[SOLVED] Cannot install on virtualbox

99Percent · 2011-06-11 17:31:54

Getting the following error message after it asks for the swap partition size:

ERROR: ask_number $3 must be a number! not -256

even though I leave the default 256 on the prompt box. I tried 0, 1, 128 with the same error.

I am not sure if I am doing this properly.

I downloaded the ISO from here: http://www.archlinux.org/download/ Bittorrent download, I tried both the netinstall and the Core image ISO with the same result.

After it boots in Virtualbox it asks me to run:

/arch/setup

which I do.

Thanks.

Last edited by 99Percent (2011-06-11 20:44:45)

litemotiv · 2011-06-11 17:35:43

Welcome to the forums 99Percent. For what it's worth, a swap partition is really not useful for a Virtualbox installation, so you might as well just skip it altogether.

99Percent · 2011-06-11 18:26:04

How do I skip the swap partition question? If I tab to cancel it cancels the Prepare Hard Drive(s) step which is required for the Install no?

FWIW the Main Menu option is pointless if you have to go through all the steps. A Previous/Next design is more apt.

litemotiv · 2011-06-11 19:25:11

On the Prepare Hard Drive step of the installation process, instead of selecting option 1 (auto-prepare) you can select option 2 (manual partitioning). This will allow you to create the partitions yourself, so you can skip the swap partition.

99Percent · 2011-06-11 20:09:16

It seems like manually partitioning the virtual hard drive is not trivial (at least for a newbie like me). Can you point me to a post that tells me how to do this?

litemotiv · 2011-06-11 20:24:29

Certainly, there is extensive information on partitioning in the Arch wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Partitioning

99Percent · 2011-06-11 20:43:30

Ok, I discovered my mistake. I was assigning all the partition for the boot (first question in the auto-prepare option) so it left nothing for the swap and the other partitions. that is why the error message resulted.

Perhaps it would be good to fix this, disallowing the user to assign all the space for the boot.

Thanks litemotiv for your help.

Cosmin · 2011-06-12 06:55:53

99Percent wrote:

Ok, I discovered my mistake. I was assigning all the partition for the boot (first question in the auto-prepare option) so it left nothing for the swap and the other partitions. that is why the error message resulted.
Perhaps it would be good to fix this, disallowing the user to assign all the space for the boot.

In arch the user/admin is in control, he can do more than in other distro, that can mean good or bad, arch just give him the opportunity and the responsibility

99Percent · 2011-06-14 01:51:06

Cosmin wrote:

99Percent wrote:
Ok, I discovered my mistake. I was assigning all the partition for the boot (first question in the auto-prepare option) so it left nothing for the swap and the other partitions. that is why the error message resulted.
Perhaps it would be good to fix this, disallowing the user to assign all the space for the boot.
In arch the user/admin is in control, he can do more than in other distro, that can mean good or bad, arch just give him the opportunity and the responsibility

I understand the principle of that philosophy, but a program should never fail that way no matter how much responsibility you leave to the "user/admin". If the user/admin wants to assign all the disk partition to the boot, then it shouldn't ask for space for the other mnts since logically no more space remains.

litemotiv · 2011-06-14 08:22:12

99Percent wrote:

I understand the principle of that philosophy, but a program should never fail that way no matter how much responsibility you leave to the "user/admin". If the user/admin wants to assign all the disk partition to the boot, then it shouldn't ask for space for the other mnts since logically no more space remains.

Please file a bug report for this at https://bugs.archlinux.org

Arch Linux

#1 2011-06-11 17:31:54

[SOLVED] Cannot install on virtualbox

#2 2011-06-11 17:35:43

Re: [SOLVED] Cannot install on virtualbox

#3 2011-06-11 18:26:04

Re: [SOLVED] Cannot install on virtualbox

#4 2011-06-11 19:25:11

Re: [SOLVED] Cannot install on virtualbox

#5 2011-06-11 20:09:16

Re: [SOLVED] Cannot install on virtualbox

#6 2011-06-11 20:24:29

Re: [SOLVED] Cannot install on virtualbox

#7 2011-06-11 20:43:30

Re: [SOLVED] Cannot install on virtualbox

#8 2011-06-12 06:55:53

Re: [SOLVED] Cannot install on virtualbox

#9 2011-06-14 01:51:06

Re: [SOLVED] Cannot install on virtualbox

#10 2011-06-14 08:22:12

Re: [SOLVED] Cannot install on virtualbox

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