can't install KUbuntu 7.04

[theovn]

Hello there,
I just bought a brand new computer with Vista on it and a 320 Gbyte disk.
The LiveCD works fine, but when I try to install it on mij hard disk, it keeps running (overnight) on the partitioning step and does not give any disk info.
I found the GParted utility on a forum, but that does not show any disk info either, when I start it.

Thank you for helping in advance.
Regards,
Theo

[Guys]

Re: can't install KUbuntu 7.04

HI,

Why don't you try to partition your HDD with most simply utility fdisk, Gparted is good but fdisk is better :P

[theovn]

Re: can't install KUbuntu 7.04

I haven't used fdisk before, but I found an article telling that fdisk only does destructive partitioning.
I would like to keep Vista though.
In case there is no other possibility I might use fdisk later on.

[cchester]

Re: can't install KUbuntu 7.04

Hi,

Have you tried Partition Magic it boots of cd and does non destructive partitions.

[theovn]

Re: can't install KUbuntu 7.04

I have an old copy of Partition Magic that does not support NTFS.
A new version will cost me 68 Euros.
Any cheaper partitioning program that could do the job?

[dibl]

Re: can't install KUbuntu 7.04

If you can burn an ISO image, the GParted Live CD pretty much does it all:

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php

[theovn]

Re: can't install KUbuntu 7.04

I did use the GParted Live CD, but when it gets to the partition step it does not show any devices, hence it can't make partitions.
In the mean time I figured out how to make (only primary) partitions under Vista.
I made a 32 GByte FAT32 partition for KUbuntu en a 4 GByte FAT32 partition for the swap file.
However, when I boot from the installation disk (KUbuntu 7.04) and start the installation procedure, the partitions still don't show up!
How is it possible that the partitioning program of Vista does see the partitions en KUbuntu does not?

[dibl]

Re: can't install KUbuntu 7.04

Apparently Microsoft has been busy making it hard for you! Here are some pointers that should help you get a handle on it:

http://apcmag.com/5046/how_to_dual_b...nstalled_first

http://port25.technet.com/archive/20...M-Support.aspx

http://www.linux-magazine.com/issue/...perability.pdf

http://www.pro-networks.org/forum/about78184.html

In that last one, I see it says "Due to the change in NTFS versions, no Linux partitioning program, nor standard Windows partitioning programs, can properly alter the partition that Vista is installed to." I didn't know that -- I guess you didn't either! But in this material it tells how to use Vista to resize the Vista partition, and then you can proceed with GParted or your Kubuntu 7.04 installer.

HTH!

[Snowhog]

Re: can't install KUbuntu 7.04

dibl is correct - Vista has it's own disk manager, which you should use (as I did) to shrink your hard drive. That creates the unallocated space that you can set up (with GParted - recommended - or with the Kubuntu LiveCD). The deal with Vista, is that it actually reserves the entire hard drive for it's self.

[theovn]

Re: can't install KUbuntu 7.04

That's exactly what I did Snowhog, but GParted did still not show any devices.
I'll try dibl's suggestions after the weekend.

[theovn]

Re: can't install KUbuntu 7.04

Ik went through Dibl's links and noted the following:
Link:
http://apcmag.com/5046/how_to_dual_b...nstalled_first
gives the procedure I followed.
I shrinked the NTFS partition under Vista, which left me with 122 Gbyte unallocated disk space.
Then I booted the CD with Ubuntu-7.04-desktop-amd64.iso, which should be the proper choice for my system, which is: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13GHz
After starting the Install procedure it gets to the "Prepare disk space" screen, where it only shows the "Manual" option.
Apparently it does not see any current disk or free partition information.
When I next activate "Manual" the script hangs.

Link:
http://port25.technet.com/archive/20...M-Support.aspx
is not approapriate to my case, because it assume Linux is on your system allready.

Link:
http://www.linux-magazine.com/issue/...perability.pdf and
http://www.pro-networks.org/forum/about78184.html
give information on the configuration of the MBR but no real help on partitioning problems, as fas as I see it.

So unfortunately I didn't get any furhter.
Anybody any more suggestions?

(By the way Dibl, what does HTH mean? My English is not that good.)

[theovn]

Re: can't install KUbuntu 7.04

Well, I found the solution on another forum in the end.
A change had to be made in the BIOS.
For Vista the SATA Controller Mode was set to "IDE".
Somebody suggested that I should change that to "RAID".
In my BIOS I could do this via menu:
BIOS > Integrated Peripherals > VIA OnChip IDE Device > SATA Controller Mode
If you want to go back to Vista, you should change your BIOS setting back to IDE.
Good luck to everybody and I am happily working in Ubuntu again after several month VISTA.

[Snowhog]

Re: can't install KUbuntu 7.04

...after several month VISTA.

Have you been able to get the M$ odor out of your clothes yet?