Either your CD or your ISO image is defective - or the computer is simply too old. But first I would check the CD and maybe redownload the image.

EDIT: Also, could it be possible that the hard drive has died?

How much memory does the computer have? I recall hearing that the Ubuntu LiveCD doesn't run well/at all on systems with <128MB. If the computer is really old, I'd suggest using something a bit more lightweight than the standard Ubuntu install: Xubuntu's alternate CD should work well on older systems.

Well, I used the Ubuntu LiveCD on another computer at work and it worked fine, so the CD itself is good. I did some research and I guess there's some different options I can set on the main Ubuntu screen, maybe that will work. Of course, I need to make sure the hard drive itself is good.

I'm going to hold off on installing Xubuntu, mainly because the file is so big. I have another pentium 4 at home with windowsXP on it, I might try to get Ubuntu to work on it (it's not in the best shape and I wanted to put this compaq to some use...).

Personally, I don't want any control, I just want it to work like it should. This Ubuntu is giving me some serious problems:

I got home and tried to start up my other computer. For some reason, it freaked out and doesn't seem to be talking with the monitor (I assume the video card died for who knows why). Anyway, back on topic, I'm now trying to get the Ubuntu LiveCD to just work on my newest computer, which it should no problem. Fact is, there's lots of problems! Here's the first problem I came to:

"Failed to start the X server (your graphical interface). It is likely that it is not set up correctly."

Uh, well than set it up correctly? Anger. Looked through the logs and found "(EE) no devices detected." which came right after "(WW) ATI: PCI Mach64 in slot 1:0:0 could not be detected."

I bring Ubuntu down and bring Windows up, do some research, find the screwy command, "sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg", step through the prompts, get to where I'm suppose to pick the color bits (I select the default 24-bits) and a message pops up, "xserver-xorg postinst warning: overwriting posssibly -customised configuration file, backup in /etc/x11/xorg.conf.20061010031258". There's a prompt there, so I type startx and get, "XIO: fatal IO error 104 (Connection reset by peer) on x server ":0.0" after 0 requests (0 known processed) with 0 events remaining.

Once again, anger. Any help?

I'm not surprised it doesn't work on the old computer, I was referring more to the problems that I mentioned that are occurring with my brand new computer.

I want a Linux distro somewhere only for testing my programs, that's it.

Yeah, I tried to use a colon to denote that the focus of the problem was to follow and not on the previous discussion, but it ended up garbling it even more I suppose.

Maybe try SimplyMEPIS. I use it as my main desktop OS, it comes with compilers and it's based on Debian. Actually, I think the newer ones are based on Ubuntu so I can't speak for those, but Mepis 3.4-3 is great. If you get 3.4-3 make sure to:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

as soon as possible.

EDIT:
After clicking my link, select Download Mepis, then scroll down and choose a mirror

I've read this in a Wiki:

apt-get install xorg-driver-fglrx

dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg (you have to choose "fglrx" there)

No luck, I get "failed to fetch...404: not found". There's a lot more (mainly a long url and a few numbers) to the error if I need to type it all out. However, I figure I don't have any connection with the internet, hence it can't get the stuff to install. Which brings me to my next question...

How do I get a network connection from the command line? So far, google hasn't helped, but I'm still trying. Any help would be superb.

[edit]
Well, scratch that I suppose. I put in a Knoppix LiveCD that a co-worker recommended and ka-blam, I'm runnin' linux. It's unfortunate that I couldn't get Ubuntu working, I was oddly looking forward to it. I think if I downgraded it might have worked. Anyway, I guess it's back to Progress, that sultry mistress. Expect related "da-huh, why doesn't my program run on linux" threads to start shortly.

Did I say "unfortunate"? I mean "whoo hoo!"

(I guess I'll have to live with two monitors displaying the same output for now...)

No...but why? Knoppix seems to be working rather nicely for me, plus I got allegro to work with it. Thus, theoritically, I should be able to install Knoppix to the HD (assuming I figure out to properlly setup a dual boot) and get allegro working with it in no time and finally be able to write games for linux.

Right?

But will it be as fast as it was as when it was on the CD? In other words, if I install Knoppix to my HD, will it be slower than when I was running from the CD? If the speed is the same, that's fine, because it wasn't that slow.

I don't think speed is the major problem - it's probably the fact that Knoppix was designed more to be a LiveCD than to be a Linux you keep installed permanently.

May I ask you why you don't set up a network connection on Linux? A networkless Linux is SO much worse than a connected one!