Hello everyone,

Im trying to install Fedora9 on my Laptop.
I have created a second partition on the HD, first partition has Vista.
Then I launch the installation DVD and after a while the dvd stop running.

The monitor remain on:

running /sbin/loader
_


I`ve been doing this several time and the dvd stops always here.
Any idea how to solve the problem?
I found the dvd in a Linux magazine and it isnt scratched.

Many thanks

Hm...I am not sure what the problem is...but since you already have Vista installed, you can download the unetbootin package in windows, open it up like any other windows installer wizard and it will begin net installation of one of many linux distributions, including fedora 9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unetbootin

Hope this helps

Thanks for the reply.
Im not completely sure what this means:

Unlike Wubi, and similar to the Win32-Loader, when installing to hard disk, UNetbootin installs to a partition, not a disk image, thus creating a dual-boot setup between Linux and Windows.

I hope the distro is going to be installed on the second partition, without deleting files on the Vista`s partition!!!!

Once I download the installer for Windows, I just need to run the program, choose the distro and be connected to internet?
What will happen to the Grub file? Will it be autoconfigured?

Hi. No worries. Yes, if you use unetbootin, the installed linux distribution will be on its own partition, and will not destroy anything on the windows partition. Wubi installs the entire linux filesystem within the windows partition, but again without doing anything to files already installed on the windows partition (the linux filesystem will be in its own folder within windows. You then run linux from within windows.

Yes, that is the way the net-installer works. Grub will be auto-configured. The same process will occur that happens when installing from the CD, it will just be getting the files from the internet webserver instead of the CD.

Post back with any problems you encounter.

It just stopped at 4% the download. I will try again now.

Bad news, this time at the end of the installation prompt me errors, and neither "try again", nor "continue" worked. Only "cancel" did work. I pressed it several time and the installation completed.
After rebooting, the system still recognized only Vista.
PLease help....

You mentioned that it gave you errors. Do you remember what those errors were? It would be helpful to know them in diagnosing the problem.

I have had similar problem in the past. I believe it was due to bad sectors on the hard drive, so that the software could not be installed on them.

You could try to install linux via wubi, which installs it within windows. You then run linux within windows as an application. This installs the ubuntu linux distribution, not fedora. Ubuntu is a fine distribution, however.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wubi_(Ubuntu)

Hello, sorry for the late answer. I tried again to install Fedora from Unetbootin and after the software has been completely downloaded on a temp directory of Vista it prompts me to reboot the system from a USB (not specify what USB).
So I did it, but still, it seems grub kicks in runnings some code (too fast to read them) and then Vista boots.

I start thinking the problem is with my laptop.......

Hi,

I am not sure what the problem is.

If you were asked to boot from a USB drive, it may be that you installed fedora 9 to a USB device instead of the hard drive of the laptop.

This page:

http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

mentions that you can use the application Super Grub Disk to restore or repair grub installs

http://www.supergrubdisk.org/

Here is a page describing how to use it for people who used unetbootin to install fedora 9

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=690912

You could also use parted partition manager to remove the linux partition and try installation again.

http://partedmagic.com/wiki/PartedMagic.php

You could then install ubuntu (another distribution of linux) using wubi:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wubi_%28Ubuntu%29
http://wubi.sourceforge.net/

You could then install it to its own partition on the hard drive using the loopback virtual partition manager:

http://lubi.sourceforge.net/

You might also consider posting to forums dealing with unetbootin and wubi/lubi

http://lubi.sourceforge.net/faqs.html

Here are instructions for using unetbootin to install fedora 9

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?p=859216
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=543257

You could also post to the fedoraforum for help

You should also try to defragment the part of the hard drive you wish to install linux to before starting unetbootin.

You could also reburn the official fedora 9 installation DVD or CD and try to reinstall that way.