' folder during install - another disaster waiting to happen!" -- This makes perfect sense.

-- I am hard wired to my modem, planning to put a router in between, and you have no idea how grateful I am for these two things you just told me, both mistakes I made. I wish the Installer would have said something so I wouldn't have made these mistakes. I know what you mean about the GNU/Linux specific, but the front end interface to the user could be more helpful in explaining what will happen (if you use caps) and what could happen (if you encrypt home folder). Gonna go back and try the 64 bit again now that I know this, again, it's fantastic to know (on the other hand, the Zorin installer could have made it all lower case too).

-- As far as GRUB is concerned, I am happy just changing the boot drive in BIOS, it's pretty easy to do, motherboard is a Biostar TA990FXE.

1) Not sure I understand the "Something else" point as I am not sure about primary partitions, If I need to partition my 160 gig drive, then I probably will do so after I get Zorin OS installed? Otherwise I was just going to have the whole drive available to the OS. If there is an area to designate the VM/Partition size I'll hunt for it first usually and then if I get lost come to the forums looking haha

2) Now, as I have used OS X, was an original OS 9 user, and have come to understand how Windows, again, is inferior in the VM area, I am pretty familiar with changing it to, at most, twice your actual RAM size, and was thinking of making it that big, if that's a bad idea I am thinking someone will tell me. I have no trouble with doing that either once I know where it is.

1 and 2 may need to be explained, and please, in something as succinct as you explained the first 2 things above. "Surplusage" is something I think I do too much, but usually it's to describe something to be solved. Solutions, however, I hope for "1. do this" or "2. don't do this."


NOTE: I did the external drive to get to know Zorin OS and Linux, and will eventually just go to it entirely and want to get away from windows entirely as well. I'd like to become familiar with Wine and its polished version as these will help move Linux into taking over windows faster than anything else, particularly with the issue where with 8 an xp user loses all their applications. This is a doorway that all the Linux companies need to take advantage of, particularly if Wine can run many of these xp users older applications that Windows 8 won't run -- achieving the comfort zone marketability being abandoned by 8; and a focus on games would be good as well to establish ease of use with the youth (what kept Apple alive until the iPhone). I am sure there are many other pros that far outweigh any cons, but to me, in light of Microsoft's abuse of users (I used it from 3.1), the goal is to get people to take the cons in stride, as so many do with Windows today, and do so on the idea it's necessary solely due to their comfortable use of their programs and reliance on Windows by routine. Linux needs to take over this spot in the minds of windows users at a feverish pace. Yeah I am that enthusiastic new convert (I believed in unix from the days of ATT being the sole user of it in their telephone monopoly, and Linux resembles it but without a lot of the excesses, so far anyway), but more so a rebel to the whole control freakish manner of Microsoft. Real quick, I had Windows 98 running fine, then got this software update, downloaded and installed, restarted computer, and it didn't work anymore. Microsoft said it is because I need to upgrade, that was their whole answer, and that's how I ended up on XP. They wouldn't fix it and I couldn't boot the computer, so rock and a hard place. Also, I use Apple and IBM (now OS X and Windows), always have, had to as at one time, about same time as Wozniak, Jobs, and Gates were working on their GUI ideas from the Kimono of Xerox PARC, I too had formed a small sofware company to try to make one, but it was way out of my league, yet I had to know the different systems, their processors, controllers, etc. Hell I had designed a ram drive back in 1984, I believe, the, today, SSD, which I should have patented, though mine was to be on a card, PCI wasn't an absolute standard on everything either, was just preliminary design. Anyway, sorry, reminiscing about when one was way ahead of their time and trying to contribute to making people's lives better only to fail primarily due to banks saying "computers are a fad" and deny financing my business plan is easy for me to do.


Bill Thompson

Going to try a new install following those first 2 steps mentioned by swarfendor437. Fingers crossed and hoping the next iteration of the Zorin installer addresses these in some way so that the new to Linux (like yours truly) can be more likely to succeed and have a genuinely pleasing first impression about Zorin OS and Linux

Bill if your having trouble with your display during or after installation > ( unusual things happening ), it's your Graphics Card: Nvidia 460 with 2 gb of DDR5 > which has Optimus Technology.
GNU/Linux NVIDIA developers haven't been concentrating in that area of support drivers lately > relating to graphics cards that have ( Optimus Technology ).
Not saying we can't help you get things situated after you have a working Zorin OS system.
I have read that some people have made those cards work with the new experimental NVIDIA 310.00 Driver !!!!
In the mean time if your one of the lucky ones, and happen to have onboard graphics. You can switch over temporarily til you know everything works.
One thing alot of people don't know about BluRay Burners, > As those Buners are ultra sensitive... and need regular cleaning unlike the regular optical drives. The littlest spec of dust will cause Read/Write errors in a heart beat.

Hi Bill,

if you want to do your partitions in advance, see this guide:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2601&p=11550&hilit=gparted+guide#p11550

"Something Else" is when you already have the partitions created and you want to put your root and home partition exactly where you want it by setting your own mount points!!.

Regards Wolfman

Okay it was the uppercase in the user name and the encrypting of the home folder, thanks guys, it's up now.

I didn't have the separate partitions, and have no idea how to make any changes if there is a way. I like the idea of set points, which leads to asking if Linux optimizes regularly. OS X would optimize after you install anything.

Also there was some sort of root password to protect the home directory, i do remember somthing about a directory named "/" too I believe.

And this leads me to why I only have windows 7, XP, and the Gnome looks on this installation. Where do I get the OS X one?

Okay, and is there a way to change the partitions after the fact that isn't hell? I agree the separation is better, or can be. But as to that optimization question, does it optimize/defrag or something like that in the background? OS X did that every time, and, of course I must ask why the OS X dock is not available in the core version. Understand, new people migrating, and that's going to be an even larger and larger amount of people, well these are going to see some front page showing 6 available looks as a selling point, when they don't get it that's a broken promise of the OS in their perception, no matter how much they paid for it, and the less they paid, the more they think the broken promise is part of the cost, "you get what you pay for," so what can I do to encourage the Zorin developers to make sure that all 6 looks are in every package? People have a lot of trouble lately with what they can trust, if they can trust anything and the most marketable thing today is keeping your word -- making sure the product delivers all you said it would in all advertisement. It's almost a deal breaker for me right now, I don't want Gnome, nor Windows anything, but it's a nice tool to help me come over to accepting Linux. However, many Windows users wanted OS X ported to their Intel and AMD systems, there's even a project to do just that. To see it using Linux would be a great way to get those folks getting Zorin OS instead and going to Linux, they obviously aren't happy with Windblows right?

Okay, after tooling around with Zorin, consider this thread a review of it of sorts, that there may be solutions to. I ask, however, that you please consider this without immediately jumping to the knowledge of a solution, instead recognize the new user would have no idea of your solution, and though that's what the forums are for, the reality is that Windows and Apple's Macintosh, the Xerox GUI interface all came about because people didn't have that knowlede, didn't (and today generally don't) have all those wonderful solutions and workarounds at their mental fingertips, as most users are merely like an auto mechanic "remove and replace" with little if any mind to how any of it works. Though I am not like that, and most of us aren't with what we do know, for this new Zorin user your solutions need to be something you don't hold mental space for, and instead are what you've helped the Zorin Group recognize as a priority to address, so that bigger and more advanced activities can be focused on for Zorin OS and Linux.

-- Got Firefox installed and then added all the privacy Add-Ons I am used to having to secure what privacy I can on the internet. Sounds like everything went smooth huh? Well..., I restarted firefox to add these, as they require a restart, and, oops, they were all gone. In fact all my preference changes and deletion of the seach engines Firefox wants to have me using (such as Google) were all gone, and I had to do all of it again! Now you tell me, does this sound like a good thing for the average user out there who doesn't have your incredible knowledge of Linux, using terminal to get things done, and all of that? Will this kind of thing woo people away from Windows 8? Important to Zorin OS and Linux as a whole, which is proving to be a better OS but with drawbacks in application development, both in software interfacing and user interfaces.

-- What I just described above also happend with Skype, all my changes were lost, and then, I didn't know how to get in the application after I closed it. What I mean is that my loss of preferences wasn't known right away, for I closed skype in the bar on the bottom left of the screen, but when I went to use it again it said i was already online with it and it couldn't log me in.... I had no idea how to get back to the program in its running state, it was gone from the bar on the bottom left of the screen. Some of you may be laughing at this, i find it funny too, only I don't know the answer that you do about it haha. I had to discover the preferences changes being lost aftre I logged out and restarted Zorin. Same question as to this wooing users from Windows applies.

-- With both programs, after their first run, I tried to drag them to the bar on the left, and this wouldn't work, so I made a shortcut on the desktop. The shortcut did not have the logo of the progam on it, just looked like a blank sheet of paper, but I could put this in that bar on the lower left. Sounds great right?... I click it, the program runs, and I am feeling pretty good, the tension of trying a new operating system is subsiding,... Again, sounds good right?.... So I leave firefox after downloadingthe skype install and then work on skype. I then click the firefox Icon after that second skype boot to let you all know it's working pretty well and the little circle with dots on it as a timer spins and spins for a good 30 seconds and Firefox doesn't work. I had to unpin the one in the bar, make a new shortcut and copy that into the bar to then have it change (like the last one did) to the firefox icon. This one worked. It is worth noting that the one that didn't work also had the firefox icon. I did the same test with skype and got the same result. Of course the question asked at the end of the other statements of issues with Zorin apply here.

In summary, you must consider these are the only 2 applications I installed, and that I had the same problems in the same areas of use of each of them, and thus Zorin looks like more of a headache than Windows is (it isn't but it looks like it) when problems like this exist, things that coding can easily address, and should if it wants to have a successful piece of software. The question Zorin and Linux community need to ask is if they want to gain marketshare with a seemingly beta product that they hope people will settle for out of disgust over Microsoft Windows, or is this community ready to take down Microsoft by having a product coded in a manner consistent with ease of use (being well trouble shot and debugged) and winning the OS wars by being the next generation in advancement of the user experience. Now this isn't to say that much has been done to bridge the weekend user to techie emeritus nerd extraordinaire, i applaud the efforts done, brilliant, looks great, wonderful to see true multi-tasking too. Now, however, is the time of refinement of what you have, to actually show the world a finished program as far as function (not to mean security patches) and one that they download and find they are using within less than an hour thereafter, browsing the web, talking and web camming on skype, and having a sense of achievement for a minimal cost, and wanting to contribute to Linux advancement.

So it's up to you all to help this happen, not because you want to dominate anything, but because the whole Linux system is better for us as users, for security, and achievement of our needs by our machines as the tools they are intended to be.


Bill Thompson


P.S. I must add that my skype panes will go blank and that the interface is much different than it is in Windows. I have to minimize then maximize each panel to refresh it when it goes blank. Just now I clicked skype in the bottom left bar, 3 windows pop up, the middle one is fine, the other two are blank. I hope this stuff is fixed as a matter of priority so that Zorin OS and Linux can really take advantage of all the xp users who are mad they are losing their applications if they upgrade to Windows 8.

Hi Bill,

glad you have it nearly all sorted, with regard to the panes going white, take a look here:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2490

Thanks for all your feedback too, it helps others no end!!.

Regards Wolfman.

Well, I am working my way through Zorin some of the time. Been promoting bringing the game Tera to Linux. It seems a number of people want that, there's even a youtube video of someone who says they did it with code to explain what they changed to make it work in wine.

Today i brought up Zorin again, and again, firefox and skype shortcuts (that I put in the bar at the lower left of the screen) did not work, and again I had to make new ones, and I put them into the bar on lower left, magically they didn't add a second "instance" of them in the bar, and instead, without prompting for replacement, replaced the one in the bar that was already there. I click and firefox comes up, or skype, but it'll all be gone once I log off this session of Zorin. This is the kind of thing that tells the Windows user that Linux isn't ready.

You were saying this is a "fork" of ubuntu. Well this fork better stab the parent really hard, so they scream and maybe even bleed a little, and then explain that if they don't get off their **** while the opportunity is here to make Linux have more than 10 times its current marketshare, that the'll be bleeding massively as someone else fills the void left to XP users by Windows 8 upgrade. You all are nice folks, helpful an spirited in your use of Linux and Zorin akin to the original Apple users back during the Apple II and first Macintosh days. Apple didn't really listen, eventually going with Intel, which many applaud, but those who were buying Apple in protest of he "Wintel" relationship were all sold out by Jobs. It's the reason I am using windows on an AMD haha

Now Ubuntu and whoeverelse is helping Linux become an alternative needs to listen closely, the pitter patter of XP buffalo approaches, all stampeding away from Windows 8, unable to understand why they should pay 120 bucks to Microsoft to lose all their current running applications just because the Gates Mafia in Redmond says so.

So to all of you, whatever you can do to bring Ubuntu and the Linux Industry to at least listen, now is the time.


Bill Thompson


P.S. Maybe if this works out I can apply for say 30 points so I can get the gaming version of Zorin OS hahaha

swarfendor437, thanks, and now you'll see why this perplexing.

I originally just made a shortcut on the desktop by right clicking the app under the Z button > internet > Firefox (or Skype, doesn't matter).

Then I drag that shortcut in to the bar. When it's on the desktop it looks like a piece of paper, when i put it in the bar it takes on the logo of the application.

I click this and the program runs, flawlessly, perfectly, np, and it sure feels good when it does, especially the first time, as it's just like windows then to the user.

(Now the bad part) So done with whatever they were doing, they log out of Linux.

After a great night's rest (in excess of 2 hours) they hit the power button, pick the Zorin OS from the GRUB menu (I think it's grub that's the boot menu) and after Zorin OS (Linux) loads up, the click their firefox icon, the timer comes on like it's looking for the application or they didn't wait long enough before trying to run something, or the OS is doing some house cleaning, and after some 30 seconds.... the timer stops and nothing happens.

It is at this point that I make a fresh short cut, put it in the bar again, it replaces the other one, and then I click the Icon and it runs... Until I log out of Zorin again.


In other words, the link is re-established with a fresh short cut put in, and works perfectly, but gets lost when we log out of Zorin. In xp I have 11 shortcuts in that part of the bar, I cannot even think I'd have to renew those every day.

To me Zorin should have its own database of these links, and should refresh them itself every time I start up if this is one of those Ubuntu issues, otherwise, it is something else, and you can see how this wouldn't be very appealing to a new user.

Linux isn't going to get the benefit of Windows 8 abuse of XP users by Microsoft with this type of problem.


Bill Thompson

Hi Bill,

the simplest way to get a launcher on the panel is to first launch the app then right click the icon on the panel > "Pin Application" and that's it, as far as desktop icons go, right click any app in the menu and create desktop launcher, right click the new icon on the desktop > Properties > Permissions > Allow executing file as program. (put a tick in the box at the bottom.)

See also:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hCsCFFIlCk

Regards Wolfman

Wolfman, that's a way to do it, of course.

What I explained is that a windows user will often go to the start menu (z menu here, as far as GUI, right?) then mouse over the folder, then see the app in the list, and then right click it. The pull down will say "make shortcut on desktop", they select that, and then they take that desktop shortcut, identical but a small arrow on it to their original icon for the program, and put it in their launcher.

You see what I am getting at? Parallels. The least frustrating is the most similar, at least in the "logic" many windows users learned in using the Microsoft GUI to DOS that became the same for a number of Microsoft iterations of an operating system. The Zorin approash is similar with z menu, and, to suggest further consistency, that I right click and it says on, say Firefox, "make shortcut on desktop" as I believe Zorin does now (in windows this post), the result is a document without the Firefox icon (first inconsistency to "normal") and then I put it in the launcher bar and it works, so I figure it's no big deal.... Until I log out of zorin and log back in the next day and the icon doesn't work, now I am wondering if that's even a launcher on the lower left of the screen haha

I hope I clarified what I am getting at, with a user base almost the same as for windows 7, being the die hard xp users like me, who now lose their applications, we're lookiing at how we might get something that costs us less but is better and Linux is that thing, now we just need to have an interface and semblance of the same logic that, to us, doesn't seem inconsistent or buggy see?

It's about making Linux the OS of the 21st century heh


Bill Thompson


P.S. Going in Zorin OS now and try what you said, if I can log out and log back in and it doesn't lose the link to the shortcut that's a great step in right direction.

Can't reply so deleted my reply, deleting account, deleting Zorin. EDIT: I can now that I booted into windows XP. Either way, going to something else, this is too much of a headache, and apparently my last post explaining the facts of the matter, wasn't allowed.


Thanks for all the help guys, gracious and patient, but I am not gonna be dealing with censorship when it is constructive criticism based on a frustration with the Linux development overall from a user who needs an alternative, the very break in Windows Monopoly Linux needs.


Bill Thompson