[plug] ubuntu install on netbook fails to create file system

[Tim White]

(The following is from wolfbite, it got caught in the spam filter. Tim)
----

 From experience I've found different os & distros mess with the 
partitions not exactly how I like.

I use a system rescue disk and use gparted to adjust partitions,
it gives consistency to me and does the partitions the way I like

then just run the distro and install into prefered partitions

considering I dual boot with windows and constatly messing with distros 
on other partitions, this has been the SAFEST way for years now :)

I ALSO only use 1 partition per distro (instead of seperate home, etc) 
I can still boot into old distro while messing with new distro and can 
drag anything from old to new.

Just my 2 cents

also I have used the wabi from windows xp & 7, works great. but prefer 
the cd method better (just handy if no cd :)



On 04/01/12 15:22, Gavin Chester wrote:
> Hi, I've got hold of an older acer aspire netbook with 160gb harddrive
> and winxp. I successfully shrunk the xp partition, preserving the
> rescue partition, and installed ubuntu 10.10 netbook release. I had to
> use a bootable thumbdrive for this, of course. Everything worked just
> peachy.
>
> In the process of that first install, I elected to encrypt the /home
> on an extended partition. I fear this may be the root of the problem.
>
> Now I'm trying to repeat the process by upgrading with ubuntu 11.10
> and it balks at the stage of writing the file structure, saying that
> it is unable to create the ext4fs on the root partition. I have tried
> restructuring the partition table differently, and even tried ext3fs,
> but always borks at the same point. And, now that the partition table
> has been altered (without a filesystem written) grub complains that it
> can't find a file system.
>
> btw: the installation media is fine - I've used it for an install on
> another netbook the same day.
>
> Any clue whether the original encrypted partition is the cause of the
> problem, and if so how to overcome it?
>
> Gavin
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