Ubuntu 11.10 Install Issues w RAID

[jason2713]

Hi All -
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am attempting to install Ubuntu 11/10 onto a server I've custom built and I'm having issues setting up the partitioning.


Here is the hardware set up I'm attempting:
2x 250GB HDDs in a RAID1 array
7x 2T HDDs in a RAID5 array
1x 1T HDD in no RAID setup

When I attempted to install the O/S on the 250GB array, the boot sector could not be installed. I've searched far and wide and apparently there are 4 partitions you must make.

/boot on the non-RAID HDD Size: 300MB
swap on the non-RAID HDD Size: 18GB
/ on the RAID1 Array Size: 35GB
/home on the RAID5 Array Size: 9T

This didnt' work what so ever.

So I deleted all the RAID arrays, tried to do it simple by installing Ubuntu on just a single non-RAIDed 250GB HDD with the same sizes as above, just on one hard drive. It booted into the O/S perfectly, with no problems.

However, when I try to recreate the RAID5 array (the O/S is not installed on these drives), Ubuntu does not boot and the server just hangs after the POST.
When I delete the RAID5 array, it boots fine again. It's as though it doesn't know what to boot from?

My question is, I can't figure out how to install the O/S on a RAID1 array. What am I doing wrong? Is my partitioning making sense what so ever (I'm new to this)? If the RAID1 array is not possible, why can I not even get it to boot when there is a RAID5 array? What am I doing wrong? Any help will be much appreciated and if you need more information/details, please let me know.

[darkod]

First and most important, are you using the standard desktop cd or the alternate or server cd?

If you want to install the standard desktop version but on a RAID, you need to use the alternate install cd, not the standard desktop cd. It has raid support which the desktop cd doesn't.

Of course, if installing a server system you use the server cd, that has raid support too.

Otherwise, having /boot as separate partition outside the array is only needed in RAID0 if I'm not mistaken. Since you plan to use RAID1 for the / partition, no need for separate /boot.

If you used the desktop cd I think this was the reason the bootloader install failed. Try it again with the alternate cd, it should work fine.

[jason2713]

First and most important, are you using the standard desktop cd or the alternate or server cd?

If you want to install the standard desktop version but on a RAID, you need to use the alternate install cd, not the standard desktop cd. It has raid support which the desktop cd doesn't.

Of course, if installing a server system you use the server cd, that has raid support too.

Otherwise, having /boot as separate partition outside the array is only needed in RAID0 if I'm not mistaken. Since you plan to use RAID1 for the / partition, no need for separate /boot.

If you used the desktop cd I think this was the reason the bootloader install failed. Try it again with the alternate cd, it should work fine.

I believe its the desktop CD actually, is the server version free? I'll have to look for it.

[darkod]

They are all free.

Another question is what do you plan to use the machine for, if you want it to be a server, using the server cd is the first choice. However you have to be aware that like most linux server, the default install is only a text based system, it doesn't have a GUI.

If you feel more comfortable with the desktop system and you want to add components to use it as a server, the alternate cd installs the same desktop system, but the installer is text based and it has support for raid as already said.

http://releases.ubuntu.com/oneiric/

At the bottom of the page are the links for all ISOs. Look carefully in the file name, it will say if it's desktop, alternate or server. Also, if it's 32bit or 64bit. Choose what you want.

I usually download the .torrent file, and use torrent to download, it's faster and the torrent program checks for corruption during download.

[jason2713]

They are all free.

Another question is what do you plan to use the machine for, if you want it to be a server, using the server cd is the first choice. However you have to be aware that like most linux server, the default install is only a text based system, it doesn't have a GUI.

If you feel more comfortable with the desktop system and you want to add components to use it as a server, the alternate cd installs the same desktop system, but the installer is text based and it has support for raid as already said.

http://releases.ubuntu.com/oneiric/

At the bottom of the page are the links for all ISOs. Look carefully in the file name, it will say if it's desktop, alternate or server. Also, if it's 32bit or 64bit. Choose what you want.

I usually download the .torrent file, and use torrent to download, it's faster and the torrent program checks for corruption during download.

Well yea, I'll want to use the GUI version, I am attempting to install a wiki software to make it a web server.

My goal was to RAID1 the system drive and RAID5 the data drives. This is how I set up all my windows based systems. I'll have to get this alternative CD to install it then. Thanks so much! I'll let you know how this goes. Fingers crossed.

[jason2713]

ok so the alternative CD wouldn't load when the SATA raid array is made, but boots when its deleted.

I let the CD partition the drive.

Should I not let that happen? Im kind of at a loss.