Gentoo install issues

[FrankM]

Hi, I downloaded the latest install CD and I am having some problems with this install. Fdisk will partition my drive, but instead of cyls I have to partition in blocks.

After the install I am able to boot in to Linux and am connected. But that is all I can do, Links does not come up, I am unable to use useradd, command not found.

/usr/src is non existent, all I have in there is lost&found. I am unable to find the kernel anywhere, locate also does not work and neither does find. So I am unable to install X11 and other software where I need to work on the kernel.

I partitioned the disk with /boot, /swap, /, /home, /usr, /var, etc, so I think I probably made an error during the install some where.

My system is and Asus P6T Deluxe v1, 12gb of ram, a few 500GB disks, on board audio and a Nvidia ENGTS 450 video card.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[jayd512]

I've never installed Gentoo, so I can't give specific direction. But maybe I can help gather some information for our Gentoo users.
Did you try to install from the LiveCD, using the installer included there? Many Gentoo users will tell you that the installer on those discs, um... suck.
Did you follow the Gentoo Handbook?
What is the output of

fdisk -l

I am unable to use useradd, command not found.

Try the command adduser.

[alf55]

To use the "useradd" command you must be running as the username "root". You can have "sudo" installed on a gentoo system which will allow you to run a command as another user but it needs to be configured by running as the username "root".

The "Gentoo Handbook" (Gentoo Linux Documentation -- Gentoo Linux x86 Handbook) would be a great resource. As for installing the Linux kernel sources the package you need to install is "sys-kernel/gentoo-sources" (again as the username "root").

Gentoo is not advised for a beginning user as it expects you to know lots of Linux and does not do hand holding.

[MikeTbob]

As a Gentoo user, you must follow the handbook religiously. Do not deviate until you have a full working install. Once you get the base install working then you have to "finish building it". If you want the kernel sources you must install them.
su -
(root password)

emerge --sync

emerge kernel-sources

[FrankM]

Thanks all for helping!

output of "fdisk -l /dev/sdd" I am using a totally separate drive for this install and Lilo is installed on /dev/sdda1 where my Win system sits

DISK /dev/sdd: 500.1GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/tracks, 60801 cylindres, total 976773168 sectors
Units=sectors of 1*512 = 512 bytes
sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes/512 bytes
I/O size (minimal/optimal): 512 bytes/512bytes
Disk identifier: 0xf3efb6de

Dev Boot Start End Blocks Id Sys

/dev/sdd1 * 2048 264191 131072 83 Linux
/dev/sdd2 264192 4170441 1953125 82 Linux Swap/solaris
/dev/sdd3 4170442 67085001 31457280 83 Linux
/dev/sdd4 67085002 976773167 454844083 5 Extended
/dev/sdd5
/dev/sdd6
/dev/sdd7


sdd1 obviously is the Boot partition, sdd3 my / partition, sdd 5 is /home, 6 is /usr, 7 is /var and I have a few more of those, like /tmp, /local (which is no longer listed as a directory) as well as the /srv, and /opt as well.

I did follow the handbook during the install, my system is working, I can ping out successfully. Maybe instead of jumping right to wanting to install X11 I should have done the emerge and sync commands. I will try those next.

The reason I chose Gentoo is that this is the most easy to install if you're looking for a highly customizable system. Most of the other Distros have so much stuff built in to it that they are almost like a window install, i.e. Suse.

In the past I have installed all kinds of different Linux systems and I am anything but an expert when it comes to Linux, yet I am comfortable enough at the command line to work with it, given that I can find the proper commands to enter.

I want to thank all for responding and helping and will let you know how it goes from here.

FrankM

[FrankM]

Back again, lol, guess I will have to start from scratch again and use Parted to partition my disk. When I did the fdisk command for my drive this is what I got back: "Unable to read /dev/sdd4: inappropriate ioctl for device". Yet fdisk does come back with good results for my other drives. Maybe the fdisk on the install cd is messed up. I am using the install cd, not the live dvd.

The "emerge" commands also would not work, told me command not found.

The drive is an exchange for a faulty one from Seagate, so it is reconditioned, maybe that is a problem, but I hope not.

Hopefully I will have this sytem up and running by tomorrow, will keep you posted.

[MikeTbob]

All portage and emerge commands must be run as root. If you think the drive may be flaky, then I would test that thoroughly before proceeding.

[FrankM]

When I load the mini install cd I am this prompt: ~#livecd, not sure if I need to be at this prompt instead: /#livecd. And I always look at the handbook for each and every step during the install.
I don't think the drive is flaky, I ran the Seagate diagnostic tool and it came back as a good drive.
I also downloaded Debian just to partition my drive and I did that identical to the way I partitioned the drive originally. After I partitioned the drive, I rebooted and loaded the minimal install cd. Then I opened up a new terminal and loaded the handbook. I ran fdisk and fdisk would not recognize the partitions. They were ext2 for the /boot, then a swap and ext3 for the rest. Usually when I did this in the past, fdisk would recognize the partitions.
Funny thing though, I was able to mount the partitions, at least I did not get any error message that the mini cd was unable to mount that partition. Makes me wonder if the install cd is messed up. I did do a checksum and it cam back ok. Also, when I tried to make the boot dir, it came back that that dir all ready existed. I tried to find an older mini install but have not yet been able to find one, only the live dvd's I can find older versions from.
And I am not going to give up on this, if need be I will muddle through the stage 1, 2 and 3 tarballs install, I did that a few years ago and I did get that to work.

[MikeTbob]

For what it's worth, the LiveCD's from years past are worthless, broken and unreliable. I won't even use one to boot the install stage. I always use Parted Magic to boot my machine, fdisk and format the partitions and then just chroot into Gentoo from there. My suggestion would be that you use any OS besides an older Gentoo CD/DVD.

[alf55]

The command parted can partition using two different styles. The old format is "msdos" (which can only access upto 2Tb into a 4Tb drive) and "gpt" which is newer. One a blank drive, you would specify the style with the command "mklabel msdos" or "mklabel gpt". On a drive with an existing partition table, parted uses the style that is present.

Using "fdisk -l" on a "gtp" style partition table would result in something like:

bash$ fdisk -l /dev/sda

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.


Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1  1953525167   976762583+  ee  GPT
Partition 1 does not start on physical sector boundary.
bash$

While "parted /dev/sda print" results in something like:

bash$ parted /dev/sda print
Model: ATA WDC WD10JPVT-16A (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End     Size    File system     Name  Flags
 1      1049kB  1024MB  1023MB  ext2
 2      1024MB  32.0GB  31.0GB  linux-swap(v1)
 3      32.0GB  1000GB  968GB                         lvm

bash$