ubuntu installer does not recognize partions on usb hard drive

[Naja Melan]

hi,

I have the following setup:

An external usb hard disk partitioned with

boot1
boot2
lvm encrypted partition holding:
    swap
    system1
    system2
    data -> mounted as /home/Desktop
portable -> ntfs partition

I created this with the alternate (text based installer of hardy). Hardy now
uses boot1 and system1. Now I thought it was time to try a new version of
ubuntu (on boot2 and system2), but neither the text based or the live cd
installers, nor gparted recognize the partitions on this drive (they only
show sdb). Gparted shows sdb entirely as unallocated space.

In the live cd, I manage to get lvm2 and cryptsetup installed and it will
then recognize the encrypted partitions, but not boot1 and boot2.

On the screenshot you see that palimpest does see them, and in nautilus I
can also mount these partitions, and use them.

Now my simple question, how do I go about installing ubuntu 9.10 without
having to find a drive to back everything up and repartition this disk?

I would like to keep the dual boot, to see all the software packages I have
installed in hardy, and the tweaks, and to have a fallback for certain
packages if I don't get them working in 9.10 immediately, and on top of that
my data partition is rather large, and I don't have enough diskspace to back
it all up.

thanks in advance,
naja
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