I hope this is a relevant enough forum, I'm not entirely certain what the problem is so I didn't think it was a Newbie problem and I don't think it's an issue with any hardware being malfunctional.

In any case, I am unable to install Linux on my new computer. I have tried to install Ubuntu 10.04 and Fedora 13. In both cases I get to the Partitioning portion of installation and in both no drives are shown and no options exist except to go forward. When I do, Ubuntu says "No Root File System is Defined" and Redhat says something like "no Hard Disk has been selected". I am a digital artist that uses all open source software, and I recently got a high end computer custom made for me (so sorry I can't give easy model numbers). The specifications are as follows:

-Intel 17 processor
-Asus Sabertooth X58 Motherboard
-8gbs RAM
-Nvidia GTX 480
-Western Digital 1001fals-00j7b0 Hard Drive (Hardware Properties on Windows, correct me if thats not the proper model number, it's a terabyte drive by Western Digital.
-currently has Windows 7 Pro installed.

Things I have found in Linux forums and tried without success:

-Removing DMRAID packages in a Live Session.
-Attempting to Install from a 32 bit Ubuntu 8.10 disk instead of 64 bit Ubuntu and Fedora disks
-Changing the SATA Configuration option in my BIOS settings from Enhanced to Compatible

I originally had thought it might be an issue with me having a RAID setup as the fellow who made it originally talked about setting up two 500gb drives in a raid array, but as far as I can tell he only put a single drive as there don't seem to be any raid volumes and in Windows I only see one disk that is 1tb.

In my BIOS settings, under Device Configurations or some such section there are 6 SATA slots if I recall, one has my DVD drive, all the rest say none detected if I recall, and there's an option that says Configure SATA drives as: and is set to IDE, with options to be set to RAID and AHCI.

Please please forgive my pleading and please lend me a little aid. I love Linux and it's agonizing having to use Windows again, I feel like the computer isn't mine yet and it's holding back my progress as an art student and causing me a lot of headaches. I don't need Windows to stay on my machine, so any solution that gets any flavor of 64 bit Linux on my machine is acceptable to me, Windows can be wiped into oblivion.

It should be there...

When the BIOS doesn't identify and configure the HDD as the system POSTs, the effect is as if the HDD were not installed.

One thing you can do is to change the BIOS setting for the HDD to AHCI, then check any BIOS setting about configuring devices. Try installing the SATA HDD on the first controller connection(SATA1, 3GB) and check the HDD for the placement of any jumpers.

You need to study and understand what your BIOS setting are, what the terms that are used mean, and what changes in the settings have on functions. Your motherboard manual and Google are your guides.

Do you in fact also have Windows installed; does it boot using this HDD without a problem? Can you boot Ubuntu as a live-cd?

Have you tried to set the BIOS to its Fail-Safe Defaults?

You can check the integrity of the power and signal connections for the HDD. Thereafter, after you turn the power on, can you hear or feel the HDD as it spins? Have you tried the HDD in any other system?

A good test is to boot Ubuntu as a live-cd, open a terminal and execute the command "sudo fdisk -l". If things are in order, you should see the HDD listed with any of its partitions.

It's probably just no drivers available for the SATA controller. Just put the SATA controller in AHCI mode so it uses the ahci driver like thorkelljarl mentions and it should work.

And look at this...

You might read the section of your motherboard manual about device configuration starting at item 3.4.1 to check that the BIOS function is correctly set for your SATA HDD and SATA CD/DVD drive.

Ok so I tried changing it to AHCI, and under AHCI configuration I got the same thing where it didnt detect anything except for in the 5th port or section or what have you where it detects my dvd drive. And the issue persists after switching to AHCI configuration.

I read the portion of my users manual you suggested but so far as I can tell all that its saying is that it should be detecting my hard drive I would imagine. This would make more sense if I didn't already have Windows 7 running without issue and wasn't able to install and save files to the disk. The Hard Drive is clearly functional as I am currently using this forum on the computer using Firefox which I installed.

I tried to use sudo fdisk -l in terminal but nothing happened, I looked at the man page and tried sudo fdisk -l hda then hdb the sda and sdb, all of them said they could not open hd* where * i whatever I was trying to open.

Again, gparted does not see disks or partitions when I run it on both Ubuntu and Fedora as well. I'm really frustrated and perplexed. Using Windows simply isn't an option for me. Anyone have any further ideas?

I should add that in the BIOS, when I look at the boot order (something I had to change to boot from Live Discs) it does show the Hard Drive in the boot order.

anyone? using windows is agony

Personally I'd simply install a virtual machine and let it be. Your system is really perfect for a VM. It should be able to run Windows and a few linux distro's at or near native speeds.

Since that board seems to be so new it may be an id issue or even driver issue with some part of the controller. Simply trying live cd's would tell you if they can read the drive.

Opensuse users seem to report luck with the x58 so I'd try that if you want a dual boot.

I suppose we could figure out if it is the sata deal or maybe even a pci-pci bridge deal. Might start with lspci and paw though it for clues.

According to Asus website your motherboard does not only have the six SATA-ports from the Intel ICH10R-chip (black on your motherboard), but also two SATA-6Gb-ports delivered from a Marvell 9128 SATA-controller (grey on your motherboard). There seem to be driver issues, as many people have your problem, if the harddisk(s) are connected to this chip. I would recommend to use the Intel-ports, just connect the cables to them and you should be able to install Linux. I would also recommend to change the mode of the controller back to AHCI for better performance. As this seems to be a production machine, don't forget your backups.

My thought was...

Have you tried the HDD attached to the first ICH10R controller connection(SATA1) and does it show up in the BIOS "Main Page"(manual 3.4)? Have you then pressed "Enter"(3.4.1) for access to the submenu settings, then insure that the settings are "Auto" for the SATA HDD(page 3-9)?

If you do not throughly check all the settings of the BIOS and tell us exactly what they are and you have done, noone can know enough to suggest what you could try next. Being systematic and writing clearly counts, and I don't know what to make of this.

After you have checked the BIOS for these settings, can you boot a live-cd of openSUSE 11.3? If you can't, can you boot the same live-cd after you have disconnected the SATA cable from the controller at the motherboard. This is a test to see if the problem might be the kernel module for the controller. This HDD is seen and configured in another system?

Do you have the latest BIOS installed?

Have a little patience waiting for replies. Yours is not any obvious problem with a simple solution.

I think it is a simple solution. I think the drive(s) are connected to the Marvell 9128 SATA-controller, which currently has some issues (just google "linux Marvell 9128"). Connect the drives to the Intel-controller and you should be able to install any OS you want, as I stated before.

Perhaps it is simple...

We both want to see the HDD connected to the Intel controller(page 2-29 in the motherboard manual), we just don't know for sure if Justin has or hasn't done this.

The OP can boot Windows, but at the same time says that he cannot see the SATA HDD in the BIOS. If this is true, it would be consistent with connection to the Marvel controller.

We await Justin's next post to see if he understands what we wrote, has applied it, and what the results are.

Hey all. Thanks for the replies. sorry if my explanations of my problems were not as clear as they could have been. I don't know a ton about this so I am trying to let you know what the BIOS settings are without being entirely certain what they are or without remembering the exact wording of some options and submenus.

Your idea that it has something to do with the Marvell controller seems logical as when the computer starts up I distinctly remember it spits up a lot of text and says something about Marvell 9128 during. And it would also explain why I see no drives in the BIOS settings except for my DVD Rom.

I have not yet tried to manually switch the drive to one of the other SATA ports because I have no experience with hardware and I don't want to mess anything up. So I should look for a cable running from my hard drive to my motherboard connected to a gray port and plug it into a black port.

As far as my BIONS settings. It shows 6 SATA ports, only the fifth has anything, the rest say none detected. The fifth is my DVD Rom drive. I have hit enter and checked, the DVD rom is set to auto, the rest show all options greyed out as no device is detected. I will try to move the plug into one of the Intel ports although I'm a little nervous about messing around in such an expensive machine.

Well, at least take a look at it first, if it is plugged into a gray one then you should change it, if it is not, then don't. Also, it's a good idea to unplug the computer and touch the PSU first to neutralize any change between you and the computer.

If you didn't build it yourself...

There are several guides and displays on the Internet on how to build a PC. Take a look at some of them, open the case and look around with your motherboard manual in your hand.

If you take the usual precautions not to short anything, the parts of a PC are not that fragile that they just break. Just don't twist any connection while pulling things apart and don't force things.

If you're going to play with linux, and hardware under linux, you're going to have to learn the terminology and something of the technology. It will stand you in good stead.

Whenever you are faced with a fact or a term you don't understand in linux, that ever handy Google has an explanation or a definition, or at least a hint. Use it.

If you change the controller connection to the HDD, you may not be able to boot Windows without installing the Windows driver for the Intel controller, that is if it is not already installed. Look at your Windows hardware listing to see if both controllers are configured. This is something you might do before switching the cable connection. Look on the Asus support site for the right driver if you need it.