[Ubuntu 7.10] "No root file system is defined."

[Elliot B.]

I booted from the Acronis Rescue Media CD to create an ext3 partition on my primary HDD.

I then booted Ubuntu 7.10 from the CD and ran the install from the Live desktop.

When it came to preparing the disk space, I chose Manual (as I presumed that is the option I needed to select my own partition to install Ubuntu to) and selected the freshly partitioned space.

I clicked Forward but I get a "No root file system is defined. "Please correct this from the partitioning menu."

Any ideas?

[KitCh]

When you click and chose what parition you want to use, there's an option just there where you have to select "/" on the main partition you're installing Ubuntu on. That's where you define the mount point! That should fix your problem. If you don't understand what I mean, I'll see if I can find an image for you in a sec!

[Budious]

Delete the ext3 partition and leave a empty chunk of unpartitioned space on the drive. Use the Ubuntu installer to create at least two required partitions of / (root) and swap; you can make additional partitions on the same drive or a second drive for /home but that is optional. I'm guessing the installer is asking for swap partition assignment first and you are pointing to ext3 it will overwrite and still wants a root "/" partition at minimum assigned.

[Elliot B.]

  KitCh said:

When you click and chose what parition you want to use, there's an option just there where you have to select "/" on the main partition you're installing Ubuntu on. That should fix your problem. If you don't understand what I mean, I'll see if I can find an image for you in a sec!

You mean on the 'Edit partition' screen, to change it from the default "/media/hda5 to "/"?

  Budious said:

Delete the ext3 partition and leave a empty chunk of unpartitioned space on the drive. Use the Ubuntu installer to create at least two required partitions of / (root) and swap; you can make additional partitions on the same drive or a second drive for /home but that is optional. I'm guessing the installer is asking for swap partition assignment first and you are pointing to ext3 it will overwrite and still wants a root "/" partition at minimum assigned.

Huh? You mean I need to split the partition into two parts? I created a 5 GB partition initially (only wanted to try out Ubuntu). Should I split it into a 2 GB and 3 GB?

[Budious]

It's not hand holdy like Windows but five minutes of poking your head into Ubuntu documentation will explain it all to a reasonable extent. Linux is mainstream for above average users.

Here a brief description of what you need. When it ask to assign a partition for swap, create a 512MB slice and ubuntu will automatically assign it a filesystem type of Linux Swap. Use the rest of the remaining space to create the "/" partition to which Ubuntu will assign a filesystem type of ext3. These two partitions will fulfill the basic requirements. You can make the swap partition larger but there is not much need to have more than 512MB in most instances. I'd recommend at least 8GB for the "/" partition if you are not creating any other child partitions; /home , /usr for example.

Edited October 18, 2007 by Budious

[KitCh]

  King Mustard said:

You mean on the 'Edit partition' screen, to change it from the default "/media/hda5 to "/"?

Huh? You mean I need to split the partition into two parts? I created a 5 GB partition initially (only wanted to try out Ubuntu). Should I split it into a 2 GB and 3 GB?

Yes, that's the option. I couldn't remember it!

Well, when I tested ubuntu, I had a 4gig main partition and then 1gig for the SWAP. Personally I think that's more than enough. I think you need at least 4 gig for the main HDD in Ubuntu, but you'll have to check as i'm not too sure sorry!

[Elliot B.]

Got it all sorted and I am really, really impressed so far (Y)

[markwolfe Veteran]

  Budious said:

Delete the ext3 partition and leave a empty chunk of unpartitioned space on the drive. Use the Ubuntu installer to create at least two required partitions of / (root) and swap; you can make additional partitions on the same drive or a second drive for /home but that is optional. I'm guessing the installer is asking for swap partition assignment first and you are pointing to ext3 it will overwrite and still wants a root "/" partition at minimum assigned.

x10!

I don't know why so many people struggle with the extra work of manual partitioning when they aren't quite sure what partitions they need or how to set them up. The defaults that the installer creates for you are just fine (and a lot less work! ).

Glad it is up and running, though (Y)

[PGHammer]

  markjensen said:

x10!

I don't know why so many people struggle with the extra work of manual partitioning when they aren't quite sure what partitions they need or how to set them up. The defaults that the installer creates for you are just fine (and a lot less work! ).

Glad it is up and running, though (Y)

Remember, the typical newbie (to Linux) comes from the world of *Windows*, where you typically don't have to do this sort of fiddling. (In most cases, not even the NT-based versions of Windows require the amount of partition fiddling even a distribution like Ubuntu would *normally* require.) Though I know how to do it, I still find it a major pain.

Thank Heaven for Wubi!

It's almost *Ubuntu for Windows*, in that it installs (and uninstalls) entirely from most 32-bit versions of Windows (and is known to work with XP and Vista); however, it doesn't boot from there. (It boots from the OS Loader included with Windows, such as OS Loader 6 included with Vista, so it's Typical Linux in that respect.)

Remember my mentioning Ubuntu a paragraph back? I did for a reason: Wubi is based on Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) and except for the unusual install and configuration steps (which will look familiar if you're used to Windows) it's still the same distribution. The same software is included, the same options are included (including default NTFS read-only support, which Ubuntu has included since Dapper Drake). and it still supports all the same hardware. (Ubuntu is still the *only* distribution to support my Audigy 2 ZS out of the box.)

Love Linux, but hate partition fiddling? Seriously consider Wubi.

[markwolfe Veteran]

Yeah, another wubi plug.

But the point is, if people come "from the world of *Windows*, where you typically don't have to do this sort of fiddling.", then why do they suddenly jump all into creating partitions and manually assigning them? Going from one extreme to another.

That was my point.

[Julius Caro]

  PGHammer said:

Remember, the typical newbie (to Linux) comes from the world of *Windows*, where you typically don't have to do this sort of fiddling. (In most cases, not even the NT-based versions of Windows require the amount of partition fiddling even a distribution like Ubuntu would *normally* require.) Though I know how to do it, I still find it a major pain.

Thank Heaven for Wubi!

It's almost *Ubuntu for Windows*, in that it installs (and uninstalls) entirely from most 32-bit versions of Windows (and is known to work with XP and Vista); however, it doesn't boot from there. (It boots from the OS Loader included with Windows, such as OS Loader 6 included with Vista, so it's Typical Linux in that respect.)

Remember my mentioning Ubuntu a paragraph back? I did for a reason: Wubi is based on Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) and except for the unusual install and configuration steps (which will look familiar if you're used to Windows) it's still the same distribution. The same software is included, the same options are included (including default NTFS read-only support, which Ubuntu has included since Dapper Drake). and it still supports all the same hardware. (Ubuntu is still the *only* distribution to support my Audigy 2 ZS out of the box.)

Love Linux, but hate partition fiddling? Seriously consider Wubi.

Ubuntu doesn't require knowing how to partition a disc per se. Installing ubuntu while keeping another operating system does. I would like to see the typical windows user installing windows with other operating systems coexisting in the same hard drive. They would have to do as much work as in ubuntu.

Still, what people should always do is to leave unpartitioned space and let the ubuntu installer do its thing.

[Budious]

  Julius Caro said:

Ubuntu doesn't require knowing how to partition a disc per se. Installing ubuntu while keeping another operating system does. I would like to see the typical windows user installing windows with other operating systems coexisting in the same hard drive. They would have to do as much work as in ubuntu.

Still, what people should always do is to leave unpartitioned space and let the ubuntu installer do its thing.

Good point, it actually require more work considering that Windows will overwrite any other boot manager in favor of itself requiring the user to reinstall grub or another manager to get back to Linux/*BSD boot options.

[PGHammer]

  Budious said:

Good point, it actually require more work considering that Windows will overwrite any other boot manager in favor of itself requiring the user to reinstall grub or another manager to get back to Linux/*BSD boot options.

That is another Wubi advantage; it *doesn't* use grub, but the OS Loader included with Windows (especially ther NT based versions; at least 2000 and later). In my case, it uses the OS Loader included with Vista Ultimate.

Traditional Linux (including Ubuntu) requires (in addition to all the Partition Fiddling) dealing with GRUB (are the words *necessary evil* coming back yet?).

If Linux is going to successfully woo more users, those *necessary evils* need the Vampire Treatment.

[Budious]

Ok, we get it, you like Wubi! Me on the other hand, I like grub. I boot multiple operating systems; Windows, Linux, BSD, and Solaris which is easily done with grub alone. Also, I want to be a power user, I like to do most things manually such as partition to have fine control where my disk space is going when I have four or more operating systems booting on a single machine. Wubi - great for noobs; Slackware and BSD for all else who are even somewhat comfortable reading documentation will find it's no so hard and so much more flexible.

[zivan56]

Doesn't Ubuntu by default just resize your Windows parition automagically? If you go into manual mode, of course it will allow you to fiddle with everything and set up multiple filesystems for / /usr /home etc.

[gr4n1t3]

Thanks...

For a while now i have been trying to put a linux distro on my machines but there has always been something that has been going wrong... this time it was the above soved problem.

While im not new to partitioning etc having to create the swap partition came as a revelation as to why in one or two cases the installs have not gone as planned.

The difference this time round? Having a laptop to hand to directly look up any problems as they happen....

Thanks again... and im just off to sign up to the ubuntu forums :)