When I put the Ubuntu disc into my system, and get to the Ubuntu menu, click Start or Install Ubuntu it tries to install Ubuntu, which it can't do because of an HDD error. After a while it boots Ubuntu from the CD, but I have to wait ages for it to do this. How can I immediately boot from the CD? thanks, sam Biscuits are good, but keep the crumbs off your keyboard!

I recently installed Ubuntu on one of my older PCs. Prior to that, I had experimented by booting off the LiveCD. AFIAK, when you click "Start or Install Ubuntu" it doesn't actually attempt to install it, all it does is load the LiveCD. Once you reach the Ubuntu desktop, there's an install icon that can be clicked on if you wanna actually install Ubuntu to the HDD. If you're just using the LiveCD, it will always take a minute or two to load.

A Live CD will always take considerably longer to load than the same OS from HDD because the read time on the CD is much slower than on the HDD. Further, you not only have the longer access time reading data from the CD, but you must de-compress the data before it can be used. Ernie Registered Linux User 247790 ICQ 41060744

OK, thanks for the replies. But what do the error on hdc messages mean then? Sam Biscuits are good, but keep the crumbs off your keyboard!

I'm fairly new to Linux, but I believe the hdc error has to do with the CD drive or possibly a problem reading the CD itself. The exact error message would be helpful.

Um, it says something like "Buffer I/O error on device hdc, logical block hdc: drive not ready for command" I've googled that and got loads of different stuff, sometimes it does seem to be the HDD, sometimes the CD. Biscuits are good, but keep the crumbs off your keyboard!

There isn't a real good way to test a CD. You can check (and you SHOULD) the md5 when you download it. When you burn the cd use a verify setting. That should create a good copy. Saying all that it could be that your cd drive has some odd issue that your distro has issues with. It could be bios settings for maybe pio on cd or even bad cables. It could be that the computer runs windows all day but will never run linux. With billions of chips out there, there is no way every board was tested at the factory with every distro. I'll also ask if you are running a 64 bit or 32 bit distro. They should both work. Also set your bios to failsafe or default settings and recheck every setting. (make a copy of your settings first) I read it wrong and answer it wrong too. So get off my case you goober.