Hi,

I have been unsuccessfully trying to install Suse 8.2 Linux on a brand new Dell machine

(3.2 GHz with 2GB RAM) running W2K. It has a CD drive, a ZIP drive, but no floppy. I

prefer to have a dual-boot machine but am not opposed to just running Linux.

Anyway, the computer arrived set up for NFTS. So I blew the operating system away, and

re-installed as FAT32. I used Partition Magic to set up a 6GB partition (for windows), a

18GB partition (intended for Linux) and a third partition for random stuff (all 3 as FAT32).

When I try to install Suse 8.2, I get the following message:

YaST2
"No hard disks were found for the installation.
Please check your hardware"

After clicking 'OK'...I see:

No automatic proposal possible.
Specify mount points manually in the 'Partitioner' dialog.

If I go to the Partioning button on the pull-down menu, there are 3 options on radio

buttons, but none does anything.


I spoke with someone at Suse who was helpful and suggested I remove all but one

partition. I did this, but it did not work. I also tried installing in 'Safe Mode' and

'Without ACPI'...neither of those attempts was successful.

I was then told that the problem might be that the computer uses ATA...

I hit 'F2' during at Windows startup and get the following for drive configuration:

Diskette Drive A:........Not installed
SATA Primary Drive.......Hard Drive
SATA Secondary Drive.....OFF
Primary Master Drive.....ATAPI Device
Primary Slave Drive......OFF
Secondary Master Drive...CD-ROM Device
Secondary Slave Drive....OFF

IDE Drive UDMA...........On


Can someone please help me? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. I do lots of

programming and simulations but am not very knowledgeable about hardware or installations.

Thanks,

Jeff

Welcome to LQ.

If you don't have any data on the system I would suggest removing ALL partitions. then:
1) Install win2k it should let you create and format a partition
2) Install linux (there will now be UNpartitioned space for it)
3) Use either Win2k or linux to create and format your fat32 partition that can be used for sharing data.

I would say, when the SuSE install disc takes you to the screen that lists language, timezone, programs to install, etc, select "formatting" (I think). Select "custom". I think you have to click two different times to get to the screen that allows you to make custom partitions. This is where the partitions on your drive will be shown. Select the 18GB section that you made with partition magic and delete it.

Then click the "create" button and choose that 18GB space.

Partition as you like.

HTH.

Edit: Just reread your post and see that you have SATA drives. I don't know if the kernel in 8.2 supports SATA. You'll have to search for that answer. Mabe the SuSE database.

I have that same error message problem, except that I don't have windows 2000 to assist in this (I also have a posting under newbies), I don't have any operating system on my server and yet the software still can't see the hard drive.

Have a NON-SATA (ultra-ATA) drive lying around? Just see if it
will recognise that.
It's a new-ish technology so it is possible you might be stuck with
UATA until update time. Hope i'm wrong, bro but if i'm not, at least
you won't be pulling your last few hairs out.