I am attempting to install collegelinux on an 80gb drive with 18 partitions (multiple Distros including Windows2K for backward compatability). When I boot up the collegelinux CD I use default us keyboard. It then gives me the selection screen. I choose 0: /dev/hda and then it lists the partitions on my harddisk 0 thru 17. I reply no to cfdisk since I have created the partitions previously.

I intend to install collegelinux on /dev/hda9 which is selection 8 but it first asks me to choose the swap partition which is number 14 (/dev/hda15). I type in 1 (first part of 14) and it immediatly replies, invalid partition, probably because 1 has Win2K on it. No matter what I do it refuses to accept more than one digit for the partition number. Is there any way around this problem?

AFAIK there isn't. That was one of my complaints with College Linux is the lack of configuration options and even choosing packages during the install. It's not very flexible and I don't know of any way around it.

I'm very sure there was a similar thread to this on CL's own support forums. Unfortunately their site appears to be down at the moment, but I do suggest checking that out when it's back online.

Edit: Okay, I guess you can't do that as they've whiped their old forums clean. But if you go there and ask I'm sure you'll get an answer just like the person before you did.

Perhaps if you used a tomsrtbt floppy or other rescue system and change the partition before trying to install. i'm not sure, but it sounds like it may be failing when it looks for a swap partition.

How many of your partitions are primary, and how may are logical? Remember, you are only allowed 4 primary partitions on a HD, and the remainder must be logical partitions within an extended 'shell'.