I'm trying to set up a spare computer made from old parts into a server, and I want to run a Linux distro with a graphical user interface to get familiar with it. Unfortunately, I can't seem to install Linux at all. The live environment keeps crashing unexpectedly, and I've tried a ton of troubleshooting steps to figure this out. I ran memory tests, checked the SSD, wiped it clean, and experimented with different distros like Ubuntu, Mint, and Fedora. I've even disabled ethernet to see if that helps, booted in troubleshooting mode, and tried various boot parameters including 'nomodeset'. I also turned off secure boot and tested both UEFI and Legacy modes. Here are my specs: Ryzen 5950x, MSI X570s Edge WiFi motherboard, 4 x 32GB RAM, Radeon RX 580 GPU, and a Samsung 960 Pro NVMe SSD. I'm really at a loss here and would appreciate any suggestions for what I can do next!
3 Answers
You mentioned having a lot of RAM, which might complicate things. Some distros can struggle with high RAM configurations. If you haven't tried it yet, you should consider some lightweight distributions like EndeavourOS or even Debian—they're known for being more straightforward with resource management.
Have you tried running Windows on it to see if it behaves the same way? It might help narrow down whether it’s a hardware issue or something specific with Linux. It sounds like you’ve already done a ton of troubleshooting though, so hopefully this helps!
I used to run Windows on a similar setup without issues, but I haven't tested them together with this config. I’ll give it a go!
You should definitely look into the error messages when it crashes. Knowing what happens during the freeze could give you useful information about what’s going wrong. Also, have you tried booting with just one stick of RAM? Sometimes compatibility issues like that can be a headache even if the tests pass.
I haven’t tried just one stick yet, but that’s a good idea. I’ll test that out and see if it makes a difference.
I had thought about using Proxmox but wanted to keep everything simpler. I’ll definitely give Debian a try, thanks for the suggestion!