9.10 - Non-system disk or disk error with manual partitions

[misterbk]

Hi all,

This is the third 9.10 install to do this on two different laptops, so wondering what's up...

In both cases, the goal was to leave a large chunk of unpartitioned disk after the Ubuntu partitions, for a second OS install or a filesystem Ubuntu cannot create like NTFS.

When I install with manual partitions, the system can't boot and asks for me to insert a system disk and press any key. When I reinstall telling Ubuntu to "use the entire disk" it then works.

First laptop, first try:
Macbook Pro
Only one hard drive, sata, /sda
Primary partition 500MB Ext2, mount point '/boot'
Primary partition 250GB Ext4, mount point '/'
Primary partition 2GB, swap
Remainder of the 500GB disk is free space.

Fails to boot, "insert system disk".

First laptop, second try without the /boot partition:
Macbook Pro
Only one hard drive, sata, /sda
Primary partition 250GB Ext4, mount point '/'
Primary partition 2GB, swap
Remainder of the 500GB disk is free space.

Fails to boot, "insert system disk".

"use entire disk" works perfectly.


Second laptop, first try:
HP Elitebook 8730w
Only one hard drive, e-sata, /sda
(going to re-insert Windows drive afterwards, use preferential boot to e-sata instead of tweaking bootloaders.)
Primary partition 100GB Ext4, mount point '/'
Primary partition 4GB, swap
remainder of the 250GB disk free space.

Same thing, non-system disk or disk error, insert system disk.

Second try "use entire disk" is currently in progress but I expect the same to happen.

[lisati]

How did you burn the CD? Most installation CDs need you to use the "burn disk image" option.

Have a look here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto

Edit: it almost sounds as if the installation process didn't play nice with the bootloader.

[misterbk]

How did you burn the CD? Most installation CDs need you to use the "burn disk image" option.

Have a look here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto

I used K3b on another Linux box to burn the CD as an image.

The problem is not with the CD it is with the hard disk Ubuntu installed to. The install process completes as expected but the disk it installed to will not boot when I use manual partitioning.

[misterbk]

Edit: it almost sounds as if the installation process didn't play nice with the bootloader.

Maybe the problem is ext4? But I thought Ubuntu 9.10 would use ext4 by default when you choose "use entire disk". (Not the case?)


EDIT: Actually, the full "Use Entire Disk" install just did the same thing... non-system disk or disk error.

I just tried the disk internally and it does boot. Looks like in the case of the second laptop, I'm dealing with a BIOS error. The e-sata is first in the boot priority but it's not appearing in the "F9" boot options menu and the laptop isn't trying it during boot.

EDIT again: Just found out the bios does not support boot from e-sata when the SATA controller mode is set to AHCI or IDE, only RAID.