Install 32 bit from USB, not a COM32R, then no PAE, 64 bit doesn't work either

Question

I hope someone can help me install a linux system of some sort please, have gotten a bit stuck. I have an old laptop (DEll Latitude D500, currently running Windows XP professional version 20012, Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor 1300MHz 1.30GHz, 512 MB RAM, 18.5 GB hard drive). I am trying to install a nice light operating system on it, like Lubuntu or Xubuntu and have been trying to get rid of Windows and install the new system using a bootable USB which I am creating on my PC running Ubuntu 14.04.

When I try to boot the 32 bit version of either Lubuntu or Xubuntu, I first get the message:

Missing parameter in configuration file. Keyword: path gfxboot.c32:not a COM32R image

I tried a solution I found on these forums of hitting tab, then typing 'live' then enter. At which point it starts to complain that PAE is disabled and says I should 'use parameter 'forcepae'. However I can't actually type anything after this, the laptop just beeps if I try to.

When I tried to install 64 bit versions of either operating system it came up with this:

This kernel requires an x86-64 CPU, but only detected an i686 CPU. Unable to boot – please use a kernel appropriate for your CPU

Starting to feel that no kernel is appropriate for my CPU! Sorry I'm still a beginner, it is a crappy old laptop but would be really handy to be able to use it for a few things. Any help appreciated. Thanks!

Solution

type "live" and hit enter. I had the same problem and it worked for me.

Source: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2262661

Comments

[Panther]

The problems you are having are due to old hardware. Your RAM is at the lower limit of what will run Ubuntu and you have an old CPU. Ubuntu does not support such old hardware any longer as you can see. The lubuntu disk will, see help.ubuntu.com/community/Lubuntu-fake-PAE . I would highly advise a light distro such as bodhi linux (they have a non-pae kernel), trisquel, or something more like tinycore or puppppy linux.