Ubuntu hates me


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Last month when I built my computer, I set it up with a RAID 0. I created three partitions; one for XP, one for Ubuntu and one for the swap file. I was a little mad when I found out it wouldn't install onto a "fake RAID". OK. I can add a new hard drive when I get the time to pull it out of another computer. I might as well wait until 8.04 is released to get the newest version.

So I waited for 8.04 and SP3 for XP. Both are out, great. Time to add the other drive and start fresh. So I added another 160 GB drive to the mix. I wanted to insure that it would work, I ran it off the other SATA controller... not the one in which my RAID is connected.

I ran the live CD and it installed with no problems. I reboot my machine and it says "grub error". I try changing a few things but had no luck. I had to repair the XP MBR, but it's fine now.

You guys, I don't want to run off the live CD all the time. Why am I having problems getting this to work with my setup?

Specs in sig.

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I had a similar problem, minus the RAID. If you wanna install Ubuntu and don't wanna mess around with installing the Grub boot loader, trying using the "Wubi" install option for Ubuntu 8.04, it's what I did and it works a treat :happy: All you do is install Ubuntu in Windows like any other app, it doesn't need a seperate partition and it gets added to the Windows bootloader. There is a performace hit bit I don't think it's that bad and you can't hibernate either but overall it works great for me :)

Obviously installing it properly is the best option, but Wubi works well if you just wanna play around with it rather then use it as your main OS.

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Xerxes, will it run on top of Windows, or do you choose the OS at start up?

You choose the OS at startup. I'm not sure on how it exactly all works though, just that it does :p

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hahaha... OK. I'll give it a wack. Does it matter that I'm running XP 32 bit and I'm trying to install Ubuntu 8.04 64 bit?

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hahaha... OK. I'll give it a wack. Does it matter that I'm running XP 32 bit and I'm trying to install Ubuntu 8.04 64 bit?

It shouldn't matter at all, good luck (Y) :)

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I had a similar problem, minus the RAID. If you wanna install Ubuntu and don't wanna mess around with installing the Grub boot loader, trying using the "Wubi" install option for Ubuntu 8.04, it's what I did and it works a treat :happy:

...

Won't work in this situation. His NTFS is on a software RAID, remember. The Linux part won't be able to access his NTFS filesystem at all, as it requires Windows running.

I would think that the problem is in (and can be fixed in) the GRUB install and config (menu.lst file).

RAID 0, boot into LiveCD and post the output of a sudo fdisk -l (that's a lowercase letter "L", not the number one), and also the contents of your /boot/grub/menu.lst file.

We might be able to sort this out.

P.S. This grub error, does it happen before it presents the OS selection (where it says "press ESC for menu" ), or immediately?

EDIT:

I remember reading once that the linux kernel had built-in raid support ... to do the fake raid thing, I guess!
Yes, Linux can set up a software RAID on its own. But this "firmware" RAID that is currently on his computer half exists in BIOS, and the rest is handled by Windows. Linux cannot deal with that. At least not at this time.
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My understanding is that Linux can do real hardware RAID (with a high-end Linux compatible RAID controller) and that Linux can do its own software RAID but Linux generally has problems with the quasi-hardware "firmware" RAID that is bundled with a lot of motherboards.

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Mark, my RAID is setup in the RAID BIOS on my MB... not Windows. When the computer boots, right after POST, the Intel Matrix Storage manager shows the RAID. It really has nothing to do with Windows. It's all in the BIOS and the RAID BIOS.

Sorry it's taken me a while to reply, I just worked 12 hours and am about to work 12 more in 7 hours. I can't get into a live CD right this second because I'm friggin beat. I don't mean to be a jerk; asking for help and me not being able to be here. Sigh.

I'll do what you suggested, Mark, when I get home. It'll be a while.

Thanks for your help guys.

EDIT: Mark, it happens RIGHT after post. No OS selection at all.

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Since it seems to happen right away, it seems like a drive ordering thing. The MBR part of GRUB points to a location that isn't containing the rest of GRUB.

That sudo fdisk -l I asked about earlier might help sort things out to work on the solution.

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