Install 12.04 alongside 9.10 - inncorrect location?

[joebrady]

I've been running an HTPC with 9.10 and XBMC for quite some time. Zotac dual core Atom, 3, 1Tb HDs. I've not wanted to mess with it since getting everything right, but it's finally time to update...

I wanted to install 12.04 along side 9.10, so i had the option of dual booting until the time I had everything set up in 12.04 just as I wanted it for daily use.

9.10 is installed on a partition of sda (the first hd), with also a swap partition and then a third for storage. The other two hard drive are storage and backup.

When I get to the option to install along side 9.10, the installer only give me one option for one location in which to install (sdc, the third drive). This is not the drive I want to add partitions to or lose any data on.

How to I get the installer to show sda as an option? (just as a test, i went to the full install option, and there I can see all three disks in the drop down list as options..)

Any help is appreciated and if I need to provide more info, let me know, thanks!

[fantab]

Post the output of:


sudo fdisk -l
sudo parted -l

[Bucky Ball]

Make some free space next to 9.10 or somewhere on sda (shrink a partition). That will then give you an option to install there. You can do that when choosing 'Something Else' during install or by using Gparted when running the desktop from a LiveCD.

You can't install on sda if there is no free space there to install.

[joebrady]

That was my first thought actually, and I tried this to no avail. Of course, may have done it incorrectly. I created an empty 20G partition on the drive I wanted to use, as EXT4, and marked it at "bootable", but it still did not show up. I think I have all the data I need off that drive now, so maybe I'll just bite the bullet and format and start from scratch....

[fantab]

No, don't mark it as bootable. Post the output of commands I requested earlier.

[joebrady]

Ah, as a last ditch effort before that I went into the "something else" option. There I was able to add the mount point of / to that new partition, so fingers crossed it works.

fantab - if this doesn't work I'll post those, thanks for the reply.

[joebrady]

Well, it did let me install in on that partition of the first disk where I wanted it, but I got no dual boot option upon restart, so...

output of fdisk -l below, output of gparted just gave me a "no such device" message...

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000dadee


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 2527 20298096 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 2528 121601 956461905 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 2528 2910 3076416 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 2911 118990 932412568+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda7 * 118991 121601 20972826 83 Linux


WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sdb'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.




Disk /dev/sdb: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 121602 976762583+ ee GPT


Disk /dev/sdc: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x05de22ff


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 1 108167 868846007 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc2 108168 121601 107908605 7 HPFS/NTFS

[fantab]

My bad. also edited the earlier post.

sudo parted -l

Don't use 'boot' flag on /dev/sda7, instead put it on /dev/sda1

[Bucky Ball]

Okay, just hold down the shift key when you boot. That should give you a list with installed OS and you're good to go.

If Windows is not there, boot to Ubuntu, open a terminal and run:

sudo update-grub

Reboot and hold down shift. Is it there now? If that worked we can make the list appear at boot without holding down shift if you like.


My bad. also edited the earlier post.

sudo parted -l

Don't use 'boot' flag on /dev/sda7, instead put it on /dev/sda1

Don't know if any of this matters now as you have Ubuntu installed and booting, just not getting a selection at boot. That's a different matter. (Unless you've accidentally wiped Windows.) You are sure it is still on the drive (you can check with Gparted)? ;)