Installation errors

[Giegue]

I'm very new to Linux, and am trying to install Ubuntu onto a Dell Optiplex GX280. At a certain point in the installation, I keep getting an error. It gets to Step 4, sets up the partitioner, then gives me four choices. I choose the default:

"Guided - resize SCS!1 (0,0,0), partition #1 (sda) and use freed space"

I click next, and it brings up a smaller window about writing the previous changes to disk. I click continue, and get the following error:

"An error occurred while writing the changes to the storage devices. The resize operation has been aborted"

It then continues to the next screen, which has one partition, then free space. I try to continues, and it say:

"No root file system is defined. Please correct this from the partitioning menu"


Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Pumalite]

Are you trying to dual boot? XP? Vista? If XP; use Gparted Live CD and shrink the XP partition. If Vista; use the Vista partitioner.
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installing
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/partitioning
http://www.howtoforge.com/dual_boot_windows_xp_vista_ubuntu_feisty_p2?
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=464425

[Giegue]

There is no other OS on the system. As far as I know, the only thing on this computer is Ubuntu.

Actually, I think there are remnants of a Windows XP OS that didn't install correctly.

[Pumalite]

Then use Gparted Live CD to delete anything left in the drive and format it ext3. Then install Ubuntu>Guided>Use Entire Disk.
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=115843&package_id=271779
Burn the iso to disk and boot from it.

[Giegue]

I booted that disk, and when it got to a window, all the text was incredibly small. Way too small to read, so I had no idea what to click.

[Pumalite]

Try Partition Editor from the Ubuntu Live CD.