anyone seen this type of error?

[mghere]

Hi,

On a laptop I have written over a fedora core 10 install with win2k but during installation (of win2K) enough free space was left so the machine could dual boot with fedora 11.

Windows facts:
There are 4 windows partitions in 24G on the first sector of the drive with 33G of free space left for fedora.

Install Disk(s) checked:
The fedora 11 disk checksum was fine and the media check went well.

The problem:
During the install process for fedora 11, when finishing the screen for choosing to review the partition the fedora 11 install shuts down with a bug report. Trying the fedora core 10 disk (which was used to get the OS working previously) sends an error report (see below**) at the same screen choice -- just choosing which option produces the error.

I have another machine with similar setup and if the number of windows partitions is 4, tho anaconda gets to the actual partitioning screen, the installer indicates there is only enough memory for say, a /boot partition (~200Mb). If one of the windows partitions is destroyed (down to 3 from 4), then all of the memory in free space is available, but still, only one partition is allowed (not enough).

I would like to keep at least 2 of the windows partitions -- is the limit of partitions a HD scheme or an OS limitation?

Anyone know how to effect the dual boot in this situation?

Thanks for any clues/info -- appreciate your time


**Error text during Fedora 10 install:

When installing fedora core 10 or fedora 11 on a system loaded with win2K (4 partitions and 33 G of disk space there is a bug report as follows:
File "/usr/bin/anaconda", line501 in <module>
import signal,traceback, string, isp, iutil, time
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/isys.py", line 25 in <module>
import _isp
Import Error: /usr/lib/libril.so1: cannot read filedata: Input/output error
install exited abnormally [1/1]
disabling swap
unmounting filesystems
/mnt/runtime done
disabling /dev/loop0 LOOP_CLR_FD failed: 16
/proc done
/dev/pts done
/sys done
/mnt/stage2 done
/selinux done
sending termination signals...done
sending kill signals...done
you may safely reboot your system


Again, thanks for any info

[devils casper]

Are all partitions are Primary? Boot up from LiveCD of any Linux distro and execute fdisk -l command. Post output here.

su -
fdisk -l

* Its small L in fdisk -l.

[mghere]

devils casper,

Thanks for your reply

As far as I know all win2K partitions are primary by default. I didn't/don't know how to change -- will check out how, though, now that you brought this up.

I originally made a 200M partition in first sector of the disk, loading win2K on a second (10G) partition. Win2K took over the first partition, making it a /boot partition. The second partition had the OS on it but was named a logical volume. All partitions made from the remaining free space were also termed and grouped as logical volumes. The configuration didn't work well as all the windows programs wanted to be on the 200M C: drive...had to re-install.

So, now I am looking now for a liveCD that will work - guess the adage "know thy computer" is sorta true...that is,

fedora 11 has only i686 liveCDs (I have a Pentium M and I don't know if using that will mess things up or not -- I found the following:

"Pentium M processor was released on March 2003 using Intel’s sixth generation microarchitecture, i.e. the same architecture used by Pentium Pro, Pentium II and Pentium III processors"

will get back soon, thanks

[mghere]

the fdisk -l report is as follows --

Another question
/dev/dm-0 is free space, yes? It says it does not contain a valid partition table -- does that mean one (another) one can be created somehow?



Thanks for any advice




[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 60.0 GB, 60011642880 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7296 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x093e093e

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 1275 10241406 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 1276 1912 5116702+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 1913 2294 3068415 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 2295 2931 5116702+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/dm-0: 3221 MB, 3221225472 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 391 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-0 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-1: 3221 MB, 3221225472 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 391 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

[mghere]

Are all partitions are Primary? Boot up from LiveCD of any Linux distro and execute fdisk -l command. Post output here.

su -
fdisk -l

* Its small L in fdisk -l.

So since I last replied I have changed the win2K partition scheme on the one laptop so that there are 2 primary partitions and 2 extended partitions within a (one) logical drive space. I will probably try to install linux once again soon, but if anyone has any suggestions/words of wisdom, please feel free -- I would appreciate hearing.

Some questions:
A. Does anyone know just how windows treats extended drives. One reason for having more than one drive in windows is that if anything messes up the OS, the OS partition can be written over without touching the other partitions. Obviously I am hardly treading water with this, but I am concerned that extended drives are not offered that protection. Also, I don't know under which primary partition the 2 extended partitions exist.

B. Will linux recognize the windows logical drive (and the 2 partitions within it) -- it would be good to know what Linux will recognize to determine where to put files I want to share....will try fdisk -l again, but if anyone knows, please let me know?

C. I noticed when creating the logical drives that windows labels extended partitions with no logical drive yet created as "Free Space". And, memory where no partition (primary or otherwise) windows terms "unallocated". The notes I've read on dual booting always seem to say, put linux in the "free space". Does the Linux community think of what windows is calling unallocated space as free space, or is the extended partition Free Space need to be created and then become the space where Linux should be installed?


Hope this is somewhat understandable -- thanks for any clarifications

[mghere]

Just in case someone else reads thru these posts, just to finish this off

The solution that worked best for me was to have 1 primary partition and 1 extended partition per OS on the one hard drive. I understand the win2K better than the Fedora 11 side... I think next time I will just set up / and swap on my own...and not accept the default...)

Mostly I don't think I understand all of the Fedora 11 nomenclature, it is new to me -- see lv_root and lv_swap; dunno what the titles mean. I sorta get that /boot is in the VolGroup, and sorta see why it is defined as both /dev/sda3 and as LogVol2, but that doesn't mean I am not apprehensive that I did something incorrect.

[win2K]
/dev/sda1 (essentially /)
/dev/sda2 extended
/dev/sda5 (essentially swap, for Adobe products)
/dev/sda6 (essentially /home)
/dev/sda7 (essentially /usr/local)

[Fedora 11 partition]
/dev/sda3 /boot
/dev/sda4 as LVM
VolGrroup
LogVol4 /var
lv_root /
lv_swap (swap)
LogVol3 /home
LogVol2 /boot

What I found out is that the limit of 4 partition is due to hard drive limitations -- not the OS (hmm, understandabel since most groups are not thinking dual boot, but this was not particularly clear to beginners like me :P).

I did learn a tad about LVM (tho will say win2K much more clear in that respect -- gad, I Never thought I would Ever say anything remotely like that!).

I am still not clear on adding /boot -- why is it not in the default scheme on Fedora 11, for instance? (Many articles on dual booting ask for a /boot partition in the first sector of the HD. I found out that you have to make that partition After adding a windows program or windows takes it over. And that even win2K can shrink itself (so a /boot can be made).

Windows loaded -- am off to editing Grub and checking out the Fedora 11 environment...Thanks for the reply(ies).