Thursday, May 14, 2009

Ubuntu up & running (again)

I had Ubuntu (version 7.04) running 18 months ago, but when I upgraded that desktop PC with a new BioStar motherboard (P4M900-M4 - socket 478) Ubuntu seemed to have incurable problems with the on-board video. I tried version 8.04 without success and gave up on it for a while. (It runs fine with Windows & IDE drives. . .)

I recently installed Ubuntu version 9.04 and it seems to be running very well. I guess they finally incorporated workable video drivers for this chip set. I still need to install video drivers that take full advantage of this chip set (S3 Chrome 9HC IGP), but at least now I can use the system to connect to the Internet, use Open Office, and learn about Linux.

On the other hand, I have a Seagate SATA drive that won't boot with this or another BioStar motherboard (P4M890-M7 TE - socket 775) - perhaps the drive itself has a problem - more testing required. Oddly, the drive was only recognized on one of the 2 SATA ports (now that one doesn't recognize it either), leading me to wonder about the board itself.

If you're building your own PC, take care to read the motherboard reviews before selecting one.

No comments: