Ubuntu 9.10

Okay so I like Ubuntu very much and want to use it more and more but I need to do a re-install. I just tested it out but I like it very much now.
When I first installed it I did not understand/got frustrated at the part in the installation where I need to select the correct partition and ended up choosing an option that says back-to-back.
Now I only have 300mb of space left on the partition where Ubuntu is installed. Keep getting alerts about it.

Before I tried installing it I went into Windows and created an 8Gb partition where I would install it. But when I eventually installed it, it would not let me install on that partition. Kept giving me some error about a root file and that I should fix it in the previous step. I didn't understand what it wanted me to do. SO in the end just went back and picked the back-to-back option.

I will uninstall tonight and try again.
But please tell me how I get it to install on my Z: partition.(created in Windows with NTFS file system)

Thanks for your help with all my noob questions.
 
go into a terminal. type sudo fdisk -l

post that output here
 
Thanks will do that when I get home tonight.

Any specific reason why I failed to install it on the Partition I wanted to?
 
As requested:

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0278474d

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1306 10490413+ 27 Unknown
/dev/sda2 1307 2366 8514450 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda3 * 2367 34997 262107396 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 34998 38914 31456600 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda5 1307 2040 5893599 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 2041 2344 2441848+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 2345 2366 176683+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
Click to expand...
 
APoc84 said:
Thanks will do that when I get home tonight.

Any specific reason why I failed to install it on the Partition I wanted to?
Click to expand...

NTFS partitions are meant for Windows. You can access them through Linux, but don't expect to be able to install Linux onto them.

Delete your Z: partition (make sure it's the right one!) and let the Ubuntu installer reformat it as ext3.
 
Thanks. I will do that.

Can you maybe tell me where Ubuntu was installed the first time? I only had 3 NTFS partitions and 2 recovery partitions.
So where did it install? And how will I uninstall the current Ubuntu installation?
 
Looks like /dev/sda6, unless that's your boot partition.

I would recommend reading a tutorial or manual right about now, otherwise you *are* going to lose data!
 
grayston said:
Looks like /dev/sda6, unless that's your boot partition.

I would recommend reading a tutorial or manual right about now, otherwise you *are* going to lose data!
Click to expand...

I checked last night and seems like Linux converted 2.6Gb of my 8Gb partition for the installation. I will just format and merge those 2 partitions again. Then re-install. If I have to lose data it won't be much. Had to do full re-installs of my Win 7 RC and also Vista after my HDD crashed last week.

Sparkz0629 said:
linux worth moving to from windows? sorry, i know its a bit random....lol:whistle:
Click to expand...

It's not Windows. And depends what you want to use it for?
I don't play games, don't need all the fancy stuff Windows offers.

I basically browse the internet, do e-mails, write a lot of DVD/CD's. Do massive amounts of Spreadsheet, Document stuff.
Linux is faster and more lightweight for me and that is why I tried it and really liking it at the moment.
 
Code: 
/dev/sda2 1307 2366 8514450 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 1307 2040 5893599 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 2041 2344 2441848+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 2345 2366 176683+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

It looks to me you created an extended partition around 8.5GB in size. You then subdivided this into 3 patritions – an NTFS (5.89GB); a linux partition (2.44GB) and a swap partition (0.18GB)

What you should do is to tell the installer to install root to /dev/sda5 and format it as: <chosser your partition type of choice>. I have mine all as ext4. some people are still not too comfortable with that and choose ext3 (with the view of converting to ext4 at a later date).

Tell the installer to install /home to /dev/sda6.

I assume of course that the reason why you have partitioned as you did is to have the root and home partitions separate.
 
My own stupidity but I did create an 8Gb partition from Windows. Then when installing I could not figure out how to select the right partition or format it correctly using the Ubuntu installer. So, no. I did not intend to install root here and home there. :o
I just clicked next and made sure it wasn't deleting any

Unfortunately the installer is not as user-friendly as a Windows installer, only because I have never used it. I bet when I understand it and have successfully installed it the way I want it I will see that I was just blind.

Thanks for all the help so far. I know these questions can be really irritating.

Tell me if this will be correct tonight:

Using Windows 7 Partition manager I will format the 3 partitions that was split. I will then merge them again so they are 1 x 8Gb partition.

Insert Ubuntu CD and from Demo mode will start the installation.

Follow steps until I reach selection of partition where it needs to be installed.

This is where I got stuck last time. It only gave options to format the whole 320Gb HDD and install Ubuntu. And also a back-to-back option. Then an advanced option where you see all the different partitions. But when I selected the 8Gb partition and clicked next it failed and gave me the *root file error.

If I can successfully get past that part I will not bother you again.
/touch wood
 
Best would be to actually just delete the 3 partitions, and let Ubuntu do the formatting instead. Unallocated disk space Is Your Friend when it comes to installing operating systems.
 
Makes sense, yes.
But when I delete those 3 partitions I will only have my Win 7 (30Gb) and Vista(260Gb) partitions left. And also those two OS's recovery partitions.

Would Ubuntu then successfully install on one of those two partitions without deleting my Vista or Win 7 installations? I would prefer if it did, that it then installs on the Vista(260Gb) partition and that I will still be able to tri-boot.
 
APoc84 said:
Makes sense, yes.
But when I delete those 3 partitions I will only have my Win 7 (30Gb) and Vista(260Gb) partitions left. And also those two OS's recovery partitions.

Would Ubuntu then successfully install on one of those two partitions without deleting my Vista or Win 7 installations? I would prefer if it did, that it then installs on the Vista(260Gb) partition and that I will still be able to tri-boot.
Click to expand...

Huh?

Unallocated space. You want Ubuntu to install on unallocated space. The installer will then figure out the creation of new partitions and formatting.

Seriously. Read up on this stuff before you lose any data.
 
grayston said:
Huh?

Unallocated space. You want Ubuntu to install on unallocated space. The installer will then figure out the creation of new partitions and formatting.

Seriously. Read up on this stuff before you lose any data.
Click to expand...

Nevermind. Simple misunderstanding.

There is delete volume and then there is delete partition. I just needed to delete the volumes and it automatically merged the 3. Then left it unformatted.

Ubuntu installer worked perfect this time around and I was able to just select the 8Gb partition. It then formatted automatically and installed.

Perfect installation and I am currently typing from Firefox on Ubuntu.

Thanks for the help. I will no longer annoy you.:o
 
APoc84 said:
Thanks for the help. I will no longer annoy you.:o
Click to expand...

:) Not annoying at all, I'm happy to help! It's just that you know your environment best, and you're dealing with dangerous stuff, so I didn't want to give you any advice that might wipe your hard drive.

Have fun with Ubuntu. I hope you don't get the buggy kernel that kills all your network devices...
 
Hehe thanks.

Everything is running smoothly.
Actually more than smoothly, I struggled for days without success to establish a wireless network between my laptop and my fiancee's laptop in Windows(XP, Vista and 7). Last night while fooling around in Ubuntu I noticed that it was done automatically and I could connect to her shared folders. Everything worked 100% and at last I transferred some of my old MP3's to my HDD.

Something I still need to figure out is how to change some mouse settings.
In Windows I could press down on my wheel button and drag the mouse to scroll down or up a page quicker. In Ubuntu that doesn't happen and I didn't see such setting in the mouse settings.
I use that function a lot while doing massive spreadsheets and I need to scroll back to the middle of a page to check data. Now I'm just abusing my wheel.
 
That settings is in the browser. I can't remember where now and I am on a windows pc. but what is cool is that you can use your middle mouse button to paste stuff you highlighted without clicking on copy and paste.
 
I have done 3 updates via the Update Manager now.

And after each update, when GRUB loads, there is an extra boot version of Ubuntu to select from. Can I remove the older versions from the boot menu?
 
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