"No root file system defined"

[Alex455]

All right, round two. I got Ubuntu 10.10 to install on the other computer, now I'm working on this one. I went through the same processes as I had last time, but I got a different error, it says that no root system is defined. (Shown in the image) The partitioning menu (I'm assuming it's the screen above "Boot loader") doesn't offer me any options, and the drop-down arrow won't let me select anything other than /dev/sda.

http://i53.tinypic.com/25u14q9.png

I'm installing from the same flash drive containing the info I'd gotten from Unetbootin, the same one as in this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1788706 (Though I'm installing it on a different computer, the installation on the one mentioned in that thread was completed.)

Here's the RESULTS.txt:


Boot Info Script 0.60 from 17 May 2011


============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================

=> Acer PQService MBR is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.
=> Syslinux MBR (3.61-4.03) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdf.
=> Acer PQService MBR is installed in the MBR of /dev/mapper/nvidia_fadaaaai.

sda1: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Mounting failed: fuse: mount failed: Device or resource busy
fuse: mount failed: Device or resource busy

sda2: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Mounting failed: fuse: mount failed: Device or resource busy
fuse: mount failed: Device or resource busy
fuse: mount failed: Device or resource busy
fuse: mount failed: Device or resource busy

sdf1: __________________________________________________ ________________________

File system: vfat
Boot sector type: SYSLINUX 4.03 2010-10-22 ........>..sr>..........9...0...~.....~...f...M.f.f....f..0~....>E}.u......
Boot sector info: Syslinux looks at sector 1473688 of /dev/sdf1 for its
second stage. SYSLINUX is installed in the directory.
The integrity check of the ADV area failed. No errors
found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /syslinux.cfg /ldlinux.sys

nvidia_fadaaaai1: __________________________________________________ ____________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files: /BOOTMGR /boot/BCD

nvidia_fadaaaai2: __________________________________________________ ____________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows Vista
Boot files: /bootmgr /Boot/BCD /Windows/System32/winload.exe

============================ Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda __________________________________________________ ___________________

Disk /dev/sda: 640.1 GB, 640135028736 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 77825 cylinders, total 1250263728 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System

/dev/sda1 63 30,732,344 30,732,282 27 Hidden NTFS (Recovery Environment)
/dev/sda2 * 30,734,336 1,250,260,991 1,219,526,656 7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS


Drive: sdf __________________________________________________ ___________________

Disk /dev/sdf: 2056 MB, 2056257536 bytes
16 heads, 32 sectors/track, 7844 cylinders, total 4016128 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System

/dev/sdf1 * 32 4,016,127 4,016,096 e W95 FAT16 (LBA)


Drive: nvidia_fadaaaai __________________________________________________ ___________________

Disk /dev/mapper/nvidia_fadaaaai: 640.1 GB, 640135004160 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 77825 cylinders, total 1250263680 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System

/dev/mapper/nvidia_fadaaaai1 63 30,732,344 30,732,282 27 Hidden NTFS (Recovery Environment)
/dev/mapper/nvidia_fadaaaai2 * 30,734,336 1,250,260,991 1,219,526,656 7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS


"blkid" output: __________________________________________________ ______________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/loop0 squashfs
/dev/sda1 02341CAA341CA329 ntfs PQSERVICE
/dev/sda2 342ECC5A2ECC16B0 ntfs OS
/dev/sdf1 6B89-3230 vfat TravelDrive

================================ Mount points: =================================

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/loop0 /rofs squashfs (ro,noatime)
/dev/sdf1 /cdrom vfat (ro,noatime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=cp437,i ocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,errors=remount-ro)


=========================== sdf1/boot/grub/grub.cfg: ===========================

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

if loadfont /boot/grub/font.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=auto
insmod efi_gop
insmod efi_uga
insmod gfxterm
terminal_output gfxterm
fi

set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray

menuentry "Try Ubuntu without installing" {
set gfxpayload=keep
linux /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash --
initrd /casper/initrd.lz
}
menuentry "Install Ubuntu" {
set gfxpayload=keep
linux /casper/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash --
initrd /casper/initrd.lz
}
menuentry "Check disc for defects" {
set gfxpayload=keep
linux /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper integrity-check quiet splash --
initrd /casper/initrd.lz
}
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

============================== sdf1/syslinux.cfg: ==============================

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
default menu.c32
prompt 0
menu title UNetbootin
timeout 100

label unetbootindefault
menu label Default
kernel /ubnkern
append initrd=/ubninit file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash --

label ubnentry0
menu label ^Help
kernel /ubnkern
append initrd=/ubninit

label ubnentry1
menu label ^Try Ubuntu without installing
kernel /casper/vmlinuz
append initrd=/casper/initrd.lz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash --

label ubnentry2
menu label ^Install Ubuntu
kernel /casper/vmlinuz
append initrd=/casper/initrd.lz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash --

label ubnentry3
menu label ^Check disc for defects
kernel /casper/vmlinuz
append initrd=/casper/initrd.lz boot=casper integrity-check quiet splash --

label ubnentry4
menu label Test ^memory
kernel /install/mt86plus
append initrd=/ubninit

label ubnentry5
menu label ^Boot from first hard disk
kernel /ubnkern
append initrd=/ubninit

label ubnentry6
menu label Try Ubuntu without installing
kernel /casper/vmlinuz
append initrd=/casper/initrd.lz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash --

label ubnentry7
menu label Install Ubuntu
kernel /casper/vmlinuz
append initrd=/casper/initrd.lz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash --

label ubnentry8
menu label Check disc for defects
kernel /casper/vmlinuz
append initrd=/casper/initrd.lz boot=casper integrity-check quiet splash --

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=================== sdf1: Location of files loaded by Grub: ====================

GiB - GB File Fragment(s)

?? = ?? boot/grub/grub.cfg 1

================= sdf1: Location of files loaded by Syslinux: ==================

GiB - GB File Fragment(s)

?? = ?? ldlinux.sys 1
?? = ?? menu.c32 1
?? = ?? syslinux.cfg 1

============== sdf1: Version of COM32(R) files used by Syslinux: ===============

menu.c32 : COM32R module (v4.xx)

[zvacet]

You have to dedicate some free space to your Ubuntu installation and format it as ext4 and mount point should be / root.When you do that continue with install.

[Alex455]

Thanks for your reply, Zvacet. I wanted to just run a clean install over Vista, deleting it in the process, but I suppose I can just delete that partition after I have Ubuntu installed.

And hell, I suppose I can keep about 20GB or so of a Vista partition just in case. Why not?

[mörgæs]

Yes, if you want to get rid of Windows, you just choose 'use entire disk for Ubuntu' while installing.

[Alex455]

http://i52.tinypic.com/n695hw.png

I shrank sda2 by about 20GB to install Ubuntu onto, but I'm still running into the same problems.

[zvacet]

See this. (http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download)When you get to the stage to allocate space choose something else.That will give you option to mark your partition (20GB) as /root and format it as ext4.

[Alex455]

Excuse me if I'm missing something, but it never shows me the options in http://tinyurl.com/3rsqptn. When I click "Install Ubuntu 10.10 it brings me to this (http://www.ubuntu.com/sites/www.ubuntu.com/files/active/natty/01-welcome.jpg) screen then this (http://www.ubuntu.com/sites/www.ubuntu.com/files/active/natty/03-preparing-to-install-ubuntu.jpg) screen then I see this (http://i53.tinypic.com/25u14q9.png) screen that I linked in the first post. I didn't see an option in GParted to mark the partition I'd made as /root, though it did give me the option to format as ext4. My apologies if I'm missing something, because it seems like I am, but I'm at a loss here.