debian and SATA drive...

insaneavocado · 02-08-2006, 06:33 PM

Hello, I am trying to install debian sarge and when I go to partition the drives it tells me there is no partitionable media. I am running a Dell E510n desktop and when I try to go to the BIOS to change the SATA drive to a PATA drive that option does not appear to even be there! Has anyone any experience with this type of problem?

(I tried linux26)

pljvaldez · 02-08-2006, 06:40 PM

If linux26 doesn't work, you might try to get an etch or sid install CD that has a newer kernel.

pljvaldez · 02-08-2006, 06:43 PM

Is that an Inspiron? Trying to look at Dell's site to see if there's a guide to changing it to PATA...

Sorry, found it. All I saw was a "SATA operation" for RAID autodetect/ATA or RAID on. Which are you using? Did you try changing the value?

insaneavocado · 02-08-2006, 06:59 PM

Yes, I changed it to RAID on and it still worked.... of course with that on I only tried kernel26.... ::goes to try the default one::

I'm also downloading the testing version as I type, so if this fails I can try that.

EDIT: I tried it and it didn't work also... this is angering that Dell's BIOS seems to be so dumbed down...

pljvaldez · 02-08-2006, 07:08 PM

Doesn't surprise me. It looks like a pretty new machine from Dell and I'm guessing the problem is that the 2.6 kernel in Sarge doesn't support the new hardware. If Etch doesn't work, you might have to try sid...