Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

McCordRM · 2010-07-16 06:59:46

I get to the point where I can partition my harddrive. It takes me into cfdisk.

However, I cannot set SDA. It only lets me do SDA1-whatever.
Afterwards, I need to set the formatting type and mount of each... but SDA is there.

The install continues to fail on me. Here's what I'm trying to do:

/boot (150megs)
/ (20Gig)
/home (20gig)
/user (the rest of my drive)

I want all to be EXT4.
What am I missing during setup here? I even tried only setting up root through user as SDA1, SDA2 and SDA3 and then making SDA the /boot option during the format/mount phase.

McCordRM · 2010-07-16 07:03:06

I'm blind... I didn't see the Installation forum. This can be moved so I don't double post the question.

jasonwryan · 2010-07-16 07:23:48

I may not have understood your problem, but (assuming SDA is your only drive) then you will need to divide it into separate partitions for each of your planned directories.

How does what you are trying to do differ from the Beginners' Guide?

McCordRM · 2010-07-16 07:34:20

Beats me.

When it gets to the partitioning portion, I first choose to partition manually. I create:
SDA1 as bootable and 150 meg
SDA2 as non-bootable and 20 gig
SDA3 as non-bootable and 20 gig
SDA4 as non-bootable and the rest of the space.
All are set to Linux.

Then it takes me back to the selection screen and I choose to do the mounting.
The first option there is to set SDA. So... what do I select? My option are /, /boot, /home, etc. I'm sure you're familiar with the screen.

toad · 2010-07-16 07:40:31

Well, whatever you wish to mount at boot - you are basically creating the fstab for your system. Make sense now?

McCordRM · 2010-07-16 07:49:20

Nope.
Going by the Guide, he clearly shows a "screenshot" of cfdisk.
In it, he has 4 partitions just like I do: sda1, sda2, sd3 and sda4.
Then, he goes on to explain in detail how to set them up during the file system/mounting phase.
sda1 = root
sda2 = /var
sda3 = swap
sda4 = /home

He does NOT, however, tell you how to setup sda. Which, on MY screen, is the first option to be defined before sda1.

jasonwryan · 2010-07-16 07:57:33

So your SDA currently has no partitions on it? You first need to do that (as per the Beginners' Guide) and then assign mountpoints and filetypes to each partition...

Create Partition:cfdisk wrote:

Start by creating the primary partition that will contain the root, (/) filesystem.
Choose New -> Primary and enter the desired size for root (/). Put the partition at the beginning of the disk.
Also choose the Type by designating it as '83 Linux'. The created / partition shall appear as sda1 in our example.

Last edited by jasonwryan (2010-07-16 07:58:32)

McCordRM · 2010-07-16 08:04:04

Arg.
What part of this are you not understanding?
Look at the Guide. See his screenshot of cfdisk? That's how mine looks. Got it?
NOW, we get to the mounting portion which he does not have a screenshot for, sadly. On THAT screen, I have sda1, sda2, sda3 and sda 4 which I can setup as ext4 and choose a mount.
However, I ALSO have sda. What the hell do with it. The guide does NOT say.

fsckd · 2010-07-16 08:08:04

SDA is the disk. SDA1, SDA2, SDA3, etc. are the partitions on that disk. You would divide SDA into partitions and the assign mount points for each partition.

So my suggestion is, ignore it. If you had more partitions and disks for other Linux systems, you'd ignore those too.

Last edited by fsckd (2010-07-16 08:09:38)

jasonwryan · 2010-07-16 08:11:55

A couple of things: 1. I understand your frustration, but please remember I am trying to help...
2. There are no screenshots in the Beginners' Guide, so if you are referring to something else, please link to it.

If you have SDA, it probably means that you have not used all your space on the partitions that you have created - ie., whatever is leftover will appear as SDA.

McCordRM · 2010-07-16 08:12:06

Why do people keep telling me to do something I already did???
I'll try the install again and see if I can "ignore" it and go from there.
In the meantime, someone needs to get off their ass and fix the Guide. I'm not an idiot... I CLEARLY stated that my disk was partitioned just like instructed in the Guide. I also clearly stated that what I'm seeing is NOT what is being explained in said guide... yet everyone keeps referring to it like it's changed in the past hour.

fsckd · 2010-07-16 08:25:43

Gah, I meant to say that because SDA refers to the disk and not the partitions, you would not assign a mount point to it.

In regards to ignoring, you can have something like SDA1, SDA2, SDA5 and SDA6 with SDA3 reserved for Debian. Then when you go to assign mount points, it would still list SDA3 but you would ignore that since it belongs to Debian and not Arch.

I need coffee.

McCordRM · 2010-07-16 08:30:28

Me, too.

Ok. I'm on the other machine attempting to go through this long ass install again. When I get back to that point, I'll pretend sda isn't there and report back what happens.
I still say it needs to be addressed in the Guide. I'm perfectly capable of reading and following an instruction manual.

toad · 2010-07-16 08:32:02

jasonwryan wrote:

2. There are no screenshots in the Beginners' Guide, so if you are referring to something else, please link to it.

Nobody said you're an idiot.

Please read the above and let us know what the hell you are working from.

litemotiv · 2010-07-16 08:36:30

in support of McCordRM; i did a reinstall last week and i also noticed there was some illogical stuff in the partitioning/mountpoints section. i don't remember exactly and i didn't write it down (i should've), but some things quite confused me on first look.. this was different when i installed arch 2 years ago, everything was really straightforward then, so i guess it's some new additions or changes to the installer that need some refinement. i might do another install in a vm to find out.

Last edited by litemotiv (2010-07-16 08:37:08)

McCordRM · 2010-07-16 08:39:36

toad wrote:

jasonwryan wrote:
2. There are no screenshots in the Beginners' Guide, so if you are referring to something else, please link to it.
Nobody said you're an idiot.
Please read the above and let us know what the hell you are working from.

Arg.
Here's an idea... click your own link to the guide.
Got that?
Now scroll down a bit and there's a green section where he typed in a "screenshot" (<---notice the quotes, buddy?) of what cfdisk should look like with 4 partitions.

McCordRM · 2010-07-16 08:42:38

Anyhow, just in case anyone want to try it themselves:
I'm using the 64-bit net install image. I also downloaded the core version which I might try if it doesn't work this time.

jasonwryan · 2010-07-16 08:44:40

Like I said, I was trying to help. Welcome to Arch, enjoy your time here - but please remember that opening a thread here is asking for assistance and that when it is offered it is nice to be gracious about it -- irrespective of how frustrated you are with your problem.

Last edited by jasonwryan (2010-07-16 08:45:35)

McCordRM · 2010-07-16 08:57:46

Negative.
How about YOU remember than when someone comes in asking for assistance from the community, and goes into exact detail about what they've done and what they're seeing on the screen, AND points out that they're using the official guide... sending them back to the guide is OBVIOUSLY not being helpful. If the guide had the answers, I wouldn't have kept coming back here.

The issue itself didn't fustrate me. Getting told I obviously can't read... now THAT pissed me off.

And for the record, the above post wasn't aimed at you, it was to Toad. Your quote just got thrown in when I l clicked quote on his post.

Last edited by McCordRM (2010-07-16 08:59:21)

Allan · 2010-07-16 09:02:12

And this thread is done. The answer is above... and we do not need the aggravation here.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-07-16 06:59:46

Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#2 2010-07-16 07:03:06

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#3 2010-07-16 07:23:48

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#4 2010-07-16 07:34:20

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#5 2010-07-16 07:40:31

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#6 2010-07-16 07:49:20

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#7 2010-07-16 07:57:33

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#8 2010-07-16 08:04:04

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#9 2010-07-16 08:08:04

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#10 2010-07-16 08:11:55

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#11 2010-07-16 08:12:06

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#12 2010-07-16 08:25:43

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#13 2010-07-16 08:30:28

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#14 2010-07-16 08:32:02

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#15 2010-07-16 08:36:30

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#16 2010-07-16 08:39:36

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#17 2010-07-16 08:42:38

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#18 2010-07-16 08:44:40

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#19 2010-07-16 08:57:46

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

#20 2010-07-16 09:02:12

Re: Install question. Apparently I'm missing something.

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