Hey, I am a noob to linux. I am trying to install KnoppMyth on my computer. I get through all the password setup screens, but when the installation reaches the point where I choose the partition to install on I get the following error:

Error: Formatting of /dev/hda1 failed. Some messages from mkfs.ext3: mke2fs 1.36 (05-Feb-2005) mkfs.ext3: No such device or address while trying to determine filesystem size.

I have a western digital 100gb hard drive. I formatted it before intalling a few times trying both FAT32 and NTFS, and got the same error both times. Trying to manually partition using that option in the knoppmyth install gives a similar error:

Opened disk read-only you have no permission to write

FATAL ERROR: cannot get disk size
press anykey to exit cfdisk

Am I using the correct filesystem? I am sorry if this is a dumb question but as I said I have very little experience with linux... There are not multiple partitions on the hd, and I was able to install ubuntu and windows sucessfully so I am sure the hd is not bad. I have seached through the forums but can't find a similar problem.

Thanks a lot

If the drive is not your primary master, auto install will not work. Is it?

_________________
cesman

When the source is open, the possibilities are endless!

Yes, the drive is set to primary master, at least it shows up as such in the initial bios screens.

I fixed it!

That's nice, but not terribly informative without a bit more detail...

How did you fix it? I kind of doubt it was anything as bizarre and unrepeatable as having someone split your skull with an ax so that the goddess of HD fixes could spring fully formed from your brow...

Please send that goddess my way - I'm hitting the exact same error, and it doesn't seem like the solution I'm looking for is on these forums. How did you do it?

I've got a Maxtor 120 GB IDE drive...it's a big enough drive, it's not SATA, the jumper is on the right setting...I've already spent all night deleting partitions, formatting as FAT32, making all kinds of boot disks, etc. olorin1984, if you still browse here...I'd really appreciate it if you could please post how you fixed that error. Thank you!!

"The right setting" also isn't terribly informative. Is it jumpered MA or CS (I sure hope it's not SL). If it's CS are you sing a real "CableSelect" cable and do you have it plugged into the right connector on that cable? (That's how the cable selects which one is master..)

My apologies...it's set to master.

I went through a related thread, and many of the responses were, "try a bigger hard drive," "don't use SATA," "make sure the jumper is set to master," etc. Honestly, everything looks fine on my end, but KnoppMyth seems to think that my hard drive is read-only.

I fixed the Master Boot Record by making a boot disk from bootdisk.com and running in MS-DOS "fdisk /mbr" (that's what my friend, who is more Linux-savvy, told me to do), and it's still giving me the same error regarding permissions in auto-install, and if you do a manual install it tells you the drive is read-only.

So, I'm kind of stuck at this point...was trying to install Ubuntu before (with MythTV, ivtv, etc.), but my friend found KnoppMyth, which looks great...I'd love to get this working, at least past the partitioning point.

Thanks for the help.

Edit: Just realized it might help to give you version numbers...I was trying this with R5A26, then two nights ago (just before posting here), I gave it another shot with R5A30.1...same errors.

Have you verified that the BIOS doesn't have some kind of boot sector virus prtection enabled?

Hi pudding,

Did I miss your hardware? all I caught was the drive being Maxtor ide...

Anyway, IF you have access to a second machine, stick the Maxtor into it and do auto install, R5A26 & R5A30 are both very good. You do not need to format or partition to do auto install, it is done for you.

Go ahead and let it reboot. IF it comes up then shutdown the machine (it won't hurt it at this stage) and try it in your original machine. IF it comes up on the original machine then go ahead and login, do the setups and make it all work. Do a backup as soon as you get some settings done, and of course, before any re-boot / halt.

IF it works, try an auto upgrade, that's how you learn, try, try, and then once more Sounds like maybe a bios setting of some kind, bad ribbon cable is possible too.

Curious, can you run Knoppix live cd?

Just an idea
Mike

Hey, sorry for the very late reply. I gave Windows a try for a couple of months, and when it stopped working, I just didn't have time to fix it.

I'd love to give KnoppMyth a try again. I just attempted an install, and after getting past putting in the settings (time, date, login, password, etc.) it looks like it's about to install and then says:

/usr/local/bin/KnoppMyth-auto: line 609: / 1000000: syntax error: operand expected (error token is "/ 1000000")

I found a few threads in the installation forum, and they did help people, but I don't have the same specs. I'm not using an IDE controller card, and my hard drive is not SATA.

Here are the specs:

• It's an old HP Pavilion 6746C.
• There is an Intel Celeron in there, based off of the Pentium 3, I think.
• 120 GB Maxtor HD.
• There is an NVidia GeForce2 video card, it is currently enabled. If I disable it via the BIOS, the Intel onboard video will be enabled.
• I can't remember how much RAM, but I think it was about 320 MB.
• Hauppage PVR-150 (non-MCE) video capture card.

I tried booting off of KnoppMyth R5C7, with the jumper on the HD set to Master, and it wouldn't get past the "autoconfiguring" stage. Then, I tried Cable Select, and it gets to the error I mentioned above.

Will try to get ahold of a second machine, but that will probably take a few days. Great idea, though...I hadn't thought of that. Thanks.

I've got Knoppix, will try that now and see what happens. Am also going to check the BIOS for the boot sector virus protection, but I don't remember seeing anything last time I looked in there.

Hi,



That is usually an indication of a bad burn or incompatable cd read (two different drives) Sometimes the older read only drives can't read the rw cd's or some shades of media. Lazers have different colors, lots of little things. Sometimes the young and old don't see "eye to eye"

Try when booting to enter at the boot: knoppmyth testcd ( I'm pretty sure of the syntax) It goes through and checks a few things before trying to install and all should say OK.. IF not, quit trying to use that cd or stick in a different drive to try once more for an install.

Just as a heads up, if the cpu is < ~500- 600 mhz, you may have playback issues in that it could be a little jerky using the 150, I have a Dell 400mhz that plays well with a 350 card using tv out. Stick with the nvidia card if you can, it helps.

Mike

Thanks for the help!!

I tried the testcd option you mentioned, and once it finished, it said all was okay. Is it still worth swapping the optical drive?

I just noticed that my hard drive is listed as hdb, and the optical drive is hdc. Is that normal? Any idea if the jumper setting makes a major difference? The HD is on cable select, and I think the optical drive is on cable select, too -- but two separate IDE cables.

Am pretty sure the processor is 733 MHz, so although the machine isn't a speed demon, it's alright.

I should probably mention, I'm not so worried about getting the remote to work, or about playback. As long as it can record to a file, I'll be happy. I plan to transfer the video files over the LAN to my computer.

Ideally, I'd like to be able to configure MythTV recordings via my web browser, and then transfer the video files to my primary machine. Running it headless is a must, so if it can boot up and start the necessary programs, that's great (in case of a power failure).

Anyway, though...Ubuntu (Breezy Badger - a few months ago) refused to install with the NVidia card enabled, so I'm going to switch to the onboard video and see if that helps.

Hi pudding,

Should be no need to change the cd, change cables around so the hd is hda and jumpers set for master. Auto install requires hda. Leave cd as hdc, good place for it.

733 should be fine, try it with the nvidia, it really helps local playback which you will want to do at least for testing / setup..

I think you are getting closer
Mike

Okay...am going to change the jumper to be master. How do I change the cable so that the HD is hda?

Did some googling and found that this might require me to mess with the MBR...I hope that's not the case, I'm not sure how to go about that.