candtalan
November 10th, 2008, 05:04 PM
I have just installed Ubuntu 8.10 from the live CD and chose to install using the desktop icon GUI Install.
The machine has two hard drives and I wanted to install into a 19GB space which was previously the third primary partition (sda3) of 4 partitions.
I ran the live CD and then used its partition editor to identify the third partition on the 'a' drive sda3 and I deleted it leaving a space. This was now the largest available space on the drive. Since there was no space on the second drive, hdb, I intended to tell the installer to use the largest available space - on drive 'a' that is.
The installer recognised the two drives and their partitions, and also indicated that the expected space of 19GB was available.
I first clicked the use drive hda entire drive, then clicked on
Guided use the largest continuous free space. Then Forward.
I was surprised to see the graphic indicate clearly that ALL of drive 'a' would become ubuntu 8.10, and to emphasize this, was indicated Ubuntu 8.10, 100%.
However the radio button was still showing Guided - use the largest continuous free space.
There was obviously an error somewhere.
As it happens I knew that other things on drive 'a' could be replaced, with inconvenience if necessary, and I decided to continue in this test.
If I had been in a real situation of experienced user and valuable information on other partitions with greater inconvenience, I would have aborted the install method. Worse, if I had been an inexperienced user, perhaps a first time away from windows, I would have hopefully aborted and quite likely would have lost faith in the CD and maybe the distribution.
This could be a potential significant problem because the live CDs of 8.10 are intended to be used by newcomers?
As you may by now have guessed, as I did, before I took a chance and continued, that the graphic indications were in error but the installer proper was still configured correctly as I had requested. (I know this because it all turned out ok.........)
At the point of no-turning-back I noted carefully the items stated to be formatted.
It stated that the partition tables of the folowing devices are to be changed:
SCSI1 : (0,0,0) (sda)
SCSI1 : (0,1,0) (sdb)
I do not understand why the partition table of sdb, the second drive, was to be changed, perhaps because there was a swap file in existance on it, as well as a swap on hda also, not sure, it just seemed strange.
Then:
The following partitions are going to be formatted:
#5 of SCSI1 (0,0,0)
#6 of SCSI1 (0,0,0)
which looks correct. A new logical partition would be created, (sda3) then it would contain sda5 and sda6.
It all completed ok. But I am concerned that the partitioner graphical indications seem to be broken - in a way which would stop the show if it worried somebody - as it certainly ought to.
I am also unsure about the need to change to partition table of (0,1,0) (sdb).
An installed version can easily be updated subsequently and will get straightened out in time. However, a live CD with a newbie-facing worrisome error will have a disproportionate effect in suggesting a bad reputation.
Hopefully not many newcomers will have two hard drives in their PC. Maybe that will make a difference?
Any one else found this?
The machine has two hard drives and I wanted to install into a 19GB space which was previously the third primary partition (sda3) of 4 partitions.
I ran the live CD and then used its partition editor to identify the third partition on the 'a' drive sda3 and I deleted it leaving a space. This was now the largest available space on the drive. Since there was no space on the second drive, hdb, I intended to tell the installer to use the largest available space - on drive 'a' that is.
The installer recognised the two drives and their partitions, and also indicated that the expected space of 19GB was available.
I first clicked the use drive hda entire drive, then clicked on
Guided use the largest continuous free space. Then Forward.
I was surprised to see the graphic indicate clearly that ALL of drive 'a' would become ubuntu 8.10, and to emphasize this, was indicated Ubuntu 8.10, 100%.
However the radio button was still showing Guided - use the largest continuous free space.
There was obviously an error somewhere.
As it happens I knew that other things on drive 'a' could be replaced, with inconvenience if necessary, and I decided to continue in this test.
If I had been in a real situation of experienced user and valuable information on other partitions with greater inconvenience, I would have aborted the install method. Worse, if I had been an inexperienced user, perhaps a first time away from windows, I would have hopefully aborted and quite likely would have lost faith in the CD and maybe the distribution.
This could be a potential significant problem because the live CDs of 8.10 are intended to be used by newcomers?
As you may by now have guessed, as I did, before I took a chance and continued, that the graphic indications were in error but the installer proper was still configured correctly as I had requested. (I know this because it all turned out ok.........)
At the point of no-turning-back I noted carefully the items stated to be formatted.
It stated that the partition tables of the folowing devices are to be changed:
SCSI1 : (0,0,0) (sda)
SCSI1 : (0,1,0) (sdb)
I do not understand why the partition table of sdb, the second drive, was to be changed, perhaps because there was a swap file in existance on it, as well as a swap on hda also, not sure, it just seemed strange.
Then:
The following partitions are going to be formatted:
#5 of SCSI1 (0,0,0)
#6 of SCSI1 (0,0,0)
which looks correct. A new logical partition would be created, (sda3) then it would contain sda5 and sda6.
It all completed ok. But I am concerned that the partitioner graphical indications seem to be broken - in a way which would stop the show if it worried somebody - as it certainly ought to.
I am also unsure about the need to change to partition table of (0,1,0) (sdb).
An installed version can easily be updated subsequently and will get straightened out in time. However, a live CD with a newbie-facing worrisome error will have a disproportionate effect in suggesting a bad reputation.
Hopefully not many newcomers will have two hard drives in their PC. Maybe that will make a difference?
Any one else found this?