Linux install continually fails. Any ideas?

A few weeks ago my main Linux workstation started to fail, it only stays online for 10-15 minutes before powering off. It's likely the PDU is almost dead, haven't spent time to diagnose it. What I had planned on instead was simply replacing it. I had a PC handy that was previously used for Netflix only. But since I have a 360, I can stream Netflix through it. So no need for this 'media PC' to serve media, it was rarely used anyhow and the specs are better than my old Linux box. Seemed like a great idea to use this as my new workstation PC since it was more or less idle before, and more powerful than what I was using.

For reference, I created a Mint 17 bootable media via UNetBootin. Installing this on my local L5420 server and my laptop, no issue. However when trying to install on my Dell Optiplex 990 PC... it fails, repeatedly. I even flashed other media to the drive, tried Debian, different Mint versions, and Ubuntu desktop and still, the same issue.

Hoping the kind folks here can point me in the right direction. For reference, here's just some facts:

• When booting up to the OS on the USB, it detects the harddrive and knows it's size. I can use the OS via a live-usb sitck no issue.
• When trying to install the OS on the drive, it doesn't detect anything. No partition layout. No drive. Nothing.

I've checked the BIOS settings and can't seem to locate anything that may be preventing this from working properly. I even swapped the drive with a different one... and still, no go.

Any ideas? I've installed different OSes dozens and dozens of times over the years and have never once actually experienced any hiccup like this. Most the stress comes after installation, trying to find drivers for obscure things. I've actually never experienced an issue during the installation process before, so any assistance is welcomed.

I read that before, unfortunately it doesn't actually install.

I think I took a photo last time I tried... it just gets stuck in the install process then aborts. One sec...

Regardless of the distribution, that's the same error across them all. The drive is good, I'm actually using the PC right now via Windows... I even replaced the drive with a different, also known working one with the same error.

If I boot into Linux via the USB stick, it detects the drive just fine. It knows how large it is. Knows what type it is. Go to install, and it has no clue a drive exists.

Looked to see if a BIOS upgrade for that PC?

MannDude said:

Regardless of the distribution, that's the same error across them all.

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Did you try with Ubuntu 14.04? I recently had to install an OS on some brand new HP laptop. Tried debian - no HDD detected. Tried CentOS - the HDD was there, but the network card wasn't working after install. In the end tried ubuntu 14.04 - everything worked, except for the stupid screen saver / screen locker that wouldn't stay disabled so had to apply brute force to make it not start.

Can you see the hard drive in the bios (boot menu)?

splitice said:

Can you see the hard drive in the bios (boot menu)?

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Yep. Also just recently updated the bios to latest version. Right now I have Windows installed on this PC and it works just fine. I actually need Windows for some RC specific programs and video editing, so want to dual boot.

After updating BIOS and drivers for all devices I rebooted and started up in the live-media via USB. Could see the 1TB drive I have in there, as well. Went to install, there was no drive or partitions to install to.

Soo..., for my next attempt I suppose I'll create the partition for the Linux install via Windows first... then see if that partition is visible in the install process. Or something. We'll see.

MannDude said:

Also just recently updated the bios to latest version.

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Probably this is the reason? I am not a pro on this, just a guess. Have you tried installing before bios update?

Will trying to install arch linux do any help?

(it seems to be latest on many things, so worth a try?)

Don't shoot me down but have you tried re-downloading and imaging your installation source and trying again?

Mid said:

Probably this is the reason? I am not a pro on this, just a guess. Have you tried installing before bios update?

Will trying to install arch linux do any help?

(it seems to be latest on many things, so worth a try?)

Click to expand...

Before and after bios updates.

MartinD said:

Don't shoot me down but have you tried re-downloading and imaging your installation source and trying again?

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Yep, multiple times and different distros just to make sure. The install media I originally tried was the exact same used on my laptop that I am posting this response from and what I installed on my dual L5420 at home. The install media is good, and I can even boot into it and use it as a live-media. Unsure what it's called, but since it's not a CD it's not a 'live-cd' ... so a 'live-usb'(?).

Okay - what mode do you have the controller set to in the BIOS?

Does the drive try to do any kind of raid? I had a laptop do this exact same thing when I had the 16GB "cache" SSD striped with the 1TB HDD in a sort of 'fusion drive' setup. I had to break the drives up (linux saw a 16GB and a 1TB drive) for me to be able to have a drive show up during install time. The live USB environment would see the drive fine, but not the installer.

It would help too if you could run a lspci from the USB environment so we could see what kind of chipsets you are working with. You might check to see if there are any known bugs with the controller, maybe you'll need a kernel paramenter to pass to the live installer.

Also try another OS like Windows or FreeBSD? I also wonder if you can find out where the installer logs to... sometimes they log to another terminal session.

Try going to a older version of debian or ubuntu and see what happens.

Looking at the error message you've posted it looks like Ubiquity's partitioning tool isn't handling one of the existing partitions (or the partition table itself) correctly. As such, your stated plan of re-partitioning the drive first with another tool will probably work, although I'd recommend making sure to actually create an entirely new partition table.

Also, you don't have to do this from windows - fdisk/gdisk from the Linux command line should do just fine, and I can pretty much guarantee they'll be available on the livecd you are using .

Try a different hard drive?

So if the bios picks up the drive, and windows runs from the drive I presume you can see/ mount the drive when booted from the live environment, (just checked and you said you can) what about simply copying the setup/ install files to the hard drive when in the live environment and then setting the drive as the boot device in the bios.

I assume if it boots from the drive it should then be able to see 'itself' to complete the install?

Depends if it is a quest to find the answer or if you just want to get it installed, if it is the latter then just do an actual install to a spare USB stick, boot in to live then dd the disk image from the pre installed USB then once booted resize your partitions.

MartinD said:

Okay - what mode do you have the controller set to in the BIOS?

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I'm not for sure off the top of my head. I'm using the PC now logged into Windows as I'm on my lunch break at work, but will reboot when I get off and find out.

clownjugglar said:

Does the drive try to do any kind of raid? I had a laptop do this exact same thing when I had the 16GB "cache" SSD striped with the 1TB HDD in a sort of 'fusion drive' setup. I had to break the drives up (linux saw a 16GB and a 1TB drive) for me to be able to have a drive show up during install time. The live USB environment would see the drive fine, but not the installer.

It would help too if you could run a lspci from the USB environment so we could see what kind of chipsets you are working with. You might check to see if there are any known bugs with the controller, maybe you'll need a kernel paramenter to pass to the live installer.

Also try another OS like Windows or FreeBSD? I also wonder if you can find out where the installer logs to... sometimes they log to another terminal session.

Click to expand...

No RAID, single drive. Windows runs fine on it, it's the installed OS on it now. I'll run lcpci later when I have more time to and see what it spits out, thanks!

aggressivenetworks said:

Try going to a older version of debian or ubuntu and see what happens.

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Might be worth a shot. I'll add that to the list of things to try.

Shados said:

Looking at the error message you've posted it looks like Ubiquity's partitioning tool isn't handling one of the existing partitions (or the partition table itself) correctly. As such, your stated plan of re-partitioning the drive first with another tool will probably work, although I'd recommend making sure to actually create an entirely new partition table.

Also, you don't have to do this from windows - fdisk/gdisk from the Linux command line should do just fine, and I can pretty much guarantee they'll be available on the livecd you are using .

Click to expand...

Might have to give that a shot too.

FRCorey said:

Try a different hard drive?

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I've done that already and the result was the same unfortunately. The other drive, like the one that is in there now, is known to be good as it was previously working in a server.

AnthonySmith said:

So if the bios picks up the drive, and windows runs from the drive I presume you can see/ mount the drive when booted from the live environment, (just checked and you said you can) what about simply copying the setup/ install files to the hard drive when in the live environment and then setting the drive as the boot device in the bios.

I assume if it boots from the drive it should then be able to see 'itself' to complete the install?

Depends if it is a quest to find the answer or if you just want to get it installed, if it is the latter then just do an actual install to a spare USB stick, boot in to live then dd the disk image from the pre installed USB then once booted resize your partitions.

Click to expand...

Yep. Bios picks it up. Windows runs from it. (Using it now) and I can see the drive when booted in the live-environment. I'm going to try some other suggestions first and will try yours out if needed.

I think it may be a controller issue as mentioned by Martin.

Might have to give that a shot too. 

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I guess Shados is correct and give it the first shot. It seems a partitioning issue. Is the "boot" flag set on the linux partition?