Laptops :: Booting problem on Toshiba Satellite 1800 514
Hi, sorry for delay due to job.
I must confess I'm surprised not be able to install dsl on hd.
I booted with slackware and I used fdisk to prepare /hda4 partition for dsl. I rebooted and i checked: hda4 was present on hd.
Here you have fdisl -l output (except start/end block-cylinders) about partition that reside on my hd:
/dev/hda1 16 MB Gag 4.6 (bootloader)
/dev/hda2 800 MB Swap partition
/dev/hda3 11,2 GB Extended
/dev/hda4 1 GB DSL (to be installed)
/dev/hda5 2,3 GB slackware 10.1
/dev/hda6 2,5 GB Fedore core 5
/dev/hda7 3,9 GB Fat 32 (LBA)
/dev/hda8 2,4 Debian sarge
As I wrote I can properly boot to ram with nofstab xsetup options (they are compulsory, if I miss one of then laptop hangs) but I can't install on hd, I've tried:
a)Apps --> Tools --> Install HD
but after asking me wich partition to install (hda4), multi user logon (yes), no journaled file system.... after last message about starting to erase all info from selected partition.... crashes abruptly with no message.
b) fdisk to check partitions, i receive message like: ho hd present (but IT IS present AND working)
c)I tried with cfdisk but I got "Fatal error, cannot open disk drive"
d)I'm sure hd is ok so i've tried to mount at least one partition, whichever I try answer is: "mount: can't find /dev/hdaX in /etc/fstab or etc/mtab"
I think last problems are due to "nofstab" option, but if I don't use it I've NEVER booted.
I'm stuck...
Thank to all
nanosnom
it says
hey, nanosnom!
finally i found your posting!!
well... in my case, the command line "dsl nofstab xsetup" works as well... but i get the same issue as you!!
i cannot be able to install on hd!! but, there's a little diference... i run the terminal on root, and type the following:
# fdisk -l
then, the system answer that:
"Disk /dev/hda: 30.0GB, 30005821440 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/tracks, 3648 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280
Disk /dev/hda doesn't contain a valid partition table"
well... it's mean the system cannot find the partitions, but the hardware, it can see (i mean the hd)!!
if i type the "cfdisk" command, i can enter the aplication and do the partition... but, i can't do this right now, because i need to do a backup before anything else (i had some stuffs on windows, and with the cfdisk command, i'll lose everything)...
well... my suggestion nanosnom, is to try the following command line:
# cfdisk -z
then, try to create a partition and do the installation by the Apps/Tools menu...
take care... 
Too late.... looking for a solution 2 days ago I did something similar your suggestion .... well ALL partitions and previous distros (3) installed... lost in 1 second! ARGGGGHHHH! 
So, I confirm you: backup all your data before try!
I discovered too this:
If I boot with ANY different live distro (slax, Insert) and partition my hd, whichever order or type: primary, extended, logical, swap, fat, ext2/3 and so on changes are accepted, partition table is well written and will remain valid even if reboot.
TO be REALLY sure: after linux live distros I tested hd with a win98 boot disk, it's been able to see partions even if consider unusable.
If I boot with DSL.... neither cfdisk, neither fdisk consider partitions previously created valid, and if I try to correct (from inside DSL) I loose everything.
It seems something wrong about fdisk or cfdisk, unable to understood our real hd partition table.
I'm triyng to investigate more, let remain in touch.
thank for your tip to log as root and run cfdisk, hd is visible, as your, I'll try soon as possible with option -z
Tried with cfdisk -z
Crashes as usual after reading partition table and saving changes.
I had to reboot laptop.
DSL run very fine if loaded on RAM.
I'm quite newbie but according my short experience cfdisk and fdisk provided with dsl 3.0.1 are non able to manage hd disk.
I'm quite discouraged.
Hi,
I give up,
I think that dsl 3.0.1 is not compatible with my hw....
BEST luck to all YOU
Bye
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