Install problem - mounting file systems
 

I hope someone can point me to a solution to this Linux install problem. I'm building a new computer, and have run into problems attempting to install Linux. I've already gotten Windows installed without issues, so the hardware is working.

When I attempt to install Linux, the installations fail when they attempt to mount the HDD. I've tried installing Fedora, Mandriva, Ubuntu, and Knoppix, and all of these installations fail at the same point. The install process starts normally, asking basic information about the system such as user name, choosing HDD partitioning information, etc. But all the installations, including the Knoppix live CD, fail when attempting to mount the HDD. THe Knoppix Live CD doesn't crash, it just fails after attemping to mount the HDD, and drops to the command line.

The motherboard is an MSI 770-C45 with an AMD processor, 1 built in IDE port, and 6 SATA ports. I have 4 GB of new RAM installed, and a 1TB hard drive connected to the first SATA port, and it is seen by the BIOS. There is an HP DVD writer connected to the IDE port, jumpered for Cable Select. There is no hard drive connected to the IDE port.

Is there a known issue to working with an IDE CD-ROM/DVD and a SATA HDD? Do I need to pass a parameter to the system at boot up?

I'd appreciate any advice on how to get Linux installed on this system. I eventually want to try LinuxMCE on this system.


I've been working with computers for nearly 30 years, mostly Windows and IBM System i. I have done a number of other installations over the years, so I'm not a complete noobie, but I'm not close to being a Linux guru.

Thanks

IDE and SATA drives are about as standard as you can get, so shouldn't be a problem.

Clarify: Do the installations fail when they try to partition the drive, or do they successfully partition the drive and then fail while trying to mount the drive?

Obvious troubleshooting step: Replace current SATA drive with a spare SATA or IDE drive and see if the same problem occurs.

>>IDE and SATA drives are about as standard as you can get, so shouldn't be a problem.

>>Clarify: Do the installations fail when they try to partition the drive, or do they successfully partition the drive and then fail while trying to mount the drive?

I was wrong in my earlier description of the problem. I just retried the install again with both Ubuntu 10.04 and Mandriva 2010 Free. Both of these installs fail just a few minutes into the install process. They both report a a mount problem, but it's a problem mounting the CD-ROM/DVD, not the HDD. UBUNTU fails at the DETECT AND MOUNT CD-ROM step, saying the CD-ROM couldn't be mounted, and the CD-ROM might not be in the drive. The CD is in the drive, and nothing has changed from just a few minutes earlier when the the install process read the drive to begin the install.

he Mandriva install fails the same way, but the log from Mandriva is more informative. It shows the following lines (snipped):

looking for ide media
looking for scsi media
SCSI/0: sr0 is a HP DVD Writer 940d
SCSI/1: sda is ATA ST31000528AS
looking for Compaq Smart Array media
looking for DAC960
mounting /dev/sr0 on /tmp/media as type iso9660
mount failed: I/O error
trying /tmp/media/i586
assuming media is a mirror tree
unsetting automatic
exiting bootsplash
opening /proc/splah failed

end of log

why would the install process lose track of the drive like this?

Thanks

Follow the logical trouble-shooting steps, then. The most likely problems are either that the CD-ROM drive is bad (or lacking proper drivers) or the motherboard controller for the CD-ROM drive is bad (or lacking proper drivers). Find another CD-ROM drive and install it: the success or failure of the new drive will give you the answer.

Based on your previous post around your CD/DVD ROM, its highly unlikely that Linux is your issue here. All these distro's would not fail to install without there being some issue on your machine.

Check your SATA interface cables as well as your CD ROM itself.

>>Based on your previous post around your CD/DVD ROM, its highly unlikely that Linux is your issue here. All these distro's would not fail to install without there being some issue on your machine

>>Check your SATA interface cables as well as your CD ROM itself.

I'm looking for another IDE CD/DVD drive and cable. This setup was used to install Windows on this system earlier this week, so the basic functions work.

The SATA ports on the motherboard are set to IDE mode. Would this cause a problem with the Linux install?

Thanks all, for your replies.

Driver issues are always a possibility. Just a few months ago, I had a similar problem trying to install Linux on an old Sun box at work. The installation would start, but then IO errors would come up and I couldn't finish. I talked to one of the sys admins, and he told me that it was some kind of problem with drivers for the controller. I can't remember the details now, but he said back when he first got the machine he had to find the drivers and build a custom kernel.

Might not be the case here... But the fact that he has "already gotten Windows installed without issues" lends further credence to the possibility that driver issues are at the heart of this. Personally, if I had the money to build my own computer from the ground up, I'd toss out the old IDE drive and buy myself a SATA DVD-RW.

Well, my issue has been resolved. I took Coderman's advice, and replaced the IDE DVD drive with a SATA DVD drive. The installation is running now. There must be some interaction with a SATA HDD and an IDE DVD drive. I'm not really interested enough to dig into it further.

I hadn't even thought about getting a SATA DVD drive. I've been running on laptops for most of the last 7 or 8 years, and hadn't realized that manufacturers had switched to SATA interface on CD/DVD drives. For $40 to replace the drive, I'm satisfied that I've resolved the problem.

Thanks for your attention and advice.

@Coderman

I thought about this as a possibility but what I found strange was that various different distro's failed...but you're probably 100%.

Anyway glad the OP has solved the problem by switching to a SATA drive :D

I for one will be glad to see IDE kick the bucket. If I never have to deal with another one of those long, ugly, awkward PATA cables... it'll just make my life just a little bit more cheerful.