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Oct 29, 2007, 08:01 PM #54
sidney Junior Member Join: Oct 2007 Posts: 5	Much simpler install solution! After reading some comments in response to my install workaround and doing more experimenting, I've come up with a much simpler and more foolproof install procedure with the Desktop CD. I'm not currently in position to download the Alternate CD, which seems to solve the problem for some people but not others, so I can't comment on that. Here are the install steps: 1. Make sure your VM is configured for no more than 512MB memory, as people have reported that there is still a bug with Parallels on Debian/Ubuntu systems with more RAM. I have installed with as little as 256MB without a problem, though the Ubuntu 7.10 Release Notes suggest that the install may run slower with that little memory. 2. Boot the Desktop CD and as soon as the boot menu comes up type F6 to get the alternate boot options. (On my MacBook that key is fn-F6). 3. The boot command line you will see ends with the options "splash --". Back up to before the "--", delete the word "splash" and replace it with "single only-ubiquity". These changes to the options causes the boot to skip the splash screen, boot into non-graphics single user mode and will cause the install to proceed automatically after step 7. 4. Type the return key, which will cause the boot to continue in a text console until you get a root@ubuntu:~# prompt. 5. At the root prompt edit the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf using your choice of pico or vi root@ubuntu:~# pico /etc/X11/xorg.conf 6. Scroll down to the Monitor section and comment out the Option "DPMS" line by inserting a '#' character at the beginning of the line. Then in the Screen Section below it add an Option line and a SubSection so that the two sections look like below: Code: Section "Monitor" Identifier "Generic Monitor" # Option "DPMS" HorizSync 30-70 VertRefresh 50-160 EndSection Section "Screen" Identifier "Default Screen" Device "Generic Video Card" Monitor "Generic Monitor" DefaultDepth 24 Option "NoMTRR" SubSection "Display" Depth 24 Modes "1024x768" EndSubSection EndSection 7. Save the file, exit the editor, and then at the command prompt type 'exit' root@ubuntu:~# exit 8. That's it! The graphical desktop will come up and the installation will run without having to click on any install icon. Note: You can specify 800x600 mode instead of 1024x768, and the former fits my MacBook screen while the latter does not quite, but the first few dialogs of the installation are clipped off at the bottom in 800x600 mode, which means you have to guess blindly that the correct button is selected to advance to the next dialog. I found it much easier to use 1024x768 and do a little scrolling. After Parallels Tools is installed it seemed to adjust to the correct screen size anyway. 9. After the system is installed and rebooted you can install Parallels Tools. With this install method there does not seem to be a display problem showing up after Tools are installed. Follow the standard instructions by selecting Install Parallels Tools from the Actions menu which will attach and mount the Parallels Tools CD, opening a terminal window, cd /media/cdrom, then sudo ./parallels-tools.run, then reboot.
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Oct 29, 2007, 08:01 PM

#54

sidney
Junior Member

Join: Oct 2007
Posts: 5

Much simpler install solution!

After reading some comments in response to my install workaround and doing more experimenting, I've come up with a much simpler and more foolproof install procedure with the Desktop CD. I'm not currently in position to download the Alternate CD, which seems to solve the problem for some people but not others, so I can't comment on that.

Here are the install steps:

1. Make sure your VM is configured for no more than 512MB memory, as people have reported that there is still a bug with Parallels on Debian/Ubuntu systems with more RAM. I have installed with as little as 256MB without a problem, though the Ubuntu 7.10 Release Notes suggest that the install may run slower with that little memory.

2. Boot the Desktop CD and as soon as the boot menu comes up type F6 to get the alternate boot options. (On my MacBook that key is fn-F6).

3. The boot command line you will see ends with the options "splash --". Back up to before the "--", delete the word "splash" and replace it with "single only-ubiquity". These changes to the options causes the boot to skip the splash screen, boot into non-graphics single user mode and will cause the install to proceed automatically after step 7.

4. Type the return key, which will cause the boot to continue in a text console until you get a root@ubuntu:~# prompt.

5. At the root prompt edit the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf using your choice of pico or vi

root@ubuntu:~# pico /etc/X11/xorg.conf

6. Scroll down to the Monitor section and comment out the Option "DPMS" line by inserting a '#' character at the beginning of the line. Then in the Screen Section below it add an Option line and a SubSection so that the two sections look like below:

Code:

Section "Monitor"
           Identifier    "Generic Monitor"
#          Option        "DPMS"
           HorizSync     30-70
           VertRefresh   50-160
EndSection

Section "Screen"
           Identifier    "Default Screen"
           Device        "Generic Video Card"
           Monitor       "Generic Monitor"
           DefaultDepth  24

           Option        "NoMTRR"
           SubSection    "Display"
                 Depth   24
                 Modes   "1024x768"
           EndSubSection
 EndSection

7. Save the file, exit the editor, and then at the command prompt type 'exit'

root@ubuntu:~# exit

8. That's it! The graphical desktop will come up and the installation will run without having to click on any install icon.

Note: You can specify 800x600 mode instead of 1024x768, and the former fits my MacBook screen while the latter does not quite, but the first few dialogs of the installation are clipped off at the bottom in 800x600 mode, which means you have to guess blindly that the correct button is selected to advance to the next dialog. I found it much easier to use 1024x768 and do a little scrolling. After Parallels Tools is installed it seemed to adjust to the correct screen size anyway.

9. After the system is installed and rebooted you can install Parallels Tools. With this install method there does not seem to be a display problem showing up after Tools are installed. Follow the standard instructions by selecting Install Parallels Tools from the Actions menu which will attach and mount the Parallels Tools CD, opening a terminal window, cd /media/cdrom, then sudo ./parallels-tools.run, then reboot.