Hdd install

Forum: HD Install
Topic: Hdd install
started by: johnnfw

Posted by johnnfw on Oct. 09 2007,20:16

I am trying to install DSL on my hard drive.

However the installer returns messages such as 'cannot read sector 0'
or 'Linux partition not detected' or 'cannot read partition table'

I have a dual boot set up with XP and Kubuntu

I have not had a similar problem when installing Kubuntu, Mandriva or Linspire

Is there anything I can do to get past the problem

Thanks

johnnfw

Posted by mikshaw on Oct. 10 2007,00:38

You must have a partition available that is either ext2 or ext3. Many of the bigger distros will automatically set up, or at least help you set up, the necessary partition. DSL does not, as far as I know (I have never used the installer scripts to say for sure).

I can't think what else might be the trouble at this time.

Posted by skaos on Oct. 19 2007,11:00

You could run "fdisk -l" (without quotes) as root to list existing partitions. You can also use fdisk to create new partitions; be careful if you're not familiar with it, it is quite easy to mess up something. You don't have to create an extra swap partition, you can use the one from kubuntu.

Posted by ArmorDragon on Oct. 23 2007,04:31

Hey, I've had a similar problem.

I've been getting a prompt about "no miniroot found" when running the installation script. I've installed DSL on the machine a few times and have gotten this message every time I've tried. Usually, zero filling the entire drive and starting from scratch works but it's far too much work, if you ask me.

So my question to you guys is, what's going on? Am I doing something wrong?

Posted by roberts on Oct. 23 2007,15:46

Likely physical doesn't match logical partion sizes or partitons created not in numerical order. Correcting the MBR should only be necessary and not zero filling the entire disk.

Posted by ArmorDragon on Oct. 23 2007,21:31

Thank you very much for your help, roberts!

Posted by johnnfw on Oct. 24 2007,21:33

I have just tried to install 4.0 to hard disk. Sadly it still can't be done.

I notice that the installers for Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS, Mandriva, Linspire and evenPuppy do not have the problem with the partition table.

Any chance of a patch any time soon?

Reguards,

Johnnfw

Posted by roberts on Oct. 24 2007,22:06

Those other distros are not 2.4 based.

Posted by johnnfw on Oct. 26 2007,20:53

Point taken.

Too bad, it looks as if DSL on hard disk is not in my future.

Good luck to the project. I'll check once in a while

Johnnfw

Posted by tommytomthms5 on Oct. 27 2007,14:21

i got something simular but not quite

i wanted to dual-boot ubuntu and dsl4 after i realized/remembered i had left aprox 250 megs for the purpose...

i popped in the disk ran fdisk -l to double check then ran the install it went perfectly

but i opted not to intstall grub as it was already installed.....

instead i just modified my menu.lst

### START MANUAL LISTINGS

title DSL LINUX
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/linux24
boot

was the 1st thing i tried and it said kernal panic.....

then i looked and realized i forgot the init file so i looked in the partition for the file but it wasnt there

the kernal was there but not the minirt24.gz.....

Posted by curaga on Oct. 27 2007,14:36

You forgot to specify the root partition:

kernel /boot/linux24 root=/dev/hdxx

Posted by tommytomthms5 on Oct. 27 2007,14:51

dang good job making me feel dumb.... lol

Posted by curaga on Oct. 27 2007,16:13