If I am in the wrong forum for this please excuse me and re-direct....

I am installing Debian 8 (latest & greatest STABLE)

Computer: Generic Box
Intel CPU
2140 @ 1.6 GHZ
Intel EM64T Capable
MultiPlexing enabled
Sys Bus 800MHz
Sys Mem 667 MHz

L2 Cache 1024
Total 2048
Dual chan Mem
1024 in each slot matched

Following these instructions to install the RAID 5 with 4x 80GB HDD
One HDD (the "spare" is a different brand than the others, this should not matter...):

https://debian-administration.org/ar...Etch_Installer


Creating RAID Volumes
Start the Debian Etch netinst as with a normal install.

At the Partition Disks menu choose Partitioning method: Manual

Delete any existing partitions so only "FREE SPACE" is listed.

Select the first drive and do the following:



Create new partition:

New partition size: 1G (or the size you want root to be)
Type for the new partition: Primary
Location for the new partition: Beginning
Use as: physical volume for RAID
Done setting up the partition
This will create your RAID1 bootable section.



Then:

Create new partition
New partition size: <the remaining space on the drive>
Type for the new partition: Primary
Location for the new partition: Beginning
Use as: physical volume for RAID
Done setting up the partition
This will create your RAID5.



Partition the remaining three disks in the same way.



Now each partition on the drives will show up as partitioned as "K Raid"
==========================================================================================



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NOTE: DO NOT HIT THE <ESC> while setting down your iced tea....not good...!!

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Configure Software RAID
There is now an option to Configure Software Raid on your partitioning screen - select this.

At the next screen say "Yes" to write the changes to the storage devices and configure RAID.

Choose: Create MD device

Multidisk device type: RAID1
Number of active devices for the RAID1 array: 3
Number of spare devices for the Raid1 array: 1
Now you will choose the devices to use. Since you created the 1G partitions first, you will want

sda1, sdb1, sdc1
The next screen will ask you which device you should use for the spare, choose sdd1


Now you will want to choose Create MD device again.

Multidisk device type: RAID5
Number of active devices for the RAID5 array: 3
Number of spare devices for the Raid1 array: 1
Now you will choose the devices to use. The first three should be the ones you wish to use as

active.
The next screen will ask you which device you should use for the spare, select the only remaining

option which should be sdd2
Now: Finish

You will be sent back to the partitioning screen.
==========================================================================================



Partition RAID1

Select the partition on your newly created Raid1 volume, it will say: "Use as: do not use" -

select this line, hit enter and make it an ext3 / (root) partition


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QUESTION: Do you arrow down a line or so and hit enter and select /(root)..?

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Done setting up this partition

Create Physical LVM Volume
Select the partition on your newly created RAID5 volume, it will say: "Use as: do not use" -

select this line, hit enter and make it a "physical volume for LVM"

Done setting up the partition

Once this is completed the RAID5 volume will show up as partitioned as "K LVM"
==========================================================================================




Configure LVM
There is now an option to Configure the Logical Volume Manager on your partitioning screen -

select this.

At the next screen say "Yes" to write the changes to the storage devices and configure LVM.

In the LVM Configuration screen you will first need to Create Volume Group:

We name this Group the same name as the server itself.
Choose device - should only be one choice: /dev/md1



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QUESTION: I have: [ ] /dev/mdo (1097MB; ext3)
[ ] /dev/md1 (157665MB)

<Selecting /dev/md1 as instructed....>
<Just wondering why I have 2 choices.>

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Here is where I got hung up and went to bed.....came back at it the next day (today) and decided to run GPARTED and wack everything and go at it again.....(GParted has just booted as I type this)....

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated....!!!

Thanks
Alan