how do I install Arch Linux when I already have Ubuntu installed
 

ok I originally made a post here http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...tition-643088/ called "is-it-possible-to-install-arch-without-burning" but after reading the how to on that subject I decided that it would probably be easier just to burn the ARCH ISO and just reboot then install it from there . the problem is it doesn't show ( or I cannot see) the partitions that where made by my Ubuntu hardy install when I installed Ubuntu Hardy I made the swap, and then a 10 gig partition then I installed hardy onto the largest partition ( which was what was left on my hard drive) I wanted to install Arch on a partition ( 10 GIGs) but like I said I don't see that option when I boot from the Arch cd. I tryed to go into the Arch forums but the forum wouldn't show anything so I did a search "install" and of course it showed allot of post about installing various things onto Arch . I guess my setup on these forums isn't set up properly for me just to browse the Arch forums. anyway how do I find the 10 gig partition so I cam install arch on it?

The Arch Wiki is very helpful, especially the Beginner's Guide:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners_Guide

You will find this guide to be extreamly helpful if you've never installed arch before: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners_Guide
Arch uses a text based installer which can seem daunting if you're new to linux. On the contrary however, the installation process is very straight forward and i had no trouble my first time!
One of the first things you'll do (as mentioned in the above guide) is run fdisk to determine which partition you'll be installing to. You'll put your root directory on the 10 gig empty partition and you can share swap space with ubuntu since they won't be running simultaneously.

Thank you for your replys I will check out the wiki

ok I looked and read also printed out the manual but I cannot install the Arch OS onto my hard drive unless I delete Ubuntu ( so it seems) I tryied to use both option 2 and then option 3 ( expert mode) in option 3 it doesn't show any partitions at all and option two (express) just freezes the cd I downloaded and burned is the newest version Archlinux 0.8 Voodoo

when you boot up into the archlinux.iso you should get a terminal. start the setup /arch/install (i think) skip to step 2 which should be somthing like setting mount points and then it will ask you which to use for swap and then which to use for '/'. set your empty 10gb partition to use for /.
If arch won't install onto an empty partition then theres no reason to believe that it will install onto an entirely empty hd. partitions are independant of one another.

You don't mention at which point it freezes. If it is truly freezing than perhaps you need to reburn the .iso but it would be easier to figure out where your going wrong if you tell us at what point its freezing.

ok when I boot from the disk I get the sellect language I do that then it goes to setup 1st option is automatic which will over write every thing , the second option is express if I try express it leaves the setup then it shows a page tophalf is black screen with some writing saying "installer exited ( then under that it says) installer failed exited. if I try and press any keys it will go to a sh-3# which you cannot writing into because it just comes up with garbled stuff then freezes or appears to freeze even if I leave it for 4-5 mins.
Now if reboot from the cd I go through the select language the expert mode the screen changes and then shows me hard drive which shows the dev/sda something, there are no other partitions if I click on that one I get "critical error during ped_disk_new"

Don't use the Voodoo install disc, it is horribly old, and it isn't even the newest on the site, 2007.08-2 is, but that one still isn't the best. The 2008.04rc is the recommended install disc.

Most of the FTP mirrors have it:
ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/dist...so/2008.04-rc/

Thank you I will try that

I tried the cd and it boots up fine but it still only sees the drive it isn't seeing any partitions

Maybe you are seeing partitions and you don't realize it? partitions on your harddrive will be denoted by different numbers for example my paritions look like this sda1 sda2 sda3 sda4 (you may have hda or somthing different) /boot is on sda1 sda2 is / sda3 is /home and sda4 is swap.

all it shows is sda ( and the total size of my hard drive which is 320gigs) there are no other partitions shown

select sda and see what happens, it won't write anything to you disk yet. I think by selecting sda you will be selecting the device itself. partitions have numbers in them like sda1 sda2 (i think..) but it definetly won't hurt to go once step furthur. And make sure you're in "set filesystem mountpoints"

ok I think that I have Arch installed and I have read Arch Grub but I am not sure of how to add this install into the main Grub menu ( Ubuntu hardy Grub Menu) this is what it says but I don't quite understand it which way do I use?
Dual booting with other linux distros

Grub shows Arch in the menu but when I click on Arch it goes to to another screen ( like it is going to try an load Arch ) then I get a message saying "error 13 invalid or unsupported executable format"
this is what I have in the grub menu

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=18573b0e-4906-4c7f-8e32-b544fd854ab5 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04, memtest86+
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

# (0) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux [cpio]
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda2 ro vga=773
initrd /kernel26.img

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

title Arch
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader +1

it ended up being It seems to me your grub entry should look like this:
Code:

title Arch Linux
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda2 ro
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

thanks for all of your help