From: nospam@needed.invalid   
      
   On Fri, 2/6/2026 12:08 PM, Graham J wrote:   
   > Paul wrote:   
   >   
   > [snip]   
   >   
   >> Linux Mint 21.3 is fine.   
   >>   
   >>     https://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/linuxmint/stable/21.3/   
   >>   
   >> linuxmint-21.3-xfce-64bit.iso  09-Jan-2024 13:26  3G <=== low resource   
   usage   
   >   
   > [snip]   
   >   
   > Thanks for your guidance.   
   >   
   > Downloaded Xfce.  Burnt the .ISO to a DVD.  Booted the DVD.   
   >   
   > Menu appears:   
   >   
   > Start Linux Mint   
   > Start Linux Mint in compatibilty mode   
   > OEM Install (For Manufacturers)   
   > Hardware detection   
   > Boot from Local Drive   
   > Memory Test   
   >   
   > Tried "Hardware detection": nice list of devices.  Noted PCI devices need   
   drivers.   
   >   
   > Tried "Start Linux Mint"   
   > Kernel panic - not syncing: "No working init found"   
   > ... followed by a page of info   
   >   
   > Tried "OEM Install"   
   > Same:   
   > Kernel panic - not syncing: "No working init found"   
   > ... followed by a page of info   
   >   
   > There's a reference to some documentation, but before I work through that,   
   have I actually downloaded something that will install Mint on this hardware?   
   >   
   > Or do I need to find an "Installer"?   
   >   
      
   This particular live media contains both   
      
       Live Session (should show up like my picture does)   
      
       Install icon on desktop   
      
   The Install icon kicks off the disk drive installation.   
      
   You can also trigger the install process, by using the Install   
   item on the DVD.   
      
   *******   
      
   So now we have to figure out why the legacy BIOS boot process   
   didn't work. The disc is a hybrid, it supports MSDOS boot and   
   GPT boot. On a legacy BIOS, it should do the MSDOS boot thing   
   via the media.   
      
   Your symptoms could be similar to this. Maybe a corrupt initrd.lz .   
      
      https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/768361/kernel-panic-   
   o-working-init-found   
      
   The file it is unpacking is:   
      
      caspar/initrd.lz     125,655,394 bytes   
      
   where the lz is likely Lempel Ziv compression of some sort.   
      
   *******   
      
   The disc booted on my Optiplex 780 but it must have taken   
   at least ten minutes, with most of that time spent (slowly)   
   loading the Desktop Environment. That's an E8400 (Core2Duo 3GHz)   
   with 16GB of RAM, so it does not lack for RAM. On a Q45 chipset   
   at a guess. And it is using my GT1030 for video.   
      
   *******   
      
   Where it offers you "Start Linux Mint", you can press the  key   
   to access the "boot line".   
      
   Now, since my Optiplex is acting like a perfect pig, I will be   
   booting a second time, with an edited "boot line". I press    
      
       quiet splash --   
      
   You can cursor back and use the backspace key to remove both words.   
   This allows a more complete record of boot text as it boots.   
   Removing quiet, allows the text to be output. Removing splash   
   removes the splash screen that covers up what is underneath.   
      
                    --   
      
   Now, in my case, since the machine has enough RAM to hold the   
   entire DVD, I will be booting this time with   
      
         TORAM=yes  --   
      
   and what that does, is read a lot of the DVD into RAM so   
   that slow DVD access does not spoil a good time. The   
   TORAM=yes is not practical on small RAM machines, and it   
   depends on the size of the DVD as to how practical it is.   
   Ubuntu likely requires a dual-layer DVD, and then an 8GB   
   machine would be the minimum for loading that as a TORAM.   
   Loading an LM that way, might profitably use 4GB of RAM   
   (3GB for the DVD, 1GB might allow the low-resource XFCE to load).   
      
   But that's what I will be trying next, to make the live   
   session even remotely responsive (due to how slow my   
   Optiplex DVD drive is, it is slower than any other   
   DVD drive in the house).   
      
   I burned another DVD and the TORAM=yes is going a lot   
   faster now. I guess the other Verbatim DVD is a bit   
   of a flake.   
      
      Paul   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)