batbelt
December 25th, 2006, 07:26 AM
I am astounded at the confluence of errors that I experienced when attempting to install Kubuntu. A colleague recommended that I try KDE and recommended this distribution.
I would like to solicit comments on my experience so that I can better understand how the situation I encountered came to be.
The following is a copy of the message I sent to my colleague:
Greetings!
This is [me] from [computer service organization]
Here is how I've spent my time just lately:
Had a PC with W2K Pro on it. Set up partitions in
anticipation of loading Kubuntu.
Loaded Kubuntu 6.10 Edgy. The installation just stared
at me. Turns out qtparted was sucking up all the CPU.
No problem. That's what I get for dealing with
bleeding-edge ware.
Fall back to Kubuntu 6.06.1 Dapper. Same thing.
Research. Turns out to be a known problem. Delete all
the Linux partitions I created. I will create them
during the Kubuntu install instead.
Load Kubuntu 6.06.1 Dapper. Choose manual
partitioning. Create the partitions.
I noticed that even though I had typed in partition
labels, they are not being displayed. If I select the
partition and do a format, I get another opportunity
to supply a label.
Okay, so I format my first Linux partition and give it
a label. Whoa! Look what I did. I must have selected
the very next partition by accident. It did not format
/dev/hda6, I formatted /dev/hda7 (seven) by accident.
I am so stupid. I am worthless. I wiped out my W2k
transient partition. No big loss. Let's go fix it.
I selected the clobbered W2K transient partition
(/dev/hda7), chose NTFS, and supplied a label. It
formats it.
No it didn't.
The mother-luvin fscking bastige WENT AND FORMATTED
/DEV/HDA8!!! Turns out I didn't screw up, the
partitioner did. qtparted in the blessed official
"please-use-this-one" version doesn't format the
partition you told it to do, IT FORMATS THE ONE THAT
COMES RIGHT AFTER THE ONE YOU PICKED OUT!
This can't be right. It must have the table wrong. I
hit the "Go Back" button and then choose manual
partitioning again. I figure that it just needs to
read the table in again from scratch and everything
will look alright again.
Maybe that is what would have happened. I'll never
know. The qtparted bug description says that it has
trouble with Linux partitions made by other tools.
That is incorrect. It cannot handle THE LINUX
PARTITIONS THAT IT HAS MADE ITSELF! The partitioner
just stares at me again.
Let us pause here and have a moment of silence to
remember the W2K "Documents" that I have just
obliterated.
...
Ok, moment's over.
Howzabout we go fix things so I can at least get W2K
up again.
Fire up Partition Magic. Funny, even though I told
qtparted to make these partitions ext3 type, they are
showing up as "Linux ext2". Weird, huh? Oh well, who
cares. Let's just delete them HEY! PARTITION MAGIC
SAYS IT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE FILESYSTEM TYPE! IT
REFUSES TO DELETE THEM.
i a m i n a w o r l d o f s h y t t
e
I do not want you to tell me how to fix this. I have
already figured out how I can accomplish getting
Kubuntu installed if I choose to. I do not want you to
quiz me on my need to organize partitions in a certain
way. I realize that this shoddy craftsmanship is not
directly related to KDE. I do not want you to point
out where in the release notes this was covered. I do
not want you to supply impeccable justifications as to
why this fault was propogated from 6.06 to 6.10. I do
not wish to be directed to any newsgroups, web pages,
wikis, blogs where a warning and workaround are. I do
not want to know when this situation will be resolved.
I do not want help in recovering the W2K documents.
I always stayed away from KDE. I never had any trouble
with Ubuntu before. What I DO want you to do is
appreciate the reasons for my being negatively
interested in attempting to make use of KDE again.
That is, I don't think any amount of proselytizing
will get me near converting over to the dark side. So
be kind when you tell me all the neat things yours
does.
I thought I was getting a shiny red bike for
Christmas. Instead I got a burning sack of coals.
Ouch.
Peace!
I would like to solicit comments on my experience so that I can better understand how the situation I encountered came to be.
The following is a copy of the message I sent to my colleague:
Greetings!
This is [me] from [computer service organization]
Here is how I've spent my time just lately:
Had a PC with W2K Pro on it. Set up partitions in
anticipation of loading Kubuntu.
Loaded Kubuntu 6.10 Edgy. The installation just stared
at me. Turns out qtparted was sucking up all the CPU.
No problem. That's what I get for dealing with
bleeding-edge ware.
Fall back to Kubuntu 6.06.1 Dapper. Same thing.
Research. Turns out to be a known problem. Delete all
the Linux partitions I created. I will create them
during the Kubuntu install instead.
Load Kubuntu 6.06.1 Dapper. Choose manual
partitioning. Create the partitions.
I noticed that even though I had typed in partition
labels, they are not being displayed. If I select the
partition and do a format, I get another opportunity
to supply a label.
Okay, so I format my first Linux partition and give it
a label. Whoa! Look what I did. I must have selected
the very next partition by accident. It did not format
/dev/hda6, I formatted /dev/hda7 (seven) by accident.
I am so stupid. I am worthless. I wiped out my W2k
transient partition. No big loss. Let's go fix it.
I selected the clobbered W2K transient partition
(/dev/hda7), chose NTFS, and supplied a label. It
formats it.
No it didn't.
The mother-luvin fscking bastige WENT AND FORMATTED
/DEV/HDA8!!! Turns out I didn't screw up, the
partitioner did. qtparted in the blessed official
"please-use-this-one" version doesn't format the
partition you told it to do, IT FORMATS THE ONE THAT
COMES RIGHT AFTER THE ONE YOU PICKED OUT!
This can't be right. It must have the table wrong. I
hit the "Go Back" button and then choose manual
partitioning again. I figure that it just needs to
read the table in again from scratch and everything
will look alright again.
Maybe that is what would have happened. I'll never
know. The qtparted bug description says that it has
trouble with Linux partitions made by other tools.
That is incorrect. It cannot handle THE LINUX
PARTITIONS THAT IT HAS MADE ITSELF! The partitioner
just stares at me again.
Let us pause here and have a moment of silence to
remember the W2K "Documents" that I have just
obliterated.
...
Ok, moment's over.
Howzabout we go fix things so I can at least get W2K
up again.
Fire up Partition Magic. Funny, even though I told
qtparted to make these partitions ext3 type, they are
showing up as "Linux ext2". Weird, huh? Oh well, who
cares. Let's just delete them HEY! PARTITION MAGIC
SAYS IT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE FILESYSTEM TYPE! IT
REFUSES TO DELETE THEM.
i a m i n a w o r l d o f s h y t t
e
I do not want you to tell me how to fix this. I have
already figured out how I can accomplish getting
Kubuntu installed if I choose to. I do not want you to
quiz me on my need to organize partitions in a certain
way. I realize that this shoddy craftsmanship is not
directly related to KDE. I do not want you to point
out where in the release notes this was covered. I do
not want you to supply impeccable justifications as to
why this fault was propogated from 6.06 to 6.10. I do
not wish to be directed to any newsgroups, web pages,
wikis, blogs where a warning and workaround are. I do
not want to know when this situation will be resolved.
I do not want help in recovering the W2K documents.
I always stayed away from KDE. I never had any trouble
with Ubuntu before. What I DO want you to do is
appreciate the reasons for my being negatively
interested in attempting to make use of KDE again.
That is, I don't think any amount of proselytizing
will get me near converting over to the dark side. So
be kind when you tell me all the neat things yours
does.
I thought I was getting a shiny red bike for
Christmas. Instead I got a burning sack of coals.
Ouch.
Peace!