new Linux user, major cfdisk confusion
 

Hey guys,
I just dug up an old, beaten up dell inspiron (7500), and have been attempting to install damn small linux on the machine. The issue is that when I attempt to partition the hard drive, I've had absolutely no success, and am already in a bit over my head.
running cfdisk /dev/hda or cfdisk /dev/sda both return Fatal Error: Cannot open disk drive.

the only two commands I've gotten any response from are
sbin/fdisk -l /dev/hda0 which gives me :
Disk /dev/hda0: 0 MB, 0 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectlrs/track, 0 cylinders
Units = cyldinders of 16065 * 512 = blah bytes

followed by

Disk doesn't contain a valid partition table

and

cfdisk /dev/hda0
which returns: Opened disk read-only - you have no permission to write, Fatal Error cannot get disk size.


I'm googling furiously, but am in way over my head. Little help please?
(sorry for the long post, any response appreciated)

I should mention that I know this drive was working A-OK, maybe a few days before I got it, so I'd put a lot of money on the idea that he just did some sort of wipe on it before giving it to me. Point is, it wasn't a bad disk.

Try "cfdisk -Ps /dev/hda"