What have I done

Forum: HD Install
Topic: What have I done
started by: Wezwee

Posted by Wezwee on Dec. 14 2006,00:00

Hey all!
Okay, I've used DSL for quite a while now (well 2 months and every now & then) but only used it with LiveCD boot & flash drive boot. Well I have a laptop [Acer TravelMate 230] that is constantly crashing when I use windows but DSL works fine. So I thought 'I know i'll install' but before I did, i downloaded the latest DSL iso burned it onto disk and then inserted it into the laptop and typed in 'install' where it gave me 10 options (i chose option 3 to install to the Hard Drive)
then it asked the target Partition ~ Example: hda2 ~ So I thought well I dont have 2 partitions!? and typed in 'hda1'

Well, all went fine for a while and then it said "DSL needs to reboot to contine, please remove the CD, close the drive then press Enter to reboot" Yep I followed them instructions, and indeed it did reboot but then i got an error 'No Operating system'

so then me all confused came to a conclusion "maybe because I only had 1 partition in the firstplace i didnt have to type '1'

So I repeated it over but this time entered 'hda' as the target to install (i'm guessing this was the big mistake) all went fine again, a few more words this time than before but it was telling me more info that the installation was being done, and then it got to the reboot point again, but still no operation system?!

Okay, i not go to the forums, and do a search, and the DSL WiKi has a topic on hard drive installation... okay i follow that till DSL (LiveCD) tells me theres no hda1 or hda, and sfdisk tells me that sector 0 does not have an msdos signature

i'm kinda frightened to do what its telling me now... its tole me all lies before

any help appreciated

Regards
Wez

Posted by tellmemore on Dec. 14 2006,08:20

I´m no linux guru at all but what I did before installing was making the right partitions for a HD install. So a linux swap partition and a partition for DSL! I made them with Qparted that was on one of my other live cds! There is also rescue cd for linux with qparted on it´s a little more graphical than cfdisk thats on DSL

See for details < http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/wiki....rd_Disk >

< SystemRescueCD >

During the HD installation did DSL asked you which bootloader you want to use! (GRUB/LILO)

Or maybe one of the guru´s here have some inspiring tips for you

Posted by Wezwee on Dec. 14 2006,09:21

yes it did ask that, i tried both, even though im sure i have to use GRUB.

anyway, i managed to fix my harddrive and have made the two partitions.
just this second managed to make DSL install to a pendrive, it wouldnt let me for some reason last night saying it couldnt write to it but write protection was off!?
Im seeing if i can HD install from the pen drive...

Posted by Wezwee on Dec. 14 2006,09:26

read below

Posted by Wezwee on Dec. 15 2006,02:05

okay then, I got it all working, HD install, even my wireless card but I cant seem to save downloaded programs to the hard drive;

to be honest I havnt really used Linux as a full-time desktop OS before, only ever used LiveCD for a quick install & access to the web when needed, and since I installed to the hard drive, ive had fun downloading usefull myDSL apps & themes, and the settings were backed up before i shut down, but suddenly I have to keep pressing whether I want to run DSL or DSL fb800x600 every time I boot up, and then I have to manually restore my backed up files. and thereon after its all slowly went worse (within 24 hours!?) now my wireless card is no longer working and I cant save anything to the hard drive (hda2) and if I do, upon reboot its dissapeared. When I use firefox to download the updated aMSN module it gets to 99% and doesnt complete.
( and somehow, cuz i was really impressed by this ) when I shutdown and closed the lid on my Travelmate 230 the bluetooth and wifi lights were on? Seeing as they only work if you have a bluetooth & wifi miniPCI card, which I dont ) and had to hold down the power button to fully turn off...

Could someone please give me a FULL step by step guide on how to do a hard drive install of DSL 3.1? All of the ones ive seen have been "do this, do that, and do that" completely missing some things that the setup has asked me if i wanted to do something or other. plus they're a little out dated to installing 3.1

Regards,
Wez