I am new to Linux an thought using Ubuntu would be easy but does not appear to be so. I have Windows XP Professional running on my PC and tried installing Ubuntu 8.04 on the same drive but each time it loads the kernel to 100%, an error message shows and the system halts.

The error message I get is:
Invalid Compressed Format (err=2)
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown block (104,1)

I thought it was the way the disk was formatted but Ubuntu help page said that NTFS is okay. I have no idea what else to do as the system docuentation on Ubuntu's pages does not talk about error messages or installation problems.

I am not a techie so would not know how to install manually.

Can someone here please help me?

Hi.

How to install linux and windows, dual-boot tutorial(video): http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...90811311898236

you might want to try searching the web with some of the above keywords.

You do can install linux on the same disk as windows, but you need to let linux has its own "partition". So, first you would have to install windows, but not on the whole disk, only a part of it (if 200Gb you could give... 100Gb?) so your hard disk would still have 100Gb left. Then, just put the Linux installation CD and install it. Linux will detect windows so would have no problem booting any of them.
You can't install more than one OS in the same partition.
NTFS is ok... to read(and write) but not to put your linux OS in.
Hope this helps.

Ubuntu boots in two stages - a kernel loads and uncompresses an "initrd" file; this file provides some tools and drivers which are used to set up the system before switching to the final filesystem (which contains all your other tools and toys and drivers).

The problem you have may be that the NTFS driver was not included in the initrd image, so the kernel has no idea how to mount the final filesystem.

If your system is using 'grub' to boot, then you just need to add the 'ntfs' driver to the initrd image; you might consider reinstalling to an ext3 partition though.

1. Boot the live CD and log in as 'root' (press [ctl][alt][F1] for a virtual console)
2. mount the NTFS drive on /mnt :
mount /dev/hda2 /mnt (assuming your installation is on 'hda2')
3. unpack the initrd image (keep the original copy until things are working):
mkdir ~/tmp
cp /mnt/boot/(whatever the name of the initrd image is) ~/tmp/initrd.gz
cd ~/tmp
mkdir myinitrd
cd myinitrd
cpio -i < ../initrd
4. Add the NTFS driver and replace the old initrd:
mkdir lib/modules/(kernel name)/kernel/fs/ntfs
cd lib/modules/(kernel name)/kernel/fs/ntfs
cp /mnt/lib/modules/(kernel name)/kernel/fs/ntfs/* .
cd ~/tmp/myinitrd
find ./ | cpio -H newc -o > ../mynewinitrd
cd ..
gzip mynewinitrd
cp mynewinitrd.gz /mnt/boot/(the initrd name)

And that should be it - 'grub' will now load your new initrd file which includes the NTFS driver and hopefully everything runs as expected.

Well there is no need to give 100 GB space for Ubuntu .
It works well with 15 GB also . Next to avoid problem in installation & after installation
install Ubuntu on extended (logically)free space.As on primary drive Linux installation gives often more
error. So better go with extended free space .
*You have not described what partitions you have created.
*for better evaluation of problem it is important .
*Also always try to make free space at the last part of hard disk .
*Give your partition table description.

And why is that? I haven't noticed that happening..the only thing that I know of that dislikes anything but primary partitions is Windows, but if you've got some real, not-just-rumors-knowledge about what you stated, I'm willing to hear it (and the sources where you got the information).

With installation problems you should be very specific about how you did things (and what you did). NTFS is a Windows filesystem and though there's a read-write module for it, with Linux installations you should stick to the "native" filesystems such as ext3. Anyway, here are a few things you should tell:

- how did you install it; did you boot from the live/desktop cd (or dvd), go trough the Installation which you start by clicking the desktop icon etc. or did you insert the disc while in Windows and select to install it there (if I'm right, Ubuntu offers to do such an odd installation as well)
- if you installed it the traditional way, did you do manual partitioning or let the installer partition the disk for you (did it resize your existing partition?)
- did you check the installation disc for problems prior to using it? If you boot from it, you can run a CD check to see if it's ok or not..

This in regard to post by Bouncer.
Sorry I offended you ,however When I was saying installing Linux on
primary it mean that for dual boot system , where we first install windows & then Linux .
Now generally partition or free space for Linux is allocated through partition manager .If we made partition primary on which we are going to install Linux then probably post installation errors are due to happen.

Thanks for all the feedback. I managed to get around to installing Linux with no problems. But I think it is rather weird!

I tried all the burning and cleaning stuff and now have loads of discs - good as coasters I was told.

I had 2 sticks of PC133 128RAM making a total of 256MB of RAM on my desktop. Before running anything on it, I upgraded the RAM to 2 identical sticks of 256MB making it 512MB in total. Then I installed Windows XP with no problems but when I ran Ubuntu, I kept getting all these errors which I posted here. I tried installing Ubuntu after reformating the hard drive without XP, still to no avail. Tried FAT32 format as well as NTFS format, still no luck.

Running through various google searches on teh error messages, someone posted that if I changed my memomry I might get it to work. So I removed the 256MB ram sticks and replaced it with the original 128MB ones and wallah! Windows XP installed, and Ubuntu 8.04 installed without a glitch! Now it says that my graphics adapter is not supported but I can still see the desktop although cannot turn on the fancy stuff. Not worried about that at this stage.

What does that mean? I am confused why Windows had no problems with the 2 x 256MB RAM but Ubuntu seem to have problems with them. I am planning on replacing the RAM over the weekened back to the new ones that did not work, now that I have Ubuntu up and running alongside XP, and see if Ubuntu acts up again.

Does anyone know if Ubuntu is more sensitive to RAM changes or is there a particular type of memory stick it does not like. I always thought it was to do with the motherboard and not not operating system.

Thanks again.

Oh yes, one other thing. The 128MB RAM and the 256MB RAMs are of the same make! So I am really confused why the 128MB works and not the 256MB ones.