Hi,

This is my first time attempting to install Linux so I was sorta expecting something like this. I am completely new to this so bear with me.

I'm attempting to install to an external hard drive and got done with all of the installation up until GRUB. All seemed to go well until it had to reboot. Upon rebooting I hit F12, chose to boot from USB (the Ext. HD is USB connected) and got an Error 17 and it just died...

More specifically, it says:

Botting 'Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.12-9-386'
root (hd1,0)
Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0xde

Kernel /vmlinuz - 2.6.12-9-386 root=/dev/mapper/Ubuntu-root ro quiet splash

Error 17: Cannot mount selected partition

Press any Key to continue

Then it just dies.

Any help would be appreciated.

~ Brett

Nearly all Linux distros can be installed onto an external hard disk but only a few special ones can be booted from it. Don't Ubuntu is one of them. The slow response from a USB device usually causes a standard kernel to panic.