9.04 install partition Very small

[PendragonUK]

I downloaded and burnt off the disk, I thought I would try installing on my Windows machine. My laptop is my normal test box but I wanted to check out 9.04 on a more powerful PC.

I followed the default path, just to see how it would go. The boot was fine, so was the install. I changed almost nothing during the install, time zone and keyboard. The default partition setup is to duel boot with Vista. It all when great. I installed the nVidia driver and setup my twin screens. I installed a couple of firefox plugin's. Then strange things started to happen. Apps wouldn't start, then I couldn't save a simple text file.

I checked the free space, none! bugger all. The default install gives you a partition only just big enough to install but bugger all else. I know how to put this right but if this happens to lots of new users?

[bacardiandwatermelon]

How big is it?

[PendragonUK]

2.5Gb I think sorry I'm using Laptop at the mo...

[tofiluk]

i thought it can be installed with dual boot at max of 30gb?

[PendragonUK]

The drive is 500Gb, before I installed 9.04 the whole thing was one big NTFS partition for Vista. What surprised me was that the instal didn't ask me how much space Ubuntu should have.

In a bit I'll start it with Gparted to see what's what and I'll report back.

[PendragonUK]

Here you go...

http://g.imagehost.org/t/0650/Screenshot-dev-sda_GParted.jpg (http://g.imagehost.org/view/0650/Screenshot-dev-sda_GParted)

This is very odd default behaviour, I'll put it right now by clearing a larger space on the drive and clean installing.

My concern is not for myself heck I know how to get around this. What if this happens to complete Linux new comers? It could put them off Linux all together...

[bacardiandwatermelon]

Did you run the wubi from Vista?

http://wubi.sourceforge.net/images/wubi.png

There should be a drop down menu letting you choose the installation size you want...

Either that or use a partition manager like partition magic 8 to resize your main partition.. When you install ubuntu it should ask you if you want to create a partition from the unallocated space.

[Jesus_Valdez]

Here you go...

http://g.imagehost.org/t/0650/Screenshot-dev-sda_GParted.jpg (http://g.imagehost.org/view/0650/Screenshot-dev-sda_GParted)

This is very odd default behaviour, I'll put it right now by clearing a larger space on the drive and clean installing.

My concern is not for myself heck I know how to get around this. What if this happens to complete Linux new comers? It could put them off Linux all together...
The exact same thing happened to me.

I'm not quiet sure how to make my way around this, so it would help if you can report your experience.

Thanks in advance.

[marchar]

Same thing happened here...
I am using two hard drives in an HP desktop, AMD 64. Tried doing an upgrade from 8.10.... but it was just too slow to be workable. So, I downloaded an ISO and burned a CD. Installed 9.04 from that CD.... using safe mode because it wouldn't recognize my NVidia card (and finally got the right NVidia driver installed so the resolution is good). During the install process I selected the second hard drive (where I also have 8.10 installed) and I checked the button with the message that it would install 9.04 alongside the 8.10. BUT, it installed it on my Vista drive and there left a tiny bit of space large enough (~2.3GB) only for the system files and no space for updating Firefox or anything else. No programs will run....(Firefox starts but says that the security modules can't be loaded.)

So, I booted to 8.10 and loaded "gparted" to resize the partition.... but catch 22, it wouldn't recognize that partition on the Vista drive to repartition it.

So... I got desperate and booted Vista and used a partitioner program (Easus Partition Manager) but I couldn't resize the 9.04 partitions there either. So... like a dummy, I deleted the partitions and formatted them as NTFS.

Then, of course, I couldn't even get the Boot Grub Screen!

So... I inserted the 9.04 CD into the machine and rebooted... and went through the entire installation process again for Jaunty... making sure to check the second hard drive for installation. At no time did I see a screen giving me options for partition size. I got the Boot Grub Menu back and Vista and 8.10 now load (with a glitch about having the wrong monitor resolution during boot-up!)

Result of the new Jaunty.... same tiny partition! Can't think of a way to resize the Vista drive where 9.04 is now installed since neither gparted nor Easeus will do the partition resizing... (Easeus is supposed to do the same job as Partition Magic but is free...)

Bummer. Any suggestions??

[Ryan B]

I have the same problem on my Lenovo u330.

I am trying to install the amd64bit desktop version. Perhaps this is the common factor with the previous posts?

During the install I was not asked how I wanted my hard disk to be partitioned. I was not given a choice of file system formats either. I canceled the install at the last moment when I noticed this.

I am not sure if this is related to the built in recovery partition on the u330. I will try to install with Wubi to see if I have the same problem.

[Ryan B]

Ooops

I am stupid. Not sure if the people above did the same as me. But when you get to 'Step 4 of 7' and choose the 'install side by side..' The there is a grey slider on the bottom graphic of your hard drive (top graphic is the current partitions on your harddrive). Move this slider to increase the size of the ubuntu partition. I have attached a screenshot of the page.

Not sure whether this is the same problem people above were having.

[marchar]

Ryan... thanks for the tip. I failed to notice that "slider" at the bottom too. I was expecting to see something for my 2nd drive.

Still, there is a deficiency in the setup of that partitioning page.... I have two drives, one for Vista and one for Ubuntu (on which I already have 8.10). I use the option to select the Ubuntu drive, but no matter what I do, Jaunty gets installed on the Vista drive. It looks like the only way to select another drive is to use the entire 2nd drive for the new installation. I don't see any way to get it on "side by side" with 8.10 Ubuntu on the Ubuntu drive.

Guess I will have to live with this.

Thanks

[xezzy]

DAMN that was a slider!! argh, didnt realize that. i guess screen was a bit confusing, but still...

This (and that im first time linux-installer) made that I couldnt even install gparted (lol) be cause i've installed some additional packages (required for gparted (maybe not but i thought they were :p)) and 150mb free space that left was soon gone so i cant install gparted to resizie partition (ive got like 10mb free space)!
Anyway, if anyone have some idea to fix this, please let me know, I'm using vista so I cant use partition magic. Is there any other program for windows that can resize linux partition? Or maybe there are some ways to shrink ubuntu a bit so i can install gparted...

[marchar]

Hi XZZY,
What I did, which worked was this... even though it is a bit scary:
I downloaded EASUS for Vista partition software... it's free. Then, in Vista, I deleted the Ubuntu partitions on the Vista disk and reformatted them to NTFS.
You will lose the Grub screen and can't boot to anything so it appears to be a disaster...

But, if you insert the Ubuntu live CD into the drive and reboot, you can then re-install Ubuntu Jaunty, use the slider to re-size the partitions for Ubuntu and end up with a new GRUB and your Vista will again be available as well as Ubuntu.

At least, that's what worked for me. I know it is a bit scary, but it appears to be safe...

Good luck.

[y2k103]

Hi XZZY,
What I did, which worked was this... even though it is a bit scary:
I downloaded EASUS for Vista partition software... it's free. Then, in Vista, I deleted the Ubuntu partitions on the Vista disk and reformatted them to NTFS.
You will lose the Grub screen and can't boot to anything so it appears to be a disaster...

But, if you insert the Ubuntu live CD into the drive and reboot, you can then re-install Ubuntu Jaunty, use the slider to re-size the partitions for Ubuntu and end up with a new GRUB and your Vista will again be available as well as Ubuntu.

At least, that's what worked for me. I know it is a bit scary, but it appears to be safe...

Good luck.

Hi Marchar, thanks for the tip. I too, like everyone else missed that hole slider thing. I guess I also missed the "Free" part of your post and was just getting ready to spend $90, when in the top right corner I see, "Free Download of Partition Manager"! It worked very well (it also has a slider - just in case anyone else wants to use it) Now everything is all good again. Thanks again,

[peacen1k]

My concern is not for myself heck I know how to get around this. What if this happens to complete Linux new comers? It could put them off Linux all together...


I'm forced to agree with you on that...... I am one of those novice users.

Also.... in my case at least.... and perhaps 'cos of the tool I used to remove the 9.04 install I am not given an option to install side/side when I run a fresh install.

So I know have a hung 8oot loader and a whole load of wasted time.

Rats.... can't get hold of a partition editor that I can 8oot from disc... any suggestions?

[darkghost2]

i will see

[peacen1k]

Well I made live discs for gparted and partition magic....... neither would allow me to reduce the windows partition.

I'm doing a minimal re-install and hoping that that will fix gru8....

If that works I can access XP again and try out EASUS from inside windows and the alternative windows installer..??

[MarkX]

The slider is under the "manual partitioning" section, not at the top by the "install alongside" one. That's why I didn't use it.
As usual, the screen resolution settings are still not repaired or at least made easy to correct when they don't detect the monitor. Getting fed up with this. Might go back to XP and forget about Linux.

[PendragonUK]

Sorry for not returning sooner to a thread I started .

the way I got around this was to shrink the NTFS Vista partition using gparted on the live CD, this took hours! Then removing the partitions the first install made. This left a large space on the drive. I installed ubuntu selecting "use empty space" option and moved the slider to take all of that free space.

My original post was made to highlight a potential problem with the partitioning from the stand point of a novice user. I have been messing with Linux for years but I'm no expert. I do however know my way around partitions and such.

Ubuntu 9.04 is now installed without issue and it's very nice. The first to install correctly for a while. Still I might be going to move over to PCLinuxOS, the distro I use on my Laptop. Smaller community with greater support. Much like ubuntu used to be several years ago before it became too big. Back in the day when you would get support from the Dev's rather than other users. In my opinion small is good when it comes to Linux.

[peacen1k]

Well, actually I appreciate your thread.

It helps to know that there is a solution (which I have know found) and that even someone with a reasona8le level of knowledge can make the same dum8 mistakes as me;)

Good luck with your new distro.... I'm gonna stick with u8untu for now; it has excellent 8randing afteral?!?

I know what you mean a8out size tho' there's a lot of wasted pages on this forum](*,)

[cyanide]

After you installed Ubuntu 9.04 on your Lenovo U330, did you check if the webcam and mic worked??

Thanks.

Regards.

[Marti68]

I'm forced to agree with you on that...... I am one of those novice users.

Also.... in my case at least.... and perhaps 'cos of the tool I used to remove the 9.04 install I am not given an option to install side/side when I run a fresh install.


A "me to" moment. I have an old, low spec PC that's running 9.04 fine but the XP/Jaunty laptop with 5 times the HDD gave me this error and I missed that slider but guessed it was duel booting related.

Suggestion for other novices (This is post #1 for me) Remember you're NOT just fitting a new bit of software; you're learning a whole new way of doing things and just like getting fit or educated it's gonna take a little time. Ubuntu fails at about 80% of what I need to do right now but it's my 15 years of Windows experience that makes that world look better. Buy a book or two, avoid ranting at the propellor heads ;) They are trying to help but you got start with some basics

I would spell check this but...ERR... I'm missing IESpell:lolflag:

[Eckermm]

During your install process you should have seen and been presented with the option to intall beside your existing OS and/or use the entire drive for Ubuntu. Assuming you selected the 'beside' option... you should have seen 2 bars. The top bar is the existing OS partitions and the bottom bar the new Ubuntu partition. You were able to mouse over to the right of the 2nd bar and drag the button left to increase your Ubuntu partition.

I am not sure, short of reinstalling, how you may repartition your drive at this point. If it can be done I'd like to know too. I currently have 12g setup but would like to increase it.

[Marti68]

OK, In the spirit of a helpful forum and not 'cos I botched my duel boot build ;) I downloaded the ISO for GPARTED V4.5.2 and with little care pulled the partition on my SATA HDD to a more usable ratio. Didn't worry about exact numbers as I'll probably rebuild it again and there's no data on the drive. Neither did I fuss with settings but took a newbies approach to all the defaults.

Win XP insisted on running a DSKCHK but both OS appear to be functioning as hoped. For newbies, it helps to have access to a second PC or even just a spare HDD with a known OS so that if you need tools or drivers they can be pulled from the web. Your Ubuntu learning will still fall into a hole in your knowledge but you'll have a way to rescue the situation.