Choosing install disc - help please!

[Wol]

I have downloaded and burned a 64 bit Mint 12 DVD, and can run it from the disc.

I now want to install Mint 12: I have my C drive with several partitions inc. Windoze 7, and three external, USB drives. I have formatted one of these, a 300GB drive, and thought to install Mint on this as a dual boot with W7 which stays on the C drive.

However, when I get to the "Choose disc to install Mint", the drop down menu shows one disc only - not the C drive, not the 300GB drive that I want, but another (2TB) drive! And there's no option to choose another.

Any ideas?

TIA

[lmarmisa]

Hi Wol,

Please, boot into your Mint 12 Live DVD, open a terminal, type this commad ans post the output:

Code: Select all

sudo fdisk -l


The previous command will show the hard drives detected on your system.

Regards,

Luis

[usbtux]

Please take a look at http://usbtux.hostzi.com/external as it might help with your problem.
Start by turning off (powering down) any external drive you dont want - so just have the one external drive you want to install mint to powered, before you boot with the live DVD.

[Wol]

Thanks to both: I have to spend today taking wife to hospital in Canberra but will try it tonight. I can't say that I follow some of the steps in the link though!

(EDIT) I have just had a thought: Some of my HDs are connected via a USB hub - that might make a difference. I will try swapping them around and see.....

(Re-EDIT No, the 300Mb drive I want to use is plugged straight into the computer.)

[Wol]

Please take a look at http://usbtux.hostzi.com/external as it might help with your problem.
Start by turning off (powering down) any external drive you dont want - so just have the one external drive you want to install mint to powered, before you boot with the live DVD.

I tried again and this time the 300Mb USB HDD *was* recognised, so I started following the instructions on your link. Unfortunately those didn't correspond with what the installation windows showed!

At one stage I got a message saying there were several drives mounted, and did I want them dismounted (whatever *that* means!) I said "No".

Then, after (successfully) selecting the 300Mb HDD to install to ("Device for boot loader installation") I clicked "Install" and just got a window saying "No root system is defined: please correct from the partitioning menu".

Which meant absolutely nothing to me! So, back to Windoze to be able to post this.....

[wayne128]

Then, after (successfully) selecting the 300Mb HDD to install to ("Device for boot loader installation") I clicked "Install" and just got a window saying "No root system is defined: please correct from the partitioning menu".

Which meant absolutely nothing to me! So, back to Windoze to be able to post this.....

That means you need to make two clicks on partition menu:

1. click on the target drive partition , on pop up windows, select your target drive partition as /
2. next line, click and select ext4
3. after these two clicks, then only you click continue

[Wol]

And where do I find the partitioning menu?

[Wol]

Decided once again to try: I selected the 300Gb external HDD, double clicked on it, selected ext4 (which means exactly what?) and /. On the *bottom* field I left the internal Hard Drive (the one supplied as part of the computer and which contains Windoze etc) as the "boot loader" (Is that right?)

Clicking continue now brings up an error that I have not made any swap space! I have - again - no idea how to do that...........................

[usbtux]

Sorry you couldn't follow my tutorial http://usbtux.hostzi.com/external, but ALL your questions are answered in that one. If you have a quick look again you will see a section on partitioning and a section on installing.

I guess you havent read it through,and were looking at the wrong section, I suggest you read them through first before you install so you can see what to expect; then install.

[usbtux]

I worked out another way to set up dual booting from windows
This will install to an external USB hard drive or flash drive.

This way there’s no need to be scared that you will damage your windows set up. This should work exactly the same on a linux VirtualBox setup

In windows install VirtualBox
and expansion pack- VM VirtualBox Extension Pack both from
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Make a new windows virtual disk 10GB, will be fine. Accept all the defaults except memory set to at least 1GB
Down load your Linux Mint ISO and set this as a boot disk via settings, storage, IDE controller add cd/dvd device.

Start the virtual machine and wait for the Mint Desktop
Insert your external USB hard drive or flash drive and click on devices and tick the new drive.
Wait while the drive is recognised – you'll see a popup on windows saying the device driver is now ready.

Start the installer.
Language setup as required then continue
Preparation to install - continue
Unmount = YES
Next chose - Erase disk and install Linux Mint
Select drive usb drive required, then install now

Answer all remaining questions

Once completed power down the virtual machine
Then reboot computer and chose your usb drive from the bios or boot manager. You will not have your original operating system available from grub this time but will boot straight to Mint.

Once rebooted with the external USB hard drive or flash drive removed or powered down the original OS bootloader will start windows.

[Wol]

Sorry you couldn't follow my tutorial http://usbtux.hostzi.com/external, but ALL your questions are answered in that one. If you have a quick look again you will see a section on partitioning and a section on installing.

I guess you havent read it through,and were looking at the wrong section, I suggest you read them through first before you install so you can see what to expect; then install.

Well, I've tried again. I followed all the instructions (some of them gave menu items that didn't appear, such as Device > delete, where the only items were "Create partition table" and "Attempt data rescue".) After creating the three partitions I attempted to install but, again, got the message "No root file system" and was asked to go to the partitioning facility.

Oh, back in Windoze and now have no 300GB disk shown!

[usbtux]

I followed all the instructions (some of them gave menu items that didn't appear, such as Device > delete, where the only items were "Create partition table" and "Attempt data rescue".

Sorry but you haven't followed all the instructions, third picture down on the partitions section says "Click on the active drive area or partition information to highlight the partition, then click device on the menu; then delete." http://usbtux.hostzi.com/external_gparted_1

If you don't follow the steps of course it wont be the same details... At devices NOT clicking on an active drive area or partition information gets the info you posted.

After creating the three partitions I attempted to install but, again, got the message "No root file system" and was asked to go to the partitioning facility.

..."we have to ensure that Mint knows what to do with the already made partitions." it says at the first picture in the partitioning section.

So you need to tell the installer what the there partitions going to be used for before before clicking "install now" as it says in the http://usbtux.hostzi.com/external_install - where it is explicitly spelt out.

You appear to be missing out steps from the tutorial

Oh, back in Windoze and now have no 300GB disk shown!

Windows wont see Linux partitions... that's how you can dual boot without windows seeing the linux install

[usbtux]

As you are having some difficulty with a manual install why not try http://usbtux.hostzi.com/flash_install (but you need to delete the partitions first) Basically you physically only need a root partition / or try the install via virtualbox I described earlier this will erase the disk and install mint.

[Wol]

usbtux:

Once again, thank you for at least trying!

I tried once again to install on an external HDD 300GB. This time I downloaded each of the images on your installation notes and put them on my separate tablet to view as I went along, also printed out the instructions. I also logged each step as I went along so as not to rely on memory too much.

The log is too long to post here, suffice it to say that several of your instructions are either misleading, do not conform to what comes up during the process or are unfathomable to someone who isn't familiar with Linux.

Just a few examples:

>>Insert the external Hard Drivebut do not mount it<< What does that mean?

>>lick on the active drive area or partition information to highlight the partition, then click device on the menu; then delete<< There IS no "delete" on that submenu: do you mean press the "delete" key?

Later, in External GPartEd part 2 "Added a "root" (/) partition....." I don't understand this - the image doesn't make it any clearer, no label "root"

To cut a long staory short, I had to go back several times to try and do what you advise: some things just did not work - for example>>Here I've clicked on the partition for "root" which is shown as /....". But *nothing* wa shown as "root". On the setting up swap file page, the Mount point field is greyed out and cannot be accessed.

Anyway, eventually - after 1hr 45m - I got as far as "Install' and it actually did so! It spent half an hour downloading various "stuff" before telling me that it was now installed and did I want to restart? So I did, expecting to get the option of Mint or Windoze - and my computer just booted straight into Windoze!

So I swiched off again, booted into the boot menu and selected the 300GB HDD to boot from (not knowing more) and just got a black screen with a cursor.

So at the moment I have Mint "installed" but no way of starting it..................

(Sent from my - reliable - Windoze OS <g>)

[usbtux]

Hi Wol, Well done on getting Mint installed, you had to read the last paragraph of http://usbtux.hostzi.com/external
You've had to do this to get the live cd/usb started to install Mint so really I didn't expect this to be an issue.

It appears that either there is an error with the install or you've not waited for mint to start . Did you see the the grub screen - same as the livecd/usb start screen? Booting from an external drive is slower and you do get a blank screen for some time while mint boots.


Could I suggest that you try to make a flash drive install and see how you get on with that, if you get that working then retry the full manual install when you feel that you know a little more about installing. You'll need a minimum of a 8Gb flash stick

Why not check them both of these

viewtopic.php?f=46&t=97645#p557280

or

http://usbtux.hostzi.com/flash_install

[Wol]

Hi Wol, Well done on getting Mint installed, you had to read the last paragraph of http://usbtux.hostzi.com/external
You've had to do this to get the live cd/usb started to install Mint so really I didn't expect this to be an issue.

It appears that either there is an error with the install or you've not waited for mint to start . Did you see the the grub screen - same as the livecd/usb start screen? Booting from an external drive is slower and you do get a blank screen for some time while mint boots.

As I said - and I've just tried it again - changing the BIOS to first-boot from the 300GB USB HDD then rebooting just produces a black screen with flashing cursor: no loading text or anything. I left it for five minutes but no change - surely if it was going to work it wouldn't take that time?

I attach a screenshot (Windoze) of my disc system, #3 being the Mint installed disc if that's any help.

Doesn't the Mint install offer the option at boot of both OSs?

I won't try the USB stick - I've already exhausted both our patiences, so if I can't make this way work I

EASEUS screenshot.jpg (401.76 KiB) Viewed 1183 times

will just format the disc and forget Mint, or even do an install on my C Drive. I wanted to avoid that because I don't want it to mess with my Windoze files, though.

EASEUS screenshot.jpg (401.76 KiB) Viewed 1183 times

[usbtux]

Hi Wol

Following your comments I had another look at my pages and found several errors on it , that I've re written. Totally my fault
I notice your partitions are very big. Swap (the first partition) only needs to be 1-4GB Root - the second, for the file system needs 20 to 50GB and the rest for home.

Yes you can install alongside windows its the first item on

Mint should get to the desktop within a min or two dependant on your hardware.

Retry the install bit see how you get on - dont give up, we'll get you up and running on linux yet.

[AlbertP]

The option to install Mint alongide Windows 7 should also allow you to choose a disk for Mint. Please remove existing partitions from the 300GB drive (unless they contain data that you want to keep), then it'll automatically use the whole disk when selecting the 300GB one, and you don't need to worry about the partition layout. Then the USB disk should be bootable, allowing you to choose between Windows 7 and Linux at boot. (Note that if you connect the USB disk to another computer, the Win 7 option may become non-functional unless you run sudo update-grub).

[Wol]

The option to install Mint alongide Windows 7 should also allow you to choose a disk for Mint. Please remove existing partitions from the 300GB drive (unless they contain data that you want to keep), then it'll automatically use the whole disk when selecting the 300GB one, and you don't need to worry about the partition layout. Then the USB disk should be bootable, allowing you to choose between Windows 7 and Linux at boot. (Note that if you connect the USB disk to another computer, the Win 7 option may become non-functional unless you run sudo update-grub).

If I remove existing partitions there won't be any installation anyway!

I've given up on mint - life is too short.

[Wol]

>>Following your comments I had another look at my pages and found several errors on it , that I've re written. Totally my fault <<

That's OK, we all make mistakes <g>.

Despite saying yesterday I would give up and against my better judgement I did try yet again - unsuccessfully!

I printed out your (amended) instructions, I saved the images to my tablet so as to be able to read them and started at 1959. Setting the partitions on the 300Gb disc wen - so far as I could say - OK, and I returned to the "The Install" paragraphs.

HOWEVER!

Before getting to the "Installation Type" page, I got a pane headed "Install Linux Mint alongside Windows 7", with a "Select Drive" field. Unfortunately that field had only one option - it was my 1TB drive, not the one I had partitioned for Linux!. Clicking the RH Up/Down arrows would, I magined, show all my HDDs - but no, only the 1 TB Drive still appeared.

So I quit the installation at 20.33, returned to Windows and had to recover my 300GB drive which had disappeared.