What processor to install LinuxCNC 2.6?

Since the burned CD with Debian and LinuxCNC 2.6 fails installation miserably (see Debian Wheezy installation CD doesn't start ) I think that I have to buy another second-hand PC with a parallel port...

My doubts:

1) Debian Wheezy will install without problems on an old Intel 64-bit processor?
2) Alternatively: Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise) will install on an old Intel 64-bit processor?

As I understand Ubuntu 12.04 has problems just with AMD-64 bit processor, I'm right?
(I've found many old desktop-PCs equipped with the Intel Core 2 Duo processor - from model E4XX to model E8XX)

On this forum I read that Ubuntu 8.x is "dead in the water", no more maintenance and no more support...

Now I'm downloading Ubuntu 12... I will be back soon with further news.

Anyway it's quite surprisingly that Debian doesn't work with old PCs...

Anyway it's quite surprisingly that Debian doesn't work with old PCs...

It does, I have installed it on an AMD Sempron (64bit dual core) and an Intel Celeron 64bit laptop.
I also have it running on 2 single core P4s, but with a homebrew Uni-Processor rtai kernel.

You are talking no doubt about the debian based distro.
There is not really enough in your first post to go on, but first suspicion would be incompatibility in the video chip or monitor of that particular computer.

It is a SMP kernel and they don't run as well on single processor machines, but that goes for everything after 8.04, which was the last UP rtai kernel bundled with linuxcnc.

ArcEye wrote:

Anyway it's quite surprisingly that Debian doesn't work with old PCs...

It does, I have installed it on an AMD Sempron (64bit dual core) and an Intel Celeron 64bit laptop.
I also have it running on 2 single core P4s, but with a homebrew Uni-Processor rtai kernel.

Nice to that Debian Wheezy works on 64 bits to.
So, in your opinion, the installation could run fine on a machine like HP DC7800 SFF Core2Duo E6550 2,33 GHz ?

ArcEye wrote:

There is not really enough in your first post to go on, but first suspicion would be incompatibility in the video chip or monitor of that particular computer.

Well... the same monitor+pc was running fine on Opensuse. Maybe I should try with a different 17'' monitor?
Unfortunately I have no additional details at all; I just turn on the PC it boots from DVD drive, I select the installation type and... blank screen! The installation steps are not displayed at all, the installation process never begins. The DVD drive is silent, as the hard disk does... nothing happens, absolutely nothing. For this reason I cannot provide any info.

Just the "failsafe" installation process starts normally. But even with that the computer is not usable, after 30 minutes I still was unable to complete a command on the CLI interface....

Check the DVD, burning error?

Put the DVD into an other PC and try.

newbynobi wrote:

Check the DVD, burning error?

Put the DVD into an other PC and try.

Check done, I've used the notebook of my wife (she was not so happy )

The same installation DVD works like a rocket on her computer (it is quite modern: AMD Quad-Core A6 5200). I've also run the CNC latency test with success.

So the answer is just one: use the Debian-Wheezy installation DVD only if you have a "modern" computer!
It's quite strange that the author of the ISO file has not stated that in the description...

Just for the records: the same DVD hangs even on the PC I'm using now to write you!
But... it's not so old, it's an ASROCK mini-computer equipped with an Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 370 @ 2.40GHz and 4Gbyte RAM.
Same results: it boots from DVD but... nothing happens but black screen (but maybe the problem here could be my NVidia graphics card)

Hmm that still does sound like a marginal DVD, have you tried booting from a USB stick?

(the debian ISO works on at least 12 MBs here, only one that failed so far is a Jetway Atom MB)

PCW wrote:

Hmm that still does sound like a marginal DVD, have you tried booting from a USB stick?

What you mean exactly with the adjective "marginal" ? A DVD burned in a not perfect way?

I would make a test with a bootable USB stick, but it's a little fight to reformat the stick after the test. Unfortunately in this period I have not so much free time as I would... (you know... wife, child, job...)

Today I bought new recordable DVDs and I will make another test.

Be sure to check the ISO before you burn it to the disk. (that way you don't make another bad one)