When I try to install Opensuse 10.3, I always get an error message when it gets to the part where the hard disk gets formatted. The disk passed the md5 check it has been used before to install on a friend's computer.

The error code is:
Failure occured during the following action:
formatting partition /dev/sdb1 (37.2 GB) with ext3
system error code was: -3008
/sbin/mke2fs -o dir_index -j -v /dev/sdb1:
/bin/sh: /sbin/mke2fs: cannot execute binary file

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Sounds like you've got a corrupted CD/DVD, or things got messed up during download.

Since this is a new install, OpenSuSE 11 is the latest version. I'd go with it and a fresh download.

This cd passed the installation media check, so I think it should be fine... Does the checker not work sometimes? And sorry, I left out a word above. It should read "it passed the md5 check, and it has been used to install on a friend's computer."

I did download the 11.0 DVD, and the image passed multiple md5sum checks, but in four different burns to DVD none worked. For the DVD I was using XPBurner, although I am willing to try something else.

Thanks for the quick reply.

There's also Iso Recorder (powertoy):

http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

I actually just downloaded that about 10 minutes ago, and I am going to see how it goes.

Did the new media fixed the problem. I am wondering if that was the problem?

Thank you

Unfortunately, it did not. I just booted again, and it failed the mediacheck.

Any more ideas?

Thank you all again for your fast replies.

OK. Let me ask you a few questions first :

1. Is that a dual Boot installation ?
2. Do you have MS Windows already installed?

You have a few things to try out:

1. You can sue OpenSuSE Live CD then use Yast to repair the disk.
2. Try changing the FileSystem and see how it goes , use ext2 or ResierFS for example. Just to see if that will do it.

Thank you

No, it is a clean install. I don't have windows on it. How do I repair the disk?

Hello,

Please refer to this URL http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:YaST_System_Repair

Thank you

Unless this I am missing something, that appears to be about repairing an already installed system, which I don't have. Could it still help?

Thanks.

I was advised on a different forum to try a different DVD drive, which I did. I got a new DVD drive, and the disk still fails the check. Using the 10.3 cd, I can get to about 2% through the installation, then the machine either freezes (lights on keyboard turn off, PS2 devices stop working, cursor stops spinning) or it quits to the terminal and gives a segmentation fault error.
I have read in every linux guide that the 15-16M memory hole should be disabled, but the Hardware Checker reveals that it is enabled on my machine. "Segmentation Faults" have to do with RAM, correct? Unfortunately, my BIOS (PhoenixBIOS 4 v6.0.9) seems to be very limited because it has no memory hole option or many other options that seem to be very normal for BIOSes to have.... Does anyone have any suggestions?