InstallProblems

[Nils Kassube]

Grizzly wrote:
> On 19 February 2010 at 18:47, Nils Kassube
> Enlightened me with this:-Re: InstallProblems
> 
> >Grizzly wrote:
> >> Ran the install again (6 times so far) every time it just stops at
> >> a random point (80%, 97%, 100% ??)
> >
> >That's a bit unusual - I would assume there might be a hardware
> > problem of some kind if the install doesn't stop at the same point
> > each time. And what do you mean with "it just stops"? Is there some
> > error message? Does the machine hang completely?
> 
> The % count stays the same for hours, progress bar is no longer
>  animated, the mouse freezes, CTRL-ALT-DEL  does not work, so I'd say
>  it hangs

Agreed, that looks like it hangs completely. Out of curiosity I have 
also tried to install Ubuntu 9.10 (i386) to an external USB disk with 
the procedure you described. It didn't work with the pendrive version 
_and_ it didn't work with the original CD. With the pendrive attempt it 
was similar to your freeze where Ctrl-Alt-Del didn't work, although on 
my machine the mouse was still working. With the original CD I suddenly 
had a login screen and the install was still unfinished. I have no idea 
at how many % the problems occured because I didn't constantly watch the 
machine. Actually I'm not inclined to do more tests and find out where 
the problem is - it just takes too much time.

> >> Having had a few probs with installs going to the wrong place or
> >> been forced to duel boot (or not I been able to choose my USB HD
> >> partion) I turned OFF both IDE controlers in BIOS to protect my O
> >> so fragile WinXp and ran the "install to harddisk" option from the
> >> Flash drive choosing tto install to largest contig free space on
> >> the main USB disk, install failed at the create Ext4 partion and
> >> exited
> >
> >I'm not sure what you want to tell us about being forced to dual
> > boot. If you install Ubuntu, you can choose where to install the
> > boot loader. If you choose the MBR of your
> 
> I may have misjudged but I don't think so, from my various trys to
>  install IF an IDE drive was present no mater what I did I could not
>  install to an empty (uallocated) partition on any drive (fixed or
>  USB) I could only let the insatller put Ubuntu beside (in already
>  used disk space) or on an empty partition on the same disk as Windoz
>  C:\ unless I manually set partitions (and that is a step to far for
>  a first HD install in 15 years)

I don't think that IDE disks are anything special but I don't have a 
machine with internal IDE disks left, so I can't check it. Anyway, when 
I tried to install to the external disk with a machine with an internal 
SATA disk, I had the option to select the disk where the install should 
go, at least if I select to use an entire disk. But that wasn't really 
obvious when I saw it. I selected manual partitioning to make sure I 
knew which disks and partitions would be used. However I agree that it 
isn't necessarily an option if you aren't familiar with partitioning.

> >harddisk (that's the default) you get a dual boot setup. But you can
> > choose to install grub in the Ubuntu partition. Then your XP should
> > stay untouched and you would have to boot Ubuntu e.g. from the
> > Windows boot loader.
> 
> Is that not by def a duel boot "rely on one OS to boot another OS" I
>  was/am happy to decide what I want to boot from BIOS (or BIOS menu)

Granted, that would be a dual boot setup. But whenever you have two 
operation systems on the same machine I would call it a dual boot setup, 
even if you select the boot disk / operating system with the BIOS boot 
menu.

> >You can choose the grub location with the "advanced" (?) button at
> > the last page of the setup pages just before you start the install
> > process.
> 
> IIRC I could choose "IF" there was a bootloader not sure if where was
>  an option

Well, there is an option to select the location near the checkbox to 
choose if you want to install a boot loader. If you use the pendrive 
installer, the external disk is preselected. With the original CD hd0 
was preselected, which might be the external disk, depending on your 
BIOS.

Anyway, I think there is a problem with the installer from the Ubuntu 
9.10 live CD if you want to install to an external USB disk. I know it 
worked with an older version, but I don't remember which one it was.


Nils