I have installed Xubuntu on Antrim, one of my P III systems (I tend to use trailing edge hardware when it comes out of my own budget). The problems I had earlier this evening were due to bad CD’s. I burnt a fresh CD from my ISO download, after throttling back the CD burner to a slower speed. This one worked and I got a clean install. I am posting from it here and now.
Lots of configuration still ahead. I will work on that tomorrow between tasks from my day job.