First time installing LinuxMCE - Kubuntu: Does not recognize me HDD

[cumbero]

Hi!

I'm new using Linux, still I'm an oldtimer using Windows.

On my new system (HTPC) I installd a Western Digital 2TB (WD20EADS) Hard drive. The whole PC is brand new. The HDD is brand new. It was never formatted or partitioned.

For my new HTPC I choose to install LinuxMCE (Kubntu). I burned the dvd so far and boot the new HTPC with the new disc and all so far was working properly.

At the begining of the installation, it suddenly stops, and I become a black screen with following message (2 lines):

"Unable to seek on /dev/sda"
"Error: No hard drives found"

Maybe somebody can help with this issue.

My idea was to format the disk with windows (xp or vista) using NTFS. But only format the hdd without installing windows. Aftar that I would try to install linuxmce (kubuntu). Is this the solution to the problem or could there be anything else??? Is my hard drive to big (2TB)?

Please, I need some help fast!!!!

Tank you for your support!!!!


I forgot to tell, that my mainbord does recognize the Hard Drive!

[ramonh]

Hi cumbero

I'm new to LinuxMCE too. My system isn't running yet but with some help I'm on a good way

Formatting the HDD with NTFS won't help as far as I know. Kubuntu uses ext3.

I think I have read somewhere about creating the partitions manually with DVD installation but I can't remember exactly anymore.

Maybe you can try to install with the CD's. Download a kubuntu 7.10 Live CD and choose to create the partitions manually. About 80 GB ext3 to mount as root (/), about twice your RAM size for swap and the rest again with ext3 as your home (/home).

After installing kubuntu, install LinuxMCE with the two CD's.


Maybe this is the wrong way, but I think your problem is that the HDD is too big
Good luck

[tschak909]

I would actually recommend for disks that big, to use XFS. Look on google for the instructions for formatting a disk as xfs in ubuntu.

XFS will become the default filesystem for media after the 0810 release.

-Thom

[cumbero]

Well, firstly thank you!

But could my HDD be too big. Does Linux (kubuntu) not support such big disks? Is there a limit? Because if that would be the case, it wouldn't be usefull for me to use Linux, since i want to install more 2TB HDDs (i have a little movie collection.. dvd's...)

But anyway, i'll try to do it like you told me.

So thanks!

And i'll try to look that XFS up to.

Thanks!

[colinjones]

No, 2TB is not too big (just!) for traditional partition tables and ext3... the DVD is supposed to create this partition table then create the necessary file systems/partitions under it. It obviously isn't even getting that far. I would suggest you have a hardware issue with your BIOS/mobo/SATA chipset... maybe that this board is just not compatible with Kubuntu 0710.

If you have a copy of Kubuntu 0710 Live CD (difficult to get now, but not impossible), try booting with that and then choosing to install permanently on that HDD. This should at least tell you at the next reboot whether 0710 has the right drivers to run that mobo. If it fails, then likely you will either have to play around with the BIOS settings for SATA, or the boot-time APIC/ACPI settings; failing that, perhaps waiting for LMCE 0810 to come out as this will have much more recent hardware drivers.

[Thraxius]

I am just going to put my 2 cents in. My machine is so new that 7.10 won't install. The Hard Drive won't recognize as described above. The only option I had was to try the 810 Alpha install. I am still trying to see if that works out.

The problem I think is the driver for the controller board for his motherboard. Burn a 7.10 cd try to install see if you get no hard drive error. Then do the same with a 8.10 cd. If the 8.10 finds the hd and the 7.10 doesn't you are in the same boat I am.

Fixed:
Well I might have found a work around. Go into your bios. Setup your sata from IDE to Raid. Then try to install 7.10 again. All of a sudden it found my hard drive after I tried that. The alpha install didn't work for 8.10.