Hi and thanks! New to Linux, novice computer user. I've been reading posts on many sites for a similar problem and seen many other screen shots, but I'm getting cross-eyed and need to ask before I go blind!

I have been using XP Home SP2 on an 80G WD Hard Drive and recently added a second identical HD. I want to use the second one for a backup of the C drive of XP, but mainly for a basic Linux system, and I have decided on Ubuntu, the latest version. I have the iso burned on a cd and gone through the partitioning of the second HD to sizes I want so that has gone well. After partitioning and the installing begins, during the Base System Install, it stops and tells me there is and error and it is posted in /target/var/log/bootstrap.log and the installation is incomplete. If I choose to ignore the error and continue, the other programs start to load but then they also stop and I cannot complete the installation. I'm not sure how to access this log file or complete the setup but I'm having a ball trying.

On the second HD I'd like to end up with a 40G primary partition for Ubuntu, a small swap partition of about 1.5, then a partition for the user data, and a final partition for the XP backup if possible (drive 1 has 80% free and I don't have a lot of media or other space hogs). I built the system in an A+ class in 2003, bios upgraded 2004.

XP-Home-SP2, ECS K7S5A Pro motherboard, chipset SiS 735
AMD Athlon XP 1045MHz, 512 DDR SDRAM
Two WD 80G Ultra ATA -100 hard drives.

When the error message pops up, type ctrl-alt-F2 and you may get a console where you can type the command

less /target/var/log/bootstrap.log

alt-F1 gets you back to the installer. The particular function keys may be different. I am guessing that the installer is running on the first one or you may be in GUI mode. I have installed Ubuntu but forget easily... A procedure like this is available in many Linux installations. It is useful for watching disk utilization and such.

BTW, my guess is that the error indicates a bad CD. This kind of thing was very common in the olden days, a few years ago. CDs and drives are very reliable these days.

bad cd could be a problem because ubuntu should be pretty easy to install and be error free for the most part. did you check the md5sum on the iso?

Thanks for the notes, I scrolled down further in the panel and found the option to check the CD and it was a bad load! I have ordered a CD from one of the sites so I'll just wait until it comes. I did try to type in the command for accessing the bootstrap log but it said it couldn't be found so I assume it's because the load was bad! Same thing when I tried to bypass the base and load the remaining items. I do have the Knoppix CD and really like Linux, can't wait to get started with the OS on my system. I'll keep you posted.

I would like a few more suggestions before I continue: (dial-up)

1) I have 2 80G hard drives, XP Home on first, NTSF, 80% free.
2) I have installed Beginning Ubuntu Linux on the second drive.
3) The mbr screen comes up and I can boot to either system.
4) Ubuntu won't recognize the winmodem, and the instructions in
the book that came with the CD are confusing, so I am going
to get an inexpensive external modem.
5) Should I convert the ntsf on hd1 to fat32?
6) Should I install Ubuntu on first hd with XP?
7) I'd like to use the 2nd HD for backup in case 1st crashes.
8) Recommendations for partition sizes on each?
9) I have played around with partitioning and can do that OK.

I know the answers are numerous, and the book will be a big help eventually, but I don't feel the beginning chapters answer questions 5-8 well enough for me at this point. Thanks

If you have had XP running for a couple of years and have only used 20% of an 80 gB drive, you are not likely to use much more with Linux. Leave the first drive alone, if only to avoid disturbing your present system. 40 gB backup and 40 gB for Linux should do for a while.

Like most people, you may want to try several distros, so you could divide the 40 gB for Linux into a few slices. 10 gB is plenty for most of your software, so, for the 40 gB for Linux, try:
512mB for swap
10gB for first distro
10gB for second distro
balance for /home

Comparing XP (obsolete in 2001) to current Linux is a mis-match. This processor and mobo is unlikely to be satisfactory for Longhorn/Vista/MS-vapourware, so expect it to be a completely Linux machine sooner or later. In that case, I would suggest using software RAID 1 to make the system a little snappier and to provide some redundancy (not a backup). In most cases, one reads files, so RAID 1 will allow reading two files at once which speeds programme loading and multi-processing. Hardware performance/price is great these days, so you likely will obtain a faster machine. This one could be a server on your network or a client computer of the new one.

Thanks Robert. One of the Linux sites mentioned using Raid, but said since it was simply a mirror of itself, and on the same HD, if I lost the HD I would lose all the information. Does that make sense?