Arch Linux

Verlager

Member

From: Rochester NY USA

Registered: 2004-03-21

Posts: 12

Can't install, MBR problems.

I am using an old IBM 20 gB Deathstar HD just for installation practice. The drive previously held an install of Xandros 2.0 dating back from days of ineptitude.

I complete all of the Arch 0.6 installation steps, selecting automatically layout and partition the drive, selecting only base package install and installing grub.

Yet, when I reboot, it still says "Xandros" as a welcome screen, but, of course, Xandros Distro is gone (good!) and Arch doesn't seem to exist.

This problem must be related to the MBR. Aside from the kludge of using a disk utility to overwrite the drive with zeros, or using Win98 boot disk to fdisk /mbr, How can I fix this problem?

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Biostar U8668-D mobo, Celeron 2600 mHz, 1024 mB ram, Dildatron CD-RW

jlowell

Member

Registered: 2003-08-10

Posts: 270

Re: Can't install, MBR problems.

Hi Verlanger,

Welcome to Arch!

It might be that there was something amiss with your automatic partitioning and that you might have better luck manually partitioning. That would be one suggestion short of taking things down to bare metal, although I think you should be ready to go that far if necessary.

Keep us advised.

jlowell

Verlager

Member

From: Rochester NY USA

Registered: 2004-03-21

Posts: 12

Re: Can't install, MBR problems.

Name     Flags        Part Type   Fs Type      Label   Size
====================================
disc1      Boot,NC   Primary      Linux ext2          34.07
disc2                Primary      Linux swap          268.89
disc3                Primary      Linux ext3        20273.80
 

Does this look ok ? I did the auto-partition again and re-installed the base packages.

Xandros screen still come up!

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Biostar U8668-D mobo, Celeron 2600 mHz, 1024 mB ram, Dildatron CD-RW

acwaman

Member

From: Kansas USA

Registered: 2003-10-31

Posts: 2

Re: Can't install, MBR problems.

You don't say whether you have checked your config files, depending on which bootloader you use. Grub:/boot/grub/menu.lst or Lilo: /etc/lilo.conf.
If you have, I would go ahead and start from scratch w/ a format ...

Verlager

Member

From: Rochester NY USA

Registered: 2004-03-21

Posts: 12

Re: Can't install, MBR problems.

I moved to a 80 GB HD. Now it just boots with GRUB GRUB GRUB filling the screen. Strange, I never have these problems with any major distros.

What kind of Linux only, single distro install, partitioning scheme might be best? I want seperate partition for /home.

would something like this be ok ?
                       
==================
hda1  5.0  GB /root (boot)
hda2  1.5  GB swap
hda3  ~70 GB /home

If this is ok, I still have to edit the Grub /boot/grub/menu.lst ?

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Biostar U8668-D mobo, Celeron 2600 mHz, 1024 mB ram, Dildatron CD-RW

jlowell

Member

Registered: 2003-08-10

Posts: 270

Re: Can't install, MBR problems.

Verlager,

Sounds to me as though we're getting closer.

Help me with something, kindly. You list /root (boot) as one of your partitions. Aren't you simply trying to tell us that hda1 is your / partition and that you're planning to boot Arch from it? If so, in principle your arrangements are fine as far as I can tell. But clarify that point for us, might you? Additionally, I think we all might benefit from a look at your /boot/grub/menu.lst and your letting us know where you are installing grub, MBR or /.

jlowell