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View Full Version : [ubuntu] 8.10 Server installation to Dell Optiplex GZ270 with SATA not booting



gobstopper
February 28th, 2009, 04:15 PM
I have a Dell Optiplex GX270 system which has been running 7.10 from an IDE drive quite happily for more than a year.

As I wanted to install a larger hard drive and had subsequently realised that the system could take SATA drives I thought I'd give it a try. Before going out and buying a SATA drive, I've borrowed one to play with (a 40Gb Seagate Barracuda). I've installed Windows to it and proved that there were no fundamental problems with the drive in this chassis - everything worked as expexted.

I then downloaded 8.10 server and ran through a basic installation. The installation process ran without a hitch (though the only optional element I picked was the OpenSSH server, so it was by no means complex) but whenever I try to boot the machine complains that it cannot find a boot device. It's almost as if the 8.10 server installation has neglected to write a master boot record to the drive.

In case it is of relevance, I selected the 'guided' partitioning option and re-partitioned the whole drive using the defaults.

Can anyone think why it won't boot?

gobstopper
February 28th, 2009, 09:47 PM
Well, I appear to have made some progress by trying an older distribution.

Re-installing from a 7.04 server CD, I noticed that during the installation process it installed GRUB, something which did not happen during the 8.10 installation.

By installing 8.10 over the top (leaving the exisiting disk informatino intact), I can now boot the system but it was a slightly alternative way of achieving the end result.