Ubuntu 8.04

[elmo]

Karl Larsen wrote:
> Rob wrote:
>   
>> Greetings all,
>>
>> Perhaps someone knows the answer to this...
>>
>> Several days ago, I installed Ubuntu 8.04 to an external drive here (a 
>> Hitachi 300 gig which has an option of a SATA connection or USB -- I'm 
>> using USB).  Following the installation and reboot (it did NOT ask me 
>> where -- or even if -- I wanted to install Grub) I am confronted with a 
>> Grub error nbr 21.  Unfortunately, the boot process gets no further.  I 
>> do not know how to fix this unless it's editing Grub but I have no idea 
>> where the installation tried to put Grub.  I'm guessing on my internal 
>> hard drive and not very successfully.
>>
>> I have been booting with a Super Grub CD we burned a couple of days ago 
>> but so far, that only lets me boot to Windows..not Ubuntu on my external 
>> drive.  I'm wondering if anyone knows how I can fix this.  I fear if I 
>> format my external drive via Windows and reinstall Ubuntu again, I'll 
>> get the same result.    I have a Lenovo System Model 9120CTO with 
>> Processor x86 Family 15 Model 107 Stepping 2 AuthenticAMD ~2700 Mhz with 
>> BIOS Version/Date LENOVO 2UKT46AUS, 12/26/2007 and one internal 300 Gig 
>> Hitachi hard drive and one external 300 Gig Hitachi hard drive connected 
>> via USB as indicated above.
>>
>> Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to fix this booting 
>> problem short of formatting my external drive again and making another 
>> attempt to install Ubuntu (I'd guess with the same results).
>>
>> Many thanks in advance.
>>
>> RobF
>> Rockville, MD
>>
>>   
>>     
>     I think you should just forget trying to put Ubuntu on a USB 
> connected hard drive. I say this because I KNOW that the USB drive is 
> not active until AFTER Grub loads the kernel, and it can't get to the 
> kernel until the USB drive is active. It is a catch 22 problem and you 
> will never be able to fix it.
>
>     So if you want Ubuntu please install it on your internal hard drive. 
> This works fine.
>
> Karl
>
>
>   


I installed UBUNTU 7.01 and Debian on a WD3200AAK USB external hard 
drive by using Gparted in the usual fashion.  Both partitions were 
formatted ext3. They boot from the regular boot menu which includes 
additional UBUNTUs + Windows XP on internal hard drives .  I didn't use 
any magical Linux incantations....and all systems work well. 
I have nothing special to add...it was just a normal use of GParted.
To start with, the computer had Windows XP and I just kept adding 
UBUNTUs 7.01 and 8.04.  One of the 8.04s is a DVD version. 

Whether, I just lucked out or whatever, everything seems to work well.  
The biggest problem is keeping track of email continuity.

Elmo