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XSoph
March 12th, 2009, 12:21 AM
Hey guys. So, I can boot Ubuntu on my HP 8530w from the live CD.
Gparted accurately recognizes my eSATA drive and all its volumes.
The Ubuntu installer will only read my internal notebook drive.
Even when I select the manual install option, it only picks up the internal drive.

I've made an ext3 partition, and unallocated, and an ntfs using gparted, and the installer still doesn't recognize any of them.

Got any ideas?

Thanks.
taurus
March 12th, 2009, 12:27 AM
From Ubuntu LiveCD, open a terminal and post the output of this command.

Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal

sudo fdisk -l
XSoph
March 12th, 2009, 12:48 AM
Wow! Quick reply. I'll go try it after class. Thanks.
XSoph
March 12th, 2009, 03:02 AM
Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x95aa95aa

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 19325 155228031 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 19327 19457 1052257+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x9dbbf88b

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 50602 406460533+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb2 55702 60802 40960000 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb3 50603 55701 40957717+ 83 Linux
theozzlives
March 12th, 2009, 03:05 AM
you have 2 NTFS and 1 ext3 on your external, look for sdb
XSoph
March 12th, 2009, 03:10 AM
Well, I have, but the installer isn't listing anything but the /sda volumes at the step where you select the installation partition. Is that where you're telling me to look?
XSoph
March 12th, 2009, 03:13 AM
Let me see if I can get a screenshot up.
XSoph
March 12th, 2009, 03:25 AM
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/3307/prepare.png
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/4483/screenshotinstall.png
taurus
March 12th, 2009, 02:56 PM
Are you using intrepid LiveCD (8.10)? Reboot and start over again to see if the installer is picking up /dev/sdb this time.
XSoph
March 12th, 2009, 06:17 PM
I think I fixed it. It seems to me that the installer only looks for a 'primary' partition on a drive. My primary had been my general storage partition. I reformatted the drive completely, first backing up the data I had stored, then made the ext3 partition first as well as making it primary. I rebooted and the installer picked up the new ext3 partition.

Thanks , Taurus. I hope this helps someone else.