Cannot Install Lubuntu: No Root File System is Defined (system crash)

**m3yw0lf** · July 19th, 2013

I have used my linux laptop to create a bootable USB to install Lubuntu on my netbook (the specifications of which can be found here )

However I keep getting a screen that says "No Root File System Defined." The problem is that I cannot define the root file because there are none available to me on the provided menu.

Here is my process.

First, I format my USB using Gparted:

Screenshot from 2013-07-18 12:35:35.png

Then I use a downloaded lubuntu ISO (I have checked MD5SUM and it passed)
I've created a bootable USB using two programs (wiping and formatting the USB before each attempt)

First using Startup Disk Creator (kde)

sd1.png

Second using UNebootin

un1.png

Once I've completed the process for both, the result is the same.

I insert into my netbook (after going into the BIOS menu and setting it to boot from usb)

The install options appear.

I click Check disc for defects. > no defects.

I click Install Lubuntu. I choose my language. I choose my wifi.

And then I get this menu. I click Install now, and then I get this message:

lb2.JPG

When I click "-" "+" or "Change..." the system crashes:

lb3.JPG

I have tried this with two other USB sticks, and different versions of both Lubuntu and Ubuntu.

Can anyone help me with this? Thanks ahead of time!

**sudodus** · July 19th, 2013

Can you try Lubuntu (not install, only run a live system from the install USB drive)?

1. If you can, open a terminal window, open the file browser and mount all partitions that can be mounted.

Run the following commands and post the output (cut and paste from the terminal window to 'this' editing window.

Code:

 sudo fdisk -lu

Code:

 sudo parted -l

Code:

df

I want you to do this because I think many of us can give much better advice after seeing the result. Maybe you have four primary partitions, and no possibility to create more partitions unless you delete one partition (that is big enough to give you enough space to install Lubuntu).

2. If you have Windows, boot into it, and check the partitions. If there are dynamic partitions, linux will have problems. You need to convert dynamic partitions to standard partitions.

Edit:
a. the second command was wrong, it is now changed to what it should be: sudo parted -l
b. the descriptions of the tasks are more detailed and I hope easier to understand in my next post (Post #4)

**m3yw0lf** · July 20th, 2013

I can do that! Here was the output:

align-check TYPE N check partition N for TYPE(min|opt)
alignment
check NUMBER do a simple check on the file system
cp [FROM-DEVICE] FROM-NUMBER TO-NUMBER copy file system to another partition
help [COMMAND] print general help, or help on
COMMAND
mklabel,mktable LABEL-TYPE create a new disklabel (partition
table)
mkfs NUMBER FS-TYPE make a FS-TYPE file system on
partition NUMBER
mkpart PART-TYPE [FS-TYPE] START END make a partition
mkpartfs PART-TYPE FS-TYPE START END make a partition with a file system
move NUMBER START END move partition NUMBER
name NUMBER NAME name partition NUMBER as NAME
print [devices|free|list,all|NUMBER] display the partition table,
available devices, free space, all found partitions, or a particular
partition
quit exit program
rescue START END rescue a lost partition near START
and END
resize NUMBER START END resize partition NUMBER and its file
system
rm NUMBER delete partition NUMBER
select DEVICE choose the device to edit
set NUMBER FLAG STATE change the FLAG on partition NUMBER
toggle [NUMBER [FLAG]] toggle the state of FLAG on partition
NUMBER
unit UNIT set the default unit to UNIT
version display the version number and
copyright information of GNU Parted

**sudodus** · July 20th, 2013

I'm very sorry! Bad communication from both of us. Two of my suggested commands were correct. You did not respond to them. One of my suggested commands (sudo parted) was missing the option -l. You responded to that (and you only got a help output).

We came a tiny step forward. We know that you can run parted, and you should be able to run all these three commands now. I want you to run these three commands because I think many of us can give much better advice after seeing the result. Maybe you have four primary partitions, and no possibility to create more partitions unless you delete one partition (that is big enough to give you enough space to install Lubuntu).

-o-

1. Lubuntu

Try Lubuntu (not install, only run a live system from the install USB drive)

1a. If you can, open the file browser and mount all partitions that can be mounted. Simply click on the icons for the partitions in the left panel of the file browser. (The file browser corresponds to Explorer in Windows.)

1b. Open a terminal window.

For the following commands please post the output between code tags like this

[code]output[/code]

to get output like this

Code:

output

1c. Run the following commands and post the output (cut and paste from the terminal window to 'this' editing window).

Code:

 sudo fdisk -lu

Code:

 sudo parted -l

Code:

df

2. Windows

If you have Windows, boot into it, and check the partitions. If there are dynamic partitions, linux will have problems. You need to convert dynamic partitions to standard partitions.

**pixiq** · July 20th, 2013

I think your problem is that

- either you have an msdos partition table with four partitions. So the Lubuntu installer can not create a new one

- or you have too little free space (you need 4.6 gigabyte free space in one partition, that can be used for Lubuntu).

**Vormeph** · July 20th, 2013

Why did you format your USB through gparted? It's unnecessary since your USB is formated anyway through Startup Disk Creator. My USB is formated as NTFS but still works. What did you format your USB as? Nvm, I realised that you formatted it as Fat32. Linux should support Fat32, but this file system is really used on Windows, not Linux. It's possible your Linux isn't recognising Fat32. Have you tried formatting your USB as NTFS?

**m3yw0lf** · July 20th, 2013

Originally Posted by sudodus

I'm very sorry! Bad communication from both of us. Two of my suggested commands were correct. You did not respond to them. One of my suggested commands (sudo parted) was missing the option -l. You responded to that (and you only got a help output).

We came a tiny step forward. We know that you can run parted, and you should be able to run all these three commands now. I want you to run these three commands because I think many of us can give much better advice after seeing the result. Maybe you have four primary partitions, and no possibility to create more partitions unless you delete one partition (that is big enough to give you enough space to install Lubuntu).

I'm sorry I misunderstood- I'm am (quite obviously) new to Linux. Here is my second shot at answering your question:

sudo fdisk -lu

Code:

lubuntu@lubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 4112 MB, 4112515072 bytes
9 heads, 8 sectors/track, 111559 cylinders, total 8032256 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: 0x000311cb


   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *         680     8032255     4015788    b  W95 FAT32

sudo parted -l

Code:

lubuntu@lubuntu:~$ sudo parted -lModel: Generic Flash Disk (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 4113MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos


Number  Start  End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
 1      348kB  4113MB  4112MB  primary  fat32        boot

df

Code:

lubuntu@lubuntu:~$ dfFilesystem     1K-blocks    Used Available Use% Mounted on
/cow             1032088   85820    893840   9% /
udev              497432       4    497428   1% /dev
tmpfs             101712     776    100936   1% /run
/dev/sda1        4007940 1755700   2252240  44% /cdrom
/dev/loop0        642560  642560         0 100% /rofs
none                   4       0         4   0% /sys/fs/cgroup
tmpfs             508560       4    508556   1% /tmp
none                5120       0      5120   0% /run/lock
none              508560     220    508340   1% /run/shm
none              102400       8    102392   1% /run/user

Originally Posted by sudodus

2. Windows

If you have Windows, boot into it, and check the partitions. If there are dynamic partitions, linux will have problems. You need to convert dynamic partitions to standard partitions.

To answer this question, I don't have windows on the netbook. The netbook used to have windows, but my friend put Lubuntu on it. He must have done it wrong because something went corrupt and it now won't load past the BIOS menu. This is why I am trying to get Lubuntu back on it.

**m3yw0lf** · July 20th, 2013

Originally Posted by Vormeph

Why did you format your USB through gparted? It's unnecessary since your USB is formated anyway through Startup Disk Creator. My USB is formated as NTFS but still works. What did you format your USB as? Nvm, I realised that you formatted it as Fat32. Linux should support Fat32, but this file system is really used on Windows, not Linux. It's possible your Linux isn't recognising Fat32. Have you tried formatting your USB as NTFS?

Thanks for the suggestion. I will give that a shot.