Installing Ubuntu 8.10 on External Harddrive partition

[Jarige]

I'm trying to install Ubuntu 8.10 using a LiveCD (which I'm currently booted on) on my external harddrive. I already made a partition (50MB out of 300MB total) on my external hdd using Windows (NTFS).

I've followed instructions of this site http://www.pendrivelinux.com/ubuntu-...usb-installer/
But it didn't work. In the menu 'Make USB Startup Disk' my partition(s) doesn't show up.

I hope you guys can help me. Today is my first time I booted Xubuntu and Ubuntu, and I can't wait to use them
Vista sucks

Appreciated

Jarige

[Jarige]

BUMP
One guy got 17 replies in the first minute he posted his message, and I waited 15 minutes already, no reply at all... This doesn't seem like a hard question to me?

[ajgreeny]

I already made a partition (50MB out of 300MB total) on my hdd using Windows.

Did you really mean this;only 50 megabytes (or MB as you wrote)? Perhaps you meant 50GB, but if not the problem is simply that ypu do not have enough space to install ubuntu. A basic install without any of your own docs or photos etc etc, will take about 2.6GB as far as I can remember. 50MB will not even hold the kernel, never mind all the desktop extra stuff that ubuntu and any other distro needs.

[ve4cib]

50MB isn't even enough for a command-line installation; the smallest those go is about 700MB with Ubuntu.

Assuming you meant "GB" why are you making a Live installation on your external HD? Wouldn't it be easier to do a proper install to the HD? It would certainly boot more quickly.

[Jarige]

Oh ****, I meant 50GB out of 300GB of course, sorry
Dude that was stupid, really.
I know that installing on my harddrive might be smarter, but when someones computer crashes or something, I can help him with recovering data and stuff if its on my external hard drive. (So I won't need the cd, which can be broken or something)

And I like it being on my exhdd
It just seems more safe to me, and I don't really know, but I want it on it
I don't really care about boot time, cause I know it will be faster then Vista. And btw, my external harddrive is nearly as fast as my normal harddrive(s). So it shouldn't matter that much.

But no help so far, anyone has the same problems or has solved them?

[Jarige]

Bump

[cosine352]

did you check with the partition editor?
System ---> administration --> Partition Editor

or

sudo fdisk -l

[beatgr]

Jarige -

I could not figure out what you were trying to do.
After some additional posts and details, I THINK you desire to have a USB "bootable" Flash drive or external hard drive.

1. This works with computers with BIOS (and Setup menus) that support bootable USB devices. For those computers without this BIOS option, you have to create a specific CD to permit this functionality. I would perform this step and enclose as part of your restoration "kit":
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/usb-boo...or-ubuntu-810/

2. When you partitioned and formatted this external hard drive under Windows, I assume the NTFS file system was selected (not FAT/FAT32).

3. When you used the Ubuntu v 8.10 LiveCD, did you have the external USB drive plugged in and powered up?

4. These are the steps for a USB flash drive
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/usb-ubu...on-persistent/

SUGGESTION.
Are you aware of this tool?: UNetbootin
This tool works under Ubuntu and MS Windows
Permits usage of many distros to create USB/exteranl hard drive versions.
UNetbootin (Universal Netboot Installer) is a cross-platform utility that can create Live USB systems and can load a variety of system utilities or install various Linux distributions and other operating systems without a CD.
This might be the ideal tool (Swiss Army knife) you are seeking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNetbootin

Here is their web site:
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

good luck with it!

g. beat

[Jarige]

Thanks for your replies.

1. I probably have the option to boot from USB, cause my laptop just nearly one year old. I didn't check that though.
2. Yes, it was NTFS.
3. It was plugged in, and powered up, and I could see its contents on both of the partitions (one was empty of course) but I just couldn't select it from the list in the menu 'Make USB Startup Disk' (like I said)
4. Thanks for the link, but I want it to be persistent. I want it to safe data and options.

I don't think UNetbootin is a good tool for me, I don't want some Live USB which can install a lot of Linux distro's, I just want to boot Ubuntu on my external hard drive, which safes data and options. My friend has done it, but he's on a holiday now, so I can't ask him...

cosine352, I don't really know the purpose of opening partition editor for my problem. And I tried 'sudo fdisk -l' but how should that help me?

Well I hope I can get more reactions Thanks for the reply guys.

[redroad55]

by opening partition edittor like stated above it will show all drives and how they are partitioned so you can see how yow and where you want to place the Ubuntu OS .. On live cd > applications > system > admin. > Partition editor .. Post back what you find and it will be easier for others to help..