SOLVED: Installation to hdd snag

[grady]

Friends:

I've built a new rig for a friend's first experience with linux (siduction). And I'm happy with the parts:
cpu: unlocked (black)  A8-5600K,
mobo: GA-F2A75M-D3H
ram: 2x2 GB Mushkin Blackline 2-channel DDR3
psu: Enermax 485w.
hdd: 1/2 TB Western Digital
dvd-burner: Lite-On (internal)
monitor: Samsung 2233SW

I've succeeded in updating the from-factory BIOS to the latest.
Had to boot latest (full) siduction-64-bit in "safe graphics settings". Apparent graphics problem.
I've begun installation to hdd.
Done the partitioning using gparted. I created an empty (NTFS) primary partition just in case my friend wants to install Windows some time in the future. Went on to create an extended partition, and then logicals: sda5 (/), sda6 (home) and sda7 (swap). And left some spare.

Now I have to ask for help. The next page asks me to choose in which partition to install the root file system. But it offers only one choice: sda1.
What's with that? Is it that the installer insists on installing to the first empty partition?
Just asking. In a way, it makes sense, forcing us beginners to install Windows first so we don't come to grief when Windows takes the bootloader function away from grub.

grady

[ReinerS]

hmm,
haven't installed siduction on an extended partition myself yet but that should be possibble as far as I know/remember.

Just for your info, in the mntioned disk-configuratation you would not need actually an extended Partition yet as you can have up to four primary ones That's the way I created the partitions on some "mixed" systems.

So in your case sda5 should be useable for that.
What file-system did you create for sda5 ?

Or could it be that you are mislead and that the system is asking to where the grub bootloader has tho be placed?

regards

Reiner

[michaa7]

I don't know whether or not my advice is a solution to your problem (although I think it could be ;-) ), but especially on a system prepared for multiboot one should *always* use *four* primary partitions (the maximum), with the fourth partition (in number *and* physical order) being the extended partition.

So first delete all partitions (if not, physical order and numbering won't be the same. But it always should be, to avoid problems), then create three primary partitions for whatever use (first ntfs, second siduction "/", third "swap", as an example) and then the forth primary partition as an extended partition with "home" and lets say "mm" for multimedia or whatever.
And BTW, maybe your current problem is, that the first partition is "marked" as ntfs, but not really *formated* as ntfs (although gparted tells you. As far as I know, but I'm not really sure, gparted does not format ntfs).

[piper]

You could show the output of

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fdisk -l(using the live cd of course)

[grady]

@ReinerS:
File System sda5 is ext4.

Or could it be that you are mislead and that the system is asking to where the grub bootloader has tho be placed?

I'm easily mislead!! That would be a simple solution. Can anyone please answer definitively?
If the question really is: "Where do you want the bootloader?" then yes, I want it in sda1, and problem solved.

@michaa7:

I don't know whether or not my advice is a solution to your problem (although I think it could be , but especially on a system prepared for multiboot one should *always* use *four* primary partitions (the maximum), with the fourth partition (in number *and* physical order) being the extended partition.

That astonishes me! It's amazing what simple wisdom evades me. I've been setting up my partitions in the way I described above ever since knoppix a decade ago!
But I'll make the change following your suggestion.
As regards gparted and ntfs: I can only say that gparted hasn't shown me any problem in the last three years formatting to ntfs.

@piper:
Please correct me if I'm mistaken. I think I can't show the output of   fdisk -l  because while I'm only partway through installation, the installer is only making notes; so there is nothing written for fdisk to see.

Thank you all. I'm sorry for the bother.

grady

[michaa7]

...I think I can't show the output of   fdisk -l  because while I'm only partway through installation, the installer is only making notes; so there is nothing written for fdisk to see....

Wrong.
"fdisk -l" is showing how the physical hd is devided in partitions. Apart from calling gparted, the installer has nothing to do with partitioning. And the installer can only see partitions which have been created (read: been written) before you use the installer to assign them.

I never call gparted from within the installer, I always create partitions calling gparted direcly from the live cd *before* using the installer. And I would advice to do so to everyone who has had problems assigning partitions during install ;-) . Simply because it obviously is the most clear and reliable way to do what has to be done.

[grady]

@michaa7:

I never call gparted from within the installer, I always create partitions calling gparted direcly from the live cd *before* using the installer. And I would advice to do so to everyone who has had problems assigning partitions during install Wink . Simply because it obviously is the most clear and reliable way to do what has to be done.

Ach so-o! Ich hatte keine annung.
I can/will of course do that.
I'm learning a lot today. It's much appreciated. Only downside: with my advanced years, I'll have forgotten within a week :roll:

grady

[ReinerS]

Grub should go to the MBR of sda not into sda1. Otherwise it will not be found at/during boot.
Placing it into sda1 (or others) would be needed in the case there is another bootloader loaded before (could be windows or another grub) which calls it up then.

regards

Reiner

[grady]

@all:

Thank you all for your valued advice. I've had some success using a bit from everybody.

Before opening the installer, I started gparted and created/formatted my partitions following michaa7's advice to use all primary partitions before making #4 an extended partition.
Gparted forced me to leave at least an MB of space at the front before creating my first (Windows) partitiion. Perhaps that's space for the MBR?
The partitioning finished, fdisk -l and cfdisk confirmed the gparted partitioning.
And I was able to complete the installation (correctly ... I think).

Video appears to be my main snag now. Booting the hdd installation, I get only white screen.
Can someone please tell me how to boot the hdd-installation in safe mode?

Booting the live disk, I've done a dist-upgrade. It didn't fix my white-screen problem.
The system having completed the hdd-installation, it had nothing to say about graphics. It only advised me to install r8169 (ethernet).

So. May I please have advice on how to put my video right? My intention is to not install a graphics adapter- at least for now.
This looks like the right AMD page <http> .
But as best I can see, it offers no linux drivers new enough for my equipment.

grady

[devil]

What is your graphics card?


greetz
devil

[grady]

@devil:

Thank you for replying.
No graphics card.

Unless I'm mistaken (schon wieder  :oops:) I can operate using onboard graphics.
grady

[michaa7]

Ok, even if it's not really a card but an onboard chip we need to know what chip it is (and that's always what's intended when someone asks for a "card").

So best is to show (as user, not root)

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$ inxi -G

[grady]

@devil:
@michaa7:
 Je m'excuse.

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siducer@siduction:~$ inxi -G
Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Trinity [Radeon HD 7560D]
          X.Org: 1.12.4 driver: vesa Resolution: 1024x768@0.0hz
          GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 0x209) GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 8.0.5
siducer@siduction:~$

grady

[piper]

At the grub menu you can use the code

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radeon.modeset=0

[grady]

@devil:
@michaa7:
It ought to be clear that I'm an IT-idiot.
I am also retired from a long career as a construction major-projects manager. And so I'm comfortable with critical path thinking (kritische Pfadanalyse).
The next thing on my critical path is to determine whether or not linux is presently able to manage this graphics card properly. I can't find the answer. Can anyone help, please?

Since I'm setting this rig up for a friend, I need to get it finished and handed over, or ... dump these bleeding-edge parts and install (say) FM1 or AM2 parts that are supported.

@piper:

Code Select Expand

radeon.modeset=0

Sorry: didn't work. Still only white screen. However, running live-disk, /var/log/Xorg.0.log shows that it was installed.

The rig wasn't connected to my ISP when I did the to-hdd installation. It is now. If I were to do what is simple: reinstall, is it possible that the installer is clever enough to go and get the software to make the graphics on the hdd-installation work, at least "after a fashion"?

grady