Seeking hints & tips for new PC setup

[james147]

If this turns out to be the problem, you can fix this from a live CD/USB.

Or the BIOS... I tend to find its better to install grub to the disk with / on (or more specifically /boot) and set this disk as the fist one to boot in the BIOS. The makes things simpler if you want to move the disk to a new system or replace other disks in the system.

[HalationEffect]

The option selected for "device for bootloader installation" during the installation process was /dev/sda

sda1 = empty NTFS partition
sda2 = linux-swap
sda3 = / (ext4)
sda4 = empty ext4 partition

sdb1 = empty NTFS partition
sdb2 = empty ext4 partition
sdb3 = /home (ext4)
sdb4 = empty FAT32 partition

The BIOS boot order is set as follows: 1st - Optical drive. 2nd - sda. 3rd - sdb.

From the LiveCD environment I can mount sda3 and see that all the OS folders and files are indeed present.

I'll try booting from sdb, and I'll edit this post to report the result.

(Edit)

Neither of the drives would boot. However.... I went through the entire installation process for the 3rd time today, and even though I'm pretty sure I did everything the same as the first two times, this time it boots!

[HalationEffect]

Just wanted to say a big thank-you to everyone who's posted in this thread for all the helpful advice!

I'm sure I'll have various teething issues going forward, as with any new setup. Stuff like tweaking to get optimal performance and / or improved functionality from various system components, both hardware and software. Examples would include: getting any video player software I use to take advantage SandyBridge's acceleration features, making Dolphin display thumbnails for video files (already done that one), figuring out why I currently am only getting sound from the left-hand speaker, finding a plasmoid that will poll a pop3 account periodically and notify me of new mail, etc.

Ahh, the fun of the journey begins again!

[oshunluvr]

Glad you got it up and running. It always bugs me when the problem is unknown and just disappears.

I did see a few posts on the web about that mobo and audio issues. Hopefully, you'll be able to get that fixed tout de suite.

Let the teeth-gnashing begin!

[HalationEffect]

Glad you got it up and running. It always bugs me when the problem is unknown and just disappears.

I did see a few posts on the web about that mobo and audio issues. Hopefully, you'll be able to get that fixed tout de suite.

Let the teeth-gnashing begin!

Well, I had a sneaking suspicion that the audio thing might be a hardware issue... and it was. For some odd reason, plugging the 1/8" stereo jack from my speakers *all the way* into the socket on the mobo gives sound on the left channel only. Pulling the jack back out by one 'notch' solved the problem. I'm glad that I'd come across exactly that problem a few times before, so it was among the first things I checked

(Edit) Heh, cable seating issues... good thing I'm not a particle physicist, or I might have been left thinking I had faster-than-light neutrinos on my hands

[oshunluvr]

Could be a slightly different size cable vs. socket.

1/8" vs. 3.5mm

[HalationEffect]

Could be a slightly different size cable vs. socket.

1/8" vs. 3.5mm

Heh, me referring to it as a 1/8" jack was a bit of a mental hiccup - it is actually a 3.5mm jack. I guess my brain must have been in old-school mode when I wrote that