Fail to install ubuntu 8.04 or 7.10

[Bearnais]

I was running ubuntu 8.04 when after an update of software when I got into a grub problem (which i could not solve). I erased all partitions and want to have a clean ubuntu installation, no longer dual boot.

When I try to install, just before the screen with the bird come on I get a message (but i can not read it, refers to firmware). But that is not the reason for me to ask for help.

When I try to install ubuntu I get as far as the partitioning. I have tried both guided and manual and each time I reach to "creating ext 3 in / formatting". Then I get the message "the attempt to mount a file system with type ext3 in SCSI 1 (0,0,0) partition #1 (sda) at / failed. You may resume partitioning from .... I go back and try again but I get the same message over again.

I have got no clue why this is happing. Until the breakdown I ran 8.04 with great joy for months. Now I am getting very frustrated.

I must be doing something wrong. Please advise. Thank you.

Phil

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

Boot up from Ubuntu CD/DVD, open Terminal and execute this

sudo fdisk -l

Post output here.

* Its small L in fdisk -l.

[Bearnais]

Hi

thanks for your interest in my problem.

I tried sudo fdisk -l and did not get any output. In gparted the computer now returns no device recognized. This is after I had removed all partitions. The hard disk did work nicely before.

Phil

[devils casper]

Something is wrong with Hard disk only. Execute this

sudo dmesg | sda
sudo hdparm -I /dev/sda

Post output here.

[Bearnais]

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo dmesg | sda
bash: sda: command not found
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo dmesg | hda
bash: hda: command not found
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo hdparm -I /dev/sda
/dev/sda: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo hdparm -I /dev/hda
/dev/hda: No such file or directory

[D-cat]

I think Casper meant

sudo dmesg | grep sda

It happens.

[Bearnais]

Thank you for the correction. Now I have the following output

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo dmesg | grep sda
[ 37.146911] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 78156288 512-byte hardware sectors (40016 MB)
[ 37.146971] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
[ 37.146976] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
[ 37.147005] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
[ 37.147141] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 78156288 512-byte hardware sectors (40016 MB)
[ 37.147158] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
[ 37.147162] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
[ 37.147189] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
[ 37.147197] sda:<3>ata1.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x2
[ 38.312533] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE,SUGGEST_OK
[ 38.312539] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Sense Key : Aborted Command [current] [descriptor]
[ 38.312571] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Add. Sense: Scsi parity error
[ 38.312581] end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 0
[ 38.312588] Buffer I/O error on device sda, logical block 0
[ 38.681141] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 78156288 512-byte hardware sectors (40016 MB)
[ 38.681218] Dev sda: unable to read RDB block 0
[ 38.681325] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
[ 38.681329] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
[ 38.873221] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Attached SCSI disk
[ 38.873793] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
[ 38.874936] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 78156288 512-byte hardware sectors (40016 MB)
[ 38.879088] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
[ 38.879097] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
[ 38.886922] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
[ 40.114169] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE,SUGGEST_OK
[ 40.114175] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Sense Key : Aborted Command [current] [descriptor]
[ 40.114206] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Add. Sense: Scsi parity error
[ 40.114217] end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 78156160
[ 40.114225] Buffer I/O error on device sda, logical block 9769520
[ 40.874197] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 78156288 512-byte hardware sectors (40016 MB)
[ 40.874418] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
[ 40.874423] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
[ 40.876205] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
[ 40.894718] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 78156288 512-byte hardware sectors (40016 MB)
[ 40.895981] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
[ 40.895985] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
[ 40.897949] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
[ 1134.195572] SQUASHFS error: Can't find a SQUASHFS superblock on sda1
[ 1134.223089] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda1.
[ 1134.235513] ext3: No journal on filesystem on sda1
[ 1134.254459] ReiserFS: sda1: warning: sh-2021: reiserfs_fill_super: can not find reiserfs on sda1
[ 1134.269479] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda1.
[ 1134.293332] VFS: Can't find a Minix filesystem V1 | V2 | V3 on device sda1.
[ 1134.483705] hfs: can't find a HFS filesystem on dev sda1.
[ 1134.689757] SQUASHFS error: Can't find a SQUASHFS superblock on sda5
[ 1134.696617] VFS: Can't find an ext2 filesystem on dev sda5.
[ 1134.703220] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda5.
[ 1134.710441] VFS: Can't find ext3 filesystem on dev sda5.
[ 1134.724379] ReiserFS: sda5: warning: sh-2021: reiserfs_fill_super: can not find reiserfs on sda5
[ 1134.740769] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda5.
[ 1134.767746] VFS: Can't find a Minix filesystem V1 | V2 | V3 on device sda5.
[ 1134.796747] hfs: can't find a HFS filesystem on dev sda5.
[ 1250.760892] SQUASHFS error: Can't find a SQUASHFS superblock on sda1
[ 1250.794639] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda1.
[ 1250.827328] ReiserFS: sda1: warning: sh-2021: reiserfs_fill_super: can not find reiserfs on sda1
[ 1250.846114] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda1.
[ 1250.876016] VFS: Can't find a Minix filesystem V1 | V2 | V3 on device sda1.
[ 1250.913923] hfs: can't find a HFS filesystem on dev sda1.
[ 1251.046847] SQUASHFS error: Can't find a SQUASHFS superblock on sda5
[ 1251.053717] VFS: Can't find an ext2 filesystem on dev sda5.
[ 1251.060704] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda5.
[ 1251.067589] VFS: Can't find ext3 filesystem on dev sda5.
[ 1251.082689] ReiserFS: sda5: warning: sh-2021: reiserfs_fill_super: can not find reiserfs on sda5
[ 1251.097995] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev sda5.
[ 1251.121827] VFS: Can't find a Minix filesystem V1 | V2 | V3 on device sda5.
[ 1251.150485] hfs: can't find a HFS filesystem on dev sda5.

Whatever methode I choose. From the partitioner I get 'installing qyqtzm' up to 15%, then partitions formating to 5% (creating ext3 file system). Then after some time I get the message 'not able to mount ext3 filesystem to /
I have put in a clean harddisk, and the BIOC recognizes it.

Still stuck, please assist.

[Bearnais]

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo hdparm -I /dev/sda

/dev/sda:

ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: IC#5L0$0AVFN 7-0
Serial Number: FN@2 4B2HV)UHF
Firmware Revision: FA"OAF!A
Standards:
Used: ATA/ATAPI-5 T13 1321D revision 1
Supported: 5 4 3 & some of 6
Configuration:
Logical max current
cylinders 12287 12287
heads 16 16
sectors/track 63 63
--
CHS current addressable sectors: 16509968
LBA user addressable sectors: 78152192
device size with M = 1024*1024: 38160 MBytes
device size with M = 1000*1000: 40013 MBytes (40 GB)
Capabilities:
LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)
bytes avail on r/w long: 52
Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard, no device specific minimum
R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16 Current = 16
Advanced power management level: unknown setting (0x0000)
Recommended acoustic management value: 128, current value: 254
DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 *udma2 udma3 udma4 udma5
Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns
PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
Cycle time: no flow control=240ns IORDY flow control=120ns
Commands/features:
Enabled Supported:
* SMART feature set
Security Mode feature set
* Power Management feature set
* Write cache
* Look-ahead
* Host Protected Area feature set
* READ_BUFFER command
* NOP cmd
Advanced Power Management feature set
Power-Up In Standby feature set
SET_FEATURES required to spinup after power up
Address Offset Reserved Area Boot
SET_MAX security extension
Automatic Acoustic Management feature set
* Device Configuration Overlay feature set
Security:
Master password revision code = 61438
supported
not enabled
not locked
frozen
not expired: security count
not supported: enhanced erase
24min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
HW reset results:
CBLID- above Vih
Device num = 0 determined by the jumper
Checksum: incorrect (0x80), expected 0x80

[D-cat]

[ 38.312581] end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 0
[ 38.312588] Buffer I/O error on device sda, logical block 0

A sector 0 error is almost always fatal. Being "Buffer I/O", it could be on the hard drive or the MB. I think try another hard drive first, this one may be on its way out.

[Bearnais]

I have already put in another hard disk. So what can be the problem then? What do you mean by MB?