LinuxQuestions.org - Can't install to 2nd hard drive -- help pls!

Hi there,
I've been learning linux (set up a machine just for this) my machine contains 2HDs
both 40gb on the fist disk I have a 50/50 split dual boot ubuntu/xp which is working fine.

On my second disk I am trying to install backtrack 3 final and here's where the probs started I posted the thread below on the support forum , the thread should outline the prob though:

Quote:

Hi everyone,
I'm trying to install BT3 and I'm having some probs. I should say 1st off I know my way around Linux but there are some areas where I'm not up to speed yet. I am trying to install BT3 on a second Hard Drive on a spare machine.

I've been looking at a tutorial on this forum which on the face of it looks quite good. I set up the HD partitions using fdisk the p command now returns:

Code:

    Device      Boot    Start    End      Blocks  Id  System

    /dev/hdb1 *              1  1217    9775521  83  Linux

    /dev/hdb2            1218  1591    3004155  82  Linux swap

    /dev/hdb3            1592  4753  25398765  83  Linux

To the best of my semi-noob knowledge this should work, feel free to tell me if not.

My next step was:

Code:

mkdir /mnt/backtrack

Appeared to work ok but next came the prob:

Code:

mount /dev/hdb3 /mnt/backtrack/

returns:

Code:

mount: No such file or directory

I have CD'd and got to the point where I can view the /mnt/backtrack/ directory using ls so i don't understand the problem.

Can anyone give advice?

Many Thx

This is being done from the BT OS running as a live cd I also cannot access the 2nd HD (hdb) from ubuntu for eg:

Code:

root> fdisk /dev/hdb

returns:

Code:

Unable to open /dev/hdb

so no linux OS seems to get access to it.In XP the disk manager can see the partitions exist although obviously does not recognize the format. The etc/fstab file doesn't list them at all in UBUNTU. I was thinking this is a permissions issue, but even root doesn't get access. The only other thing I can add is that the HD does show up on ubuntu's desktop with the name "new volume". This is probably a noob post with an obvious answer but I feel like I've been banging my head against a wall since yesterday. Any advice would be brilliant (got no feed back from the support forum).

Many thx

---update---
Ubuntu is aware of the partitions as:

Code:

fdisk -l

returns:

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 41.1 GB, 41110142976 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4998 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk identifier: 0xb04cb04c



  Device Boot      Start        End      Blocks  Id  System

/dev/sda1  *          1        2504    20113348+  7  HPFS/NTFS

/dev/sda2            2505        4998    20033055    5  Extended

/dev/sda5            2505        4888    19149448+  83  Linux

/dev/sda6            4889        4998      883543+  82  Linux swap / Solaris



Disk /dev/sdb: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk identifier: 0x4d774d76



  Device Boot      Start        End      Blocks  Id  System

/dev/sdb1  *          1        1217    9775521  83  Linux

/dev/sdb2            1218        1591    3004155  82  Linux swap / Solaris

/dev/sdb3            1592        4753    25398765  83  Linux