Need help installing Linux

Saldrin

OSNN Junior Addict
Joined
1 Dec 2005
Messages
31
I'm installing Ubuntu, and I'm lost. Its my first time using linux and attempting to install it, and I have no idea what to do or whats going on....

I'm trying to set up a dual boot with win XP. I wiped everything off and slapped XP in its own partition. I'm using a raid 0 setup and I don't know where to go from there.

If I reboot with the iso in, its get to the partition manager, and it doesn't recognize my raid set up. It recognizes the scsi disks but none of the other information. So I go to software raid setup, and it tells me there are no linux raid partitions... If I go to make a partition, it tells me I only have 350 megs free space, when I actually have 160 gigs available. If I select one of the scsi drives, it warns me that it will erase all partition data, and I can't do that because I need my window's partition.

So I went back to XP and I created a partition but I didn't format. I was then able to select that partition with the partition manager (no idea if it was actually "raided"), and set it up as a raid 0, but that was as far as I got. When I selected save partition and write data, it doesn't do anything, the same screen pops up. I got it to have an bolt and a smilie next to my device, but that was it. What does the bolt and smilie mean? Do I want my linux partition to be boot flagged (I would assume so)?

What am I doing wrong? What else do I have to do? And what is an LVM? And what are the different formats that pop up in the partition types, they were something "journalers?" Sorry, I'm reinstalling XP because my last attempt fried my NTloader. So I can't recall the exact names.

Any help or suggestions to help a complete linux newbe out?
 
Yikes! This is getting ugly, and my head is hurting...

I'm running a promise SATA raid 0 (chip pdc20376) and this is a software raid?! Never heard of that before.

And this dmraid aspect look like its gonna get the best of me. Is there a linux distro with dmraid or a software wrapper already built in so I don't have to reconfigure my whole system? I really like my raid0 setup, and the steps I've read about setting up dmraid are greek to me. I'm assuming I already need a running lixux machine to make the file? The info I'm finding is telling me to grab it from a universe... I don't know what that is....
 
I think this is what you are looking for? and should help.:)

link
 
That was where I ended up, I was going to edit my post and add that link.

What ended my crusade was this:" You will need to enable packages from Universe in the settings of Synaptic to see the package." What does that mean? I couldn't get ubuntu installed to get that far to find the meaning. On my fourth attempt at just setting it up on a non-raided partition, I was getting a grub(IIRC?) error 17. That lead to installing XP a fifth time, and dealing with the phone activation was the final straw, I lost my patience at the phone CSR giving me my code.

My expirence with linux doesn't go beyond screenshots. I used DOS as a kid and have been a windows guy ever since. I was kind of hoping to get it installed and learn little by little.

I'm just going to go pick up another hardrive and stick it in as a non-raided device. I need child steps to get me started, then I can start playing with raid.

Thanks both of you for the help. Enjoy the holidays! In the mean time, I need to read a lot more about linux. It seems its not just something I can install and play with off the bat.
 
the best way to learn is by trial and error, we all did. and still do.:) try the Live boot CD of Ubuntu, and explore that way, and once your comfortable, install the bad boy on your HD.....:)
 
LiveCD... I see, that would be how I can get the dmraid. *smacks forehead* So, the liveCD runs completely from the CD then? I was severely confused thinking LiveCD = my ubuntu iso. I need better reading skills.

Gonna download this now and try it out. Thanks a billion!
 
I'm running the liveCD, and I downloaded the dmraid and it seems to be running.

I'm stuck on creating the partitions. I created one from XP before I loaded the live CD. So, what I have now on my system is one partition for XP ( 10gigs), one partition for XP page file ( 6 gigs), one partition for programs and games ( 60 gigs) and whatever was left for linux ( ~70 gigs).

How many partitions am I allowed to have? The fakeraid instructions lists the author having a boot, swap and root. IIRC, I can only have 4 partitions, right? So, will linux run from one partition?

I used gparted to format the last partition I created as NTFS and when I tried to mount it to transfer over the files for installation, I *think* its mounted, but it won't let me "CD" to the directory I created ( /target).

Are there simplier instructions around somewhere? I'm really lost on the authors use of fdisk, mounting, partitioning, disk lables.... just about everything. What are the very basic steps needed in setting up my partition for linux?

Windows was easy to decipher: fat32 or ntfs. What does linux use? What label do I assign the partition when using gparted? Its been defaulting to dosdisk on me. Should that be something else or is that just a name and has no bearing on purpose?
 

Members online

No members online now.

Latest profile posts

Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
Xie wrote on Electronic Punk's profile.
Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
hello peeps... is been some time since i last came here.
Electronic Punk wrote on Sazar's profile.
Rest in peace my friend, been trying to find you and finally did in the worst way imaginable.

Forum statistics

Threads
62,015
Messages
673,494
Members
5,621
Latest member
naeemsafi
Back