Ubuntu Precise Alpha 2 interferes with Ubuntu Natty

[Colin Law]

On 5 February 2012 16:28, Alain Muls <alain.muls at telenet.be> wrote:
> On 5 February 2012 17:02,  <ubuntu-users-request at lists.ubuntu.com> wrote:
>> On 5 February 2012 15:27, Alain Muls <alain.muls at telenet.be> wrote:
>>> On 3 February 2012 21:34, ?<ubuntu-users-request at lists.ubuntu.com> wrote:
>>>> On 3 February 2012 17:20, Alain Muls <alain.muls at telenet.be> wrote:
>>>>> Hi All,
>>>>>
>>>>> I have two root partitions which I use sequentially to install two
>>>>> versions of Ubuntu. The current one and during the beginning of a new
>>>>> release the previous ubuntu is on the other partition.
>>>>> My home is on a separate partition used with both root systems.
>>>>>
>>>>> Today I choose to wipe the Natty (11.04) root system (I am comfortable
>>>>> with Oneiric 11.10) and tried to install Precise Alpha 2 onto its
>>>>> partition.
>>>>>
>>>>> The install did not finish, it got stuck with a message similar to
>>>>> "clearing system files from previous install".
>>>>
>>>> I am guessing that you did not tell it to reformat the partition you
>>>> were installing onto and that it somehow got confused by something (or
>>>> nothing) that was on the partition. ?Bugs are to be expected after
>>>> all, it is an alpha release.
>>>
>>> I did reformat the root partition I was going to use for Precise Alpha 2.
>>> Pitty, I would like to try out Precise for its HuD and for 2 launchers
>>> on each connected screen :-(
>>
>> Did you reformat before install or tell the installer to reformat it
>> by clicking the format checkbox against that partition in the dialog
>> where you tell the installer what to put in which partition?
>>
>> Colin
>
> Indeed, I checked he box, so I did not do it beforehand. Does that
> make a difference? This is the first time it does not work and I
> follow this dual boot principle with 2 root systems now for 4 years or
> more.

What you did is the right way, I was just looking for an explanation
of the error message, which sounds like an error that it might produce
while installing on top of an existing version without re-formatting,
in which case it removes all the system files (which the error might
refer to) but leaves the home folder as it is).  Strange, if it is
repeatable then you should report it as a bug against ubiquity (I
think) which is the installer.

Colin