I'm such a linux newbie, I've still got a pacifier. But, I want to download and try out a version from the internet before buying, and supporting, a distrobution. However, all attempts have been in vane.

For the life of me, I cannot get the right MD5 checksum after downloading.

I'm currently running Windows 2000 and have all the latest updates. I'm trying to downloading Vector Linux, as all of the reviews for it have been great. I've used IE6 and copyed it to my desktop, and I'ved used ws_ftp to copy it (binary) to my hard drive. Both times, nada.

So, I went ahead and burned a disk, just for kicks, to see if it would work. nada. on both copies. I got a point in the installation where it had to quit ... it couldn't find something or the other on the CD. Great. Fantastic.

Some more info that might help you help me ... please:

I'm running Windows 2000
Using WS_FTP and IE6 for download managers
Burning with a TDK 24x CD-ROM drive
useing md5sum to verify exact download
and burning with Nero Burning Rom 5.5.8

Also, this problem is not related to Vextor. I've also tried downloading Mandrake 9.1 and Redhat 9. Both times, their checksums didn't match either. I'm bewildered. Help. Please. Thanks

A Linux Master Wannabe,
smittybomb

Hm, weird.
I'm a newbie too and just installed RH 9. Works great.
I suggest this as an ISO burning app:
http://download.com.com/3000-2242-10177212.html
If your MD5 check doesn't work against your CDs, test it on the isos you have
sitting on your hard drive. If it works there, it may be Nero or whatever you're using.
Just a thought.

Thanks for the help ... but the trouble isn't matching the MD5 checksums from the hard drive to the burned CD, but the checksum of the file on the FTP server, and the file that I download, are different. It's like, I can't copy a file off of the internet without getting a "bad CRC" error. Anybody have any ideas? Please

I think I figured it out ... I have bad RAM. Just did a huge test (3 hours) and one of my sticks turned up so many errors, I don't know how I'd made it this far. And it just so happens, that it was testing operation of the RAM that is particularly data sensitive... hence the bad CRC and checksums. I'm currently downloading Vector Linux, again, in hopes that all will be well now that that accursed RAM is out of my system.

A word of advise: DON'T BUY CHEAP RAM. it's bad. 'nuff said.

Just out of curiosity, what mirror did you download the iso from?