update on the previous post:
The question that arises from this is, once I get to
philip@philip-laptop:~$
where do I go from there? I haven’t a clue. All of the above is in a black screen.
I’m not sure if this is the correct way to do it but I got to the desktop by using this:
philip@philip-laptop:~$ startx

Having tried all the codes I could find by putting them into the boot menu, I now hope to systematically follow the advice of Aldeby given in the comments to the last post.
First of all his advice to go through the Function keys:
alt+F1
starting up….
Loading, please wait…
usplash: setting mode 1280×1280 failed
usplash: setting mode 1152×864 failed
usplash: using [...]

Having managed to install Gutsy (fb=false in the boot menu) I have now failed 31 times to boot. I know this because there was a forced system check, which happens in Ubuntu when you’ve booted 31 times.
I’ve tried everything I know, but it still goes to a black screen ending in *Starting Bluetooth services. I [...]

For the last couple of weeks the Gutsy install kept falling down on my new notebook at *Starting Bluetooth services.
I discovered that inserting fb=false (F6 on boot screen of CD) that I was able to install Gutsy.
Amazing! (after two weeks of trying on a HP Pavillion dv6558ea Intel Core duo, Vista Ultimate).
I need to keep [...]

In the scale of hard times, failing to install an operating system, especially when one has a backup of another computer, is small change. It can wear you out, though, and I’ve spent several long nights failing. I try to think of Beckett’s Westward Ho (’No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’). [...]