Linux Install on Windows Dual Boot

[aitai]

Hi, All

I am creating a multi-boot development environment, and stalled at the Linux Redhat 7.0 step. Right after I choose the custom installation option, I get the following error: 'An error occurred-No valid devices were found on which to create new file systems. Please check your hardware for any errors.'

Included below is the current layout. Thanks in advance for any insight-much appreciated!.

Current Environment;
-Primary Master (C: drive, Primary Partition, Active, FAT32, 6.8 GB) [ WIN98 SE, 6.8 GB ]
-Primary Slave (D: drive, Primary Partition, Not Active, FAT32, 14.3 GB)[ WIN2K, 5.98 GB ]
-Primary Slave (G: drive, Extended Logical Partition, Not Active, 8.29 GB)[ Empty, 3.0 GB ]
-Primary Slave (G: drive, Extended Logical Partition, Not Active, 8.29 GB)[ Unallocated, 5.3 GB ] intended for PM formatting and Linux installation.

 

[bubak]

Don't knwo, bout that error, but have U tried running fdisk, or some graphical fdisk tool during linux install? Did U see your partitions there?

 

[ifincham]

Hi,

Not too sure what you have on that second drive (two G: references ?). Try to run the install again and when it stops (or some convenient point) do ctl-alt-f2 . That should swap you to a root console. Type 'fdisk -l /dev/hdb' to display what linux fdisk thinks your second drive looks like & post the info here so that we can get a better idea of whats going on. Also do a 'fdisk -l /dev/hda' for good measure.

Do alt-ctl-f7 to go back to the graphical installer from the root console.

It might be that your unpartitioned space is above the 1024 cylinder limit so could not be booted but I would have thought it should offer you options to delete partitions, etc. so maybe not...

Rgds

 

[aitai]

Thanks for the responses

Ifincham, followed your advice, from the root console typed 'fdisk -l /dev/hdb' with no luck. The RETURN just went to the next line without processing the command. The only response that I got was from the version of fisk disk ('fdisk -v').

I formatted the unallocated space on disk 2 with PartionMagic as follows (the double reference to drive G: above was an error):

-Primary Slave (D: drive, Primary Partition, Not Active, FAT32, 14.3 GB)[ WIN2K, 5.98 GB ]
-Primary Slave (G: drive, Extended Logical Partition, Not Active, FAT 32, 3.0 GB)[ Empty ]
-Primary Slave (, Extended Logical Partition, Not Active, Linux EXT2, 4.65 GB)[ Empty ]
-Primary Slave (, Extended Logical Partition, Not Active, Linux Swap, 651 MB)[ Empty ]

If there is a method, let me know and I will email you a snapshot of all the drives.

Additional information:
Motherboard: Intel 450MHz Pentium III Processor w/ Integrated Sound
Processor: 450MHz Pentium III Processor
Memory: 320MB Memory Module
Master Hard Drive: 6.8GB 5400RPM UATA Hard Drive
Slave Hard Drive: 15GB 5400RPM UATA Hard Drive
Video Card: 16MB AGP Graphics Accelerator, The TNT A 16 megabyte (MB), SDRAM 2x AGP video card uses the RIVA TNT (TwiN-Texel) architecture

Thanks again for taking the time to look at this problem.

 

[ifincham]

Hi,

This sounds strange. Do the drives get recognised when the installer starts loading .. You should get messages like these :

hda: Maxtor 51369U3, 12949MB w/2048kB Cache, CHS=6577/64/63
hdb: Maxtor 51369U3, 12949MB w/2048kB Cache, CHS=6577/64/63

and

Partition check:
hda: hda1
hdb: hdb1 < hdb5 hdb6 hdb7>

The first messages are just examples - the partition check messages are what I think you should get for your setup.

As before, try virtual consoles ctl-alt-F4 (Kernel messages) and ctl-alt-F3 (install log) to see if there are any messages that help.

Also type 'mount' from the root console ctl-alt-F2 to see what is mounted. Its ctl-alt-F7 to go back to the X-windows installer screen.

One thing that occurs - are these drives attached directly to the motherboard ide controllers or via a add-on card like a promise ultra66 card or suchlike ? Also, in Partition Magic, does your linux partition start beyond the little arrow at the top of the graphic that indicates the 1024 cylinder limit ?

Rgds