Xubuntu installer doesn't recognize other OS-es

[numiz]

I already have a dual boot of Win XP and Win 7. I wanted to add Xubuntu from live USB, but the installer doesn't give me the option to install it alongside other systems.

Output od sudo fdisk -lu:

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders, total 156301488 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x9a779a77

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 156299326 78149632 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

Disk /dev/sdb: 163.9 GB, 163928604672 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19929 cylinders, total 320173056 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x3b153b14

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 63 73400319 36700128+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sdb2 73400922 320159384 123379231+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb5 73400985 320159384 123379200 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

Disk /dev/sdc: 4051 MB, 4051697664 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 492 cylinders, total 7913472 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xe16cd6ae

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 63 7887914 3943926 b W95 FAT32



Output of sudo parted -l

Model: ATA WDC WD800JD-00HK (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 80.0GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32.3kB 80.0GB 80.0GB primary ntfs boot


Model: ATA Maxtor 6L160M0 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 164GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32.3kB 37.6GB 37.6GB primary ntfs boot
2 37.6GB 164GB 126GB extended lba
5 37.6GB 164GB 126GB logical ntfs


Model: JetFlash Transcend 4GB (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 4052MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32.3kB 4039MB 4039MB primary fat32 boot


Gparted shows all partitions fine. The only exception is the installer which seems not to recognize one hard disk (/dev/sda). Windows shows partitions as basic with simple layout and MBR table. I don't know if it uses AHCI or IDE since it is nowhere in BIOS to change. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have been searching for a solution for a few days, but for most people, the problem turns out to be GPT table. I checked for this using fixparts and it found nothing (as it shouldn't since the computer is quite old. It did have Win 8.1 on it once though.).

254333254330254331254332

[Bucky Ball]

Welcome. Where exactly are you intending to install it? You have no free space on either drive. Ubuntu can't install alongside Windows if there is no free space to install to.

You need to shrink a partition to create free space.

[numiz]

But I installed it on my laptop that way just fine. By free space you mean unallocated space? Laptop had no unallocated space, and the installer let me choose the size of a new partition. It had a simpler setup though, single partition with Win 8 on it.

[Bucky Ball]

You are talking about Wubi? Install Ubuntu inside Windows? If you are installing Ubuntu successfully and have no free space to start with, you must be.

Wubi is no longer supported by Canonical and you will get very little help with it here. Please read:

Wubi recommendations:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2229766

Good luck.

[numiz]

What is Wubi? xD

I used a live USB in both cases.

EDIT: Looked it up, no, I'm not using Wubi. Just a normal install from inside the live environment.

[Bucky Ball]

Okay, well if you are successfully installing Ubuntu with no unallocated space to install to to begin with, you have me totally stumped, sorry. :-k

[numiz]

I have no idea, the installer offered me the "Install Xubuntu alongside Windows" option, then it let me adjust the size with a slider. Note that this is another computer (the laptop); the one I'm having problems with and for which I posted this thread is desktop, because it doesn't offer me this option.

It looked similar to this:
http://www.dedoimedo.com/images/computers_years/2014_1/dual-boot-windows-7-xubuntu-installation-type.jpg

[Bucky Ball]

Yep, now I'm with you.

Which drive are you trying to install to? sda or b?

[numiz]

a, but I'm not particularly picky. I could squeeze it on sdb5 too. And it doesn't show sda in installer at all.

[numiz]

If I make some free space myself and install Xubuntu there, will it mess up boot of other OSes?

EDIT: Solved! Turns out sda had some spare RAID data on it. I ran sudo dmraid -rE and that did the trick.

[numiz]

Sorry, but where should the bootloader be installed, since I have Windows XP on one hard disk and 7 on the other hard disk?

[sudodus]

Congratulations to finding the raid data and solving the problem :KS

I would install grub to the same drive as Xubuntu (which I think is /dev/sda). Install it to the head of the drive (there should be no partition number). You may have to change the boot order in the BIOS menu system, so that the computer looks for the bootloader in that drive.

[numiz]

Thank you. I thought I'd install it there too, but the fact that Windows 7 is on /dev/sdb (and its bootloader governs both 7 and XP) confused me.

[sudodus]

I think it will work without any manual intervention.

If you have problems, you might be able to chainload to /dev/sdb and the Windows versions. See this link

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick#Chainloading

[numiz]

OK, one last question (sorry, I'd rather not mess the boot up): sudo os-prober returns this:

/dev/sda1:Windows 7 (loader):Windows:chain
Where is Windows XP?

[sudodus]

I think you get from grub to a second menu (of Windows 7), where you can select between the two Windows versions.

[numiz]

Yeah, I read it's supposed to work that way.

OK then, here goes the installation! :D

[yancek]

I think you get from grub to a second menu (of Windows 7), where you can select between the two Windows versions.

That has been my experience also. Windows bootloaders are backward compatible meaning if you install windows 7 after xp, the 7 bootloader will detect and create an entry for xp. It is possible to do the reverse but from what I have seen at the microsoft sit, it gets pretty messy and includes manual modificaation of the various boot files. If you have xp on sda, I would not be surprised if the windows 7 boot files are there also.