My laptop currently runs XP and I would like to dual boot with Mandrake 9.2. I downloaded 9.2 from a mirror in WI, created an ext3 partition w/ partitionmagic, created a boot floppy using rawwritewin.exe and attempted to install. Everytime the install program runs the bundled partition wizard, I choose existing partition (my new ext3 prt) and it comes back with the error "no hdlist found". I redownloaded from a different mirror....same error occurs. Please help! This is driving me nuts!

I'm not sure what you are trying to do. Did you download the iso-images (i.e. burned 3CDs?) If so, you don't need to boot from a floppy.

If you downloaded the tree, then what you are seeing is not the partitioning tool. It's asking you where the mandrake files are and I presume they are not on your ext3 partition.

I downloaded the tree and copied it (via partitionmagic) to my ext3 partition. When the installer asks for the location of the iso-images I point it to the directory on the ext3 partition and the installer continues on its merry way (security preference, EULA, mouse selection) and eventually gets to the partition wizard (yes I do know the difference). The wizard gives me the choice of using an existing partition, the remainder of my windows partition, a custom partition, etc. I don't want to use my windows partition, so I've tried both "existing" and "custom" with the same response i.e. "no hdlist found". Oh, and in "custom" it shows my ext3 partition as mounted, but won't let me unmount ("directory not found"). Incidentally, I've tried creating 2 ext3 partitions, loading the tree to one and selecting the other as my destination, but I still get the same error. The installer won't read the tree off an NTFS structure, so I have to transfer it to an ext3 partition to continue past the iso-image request. Any other ideas?

ooh, forgot to mention....the tree I downloaded is somewhere over 4 GB in size - a little bigger then 3 CDs...is there a compressed version I missed? Mine's for x586 machines from the Wisconsin mirror as directed from the Linux-Mandrake home page.

Ok. the hdlist is a list of the packages available. If that's missing, you can't install it. I've heard something to the effect that the tree is missing the hdlist - it might be on purpose so that people who are not mandrake club members will have a hard time installing until it is made available to the general public. If you're already running mandrake, I can think of a fairly easy way to get around it (the command for creating it in mandrake is genhdlist) but I can't think of anything in your case.

You might be better off waiting for the iso releases which should be very soon; or get 9.1 (it's very good and I don't plan to move up to 9.2 any time soon); or see if there are some 9.2 iso's floating around. Or install some other distro - though I do recommend mandrake.

Thanks for your help. This is the first legitimate answer I've received. One more quick question: If the hdlist can be generated by a machine that is currently running Mandrake, is it possible for someone to generate the hdlist file and email or ftp it to me or is the hdlist specific to my machine?

Yes. The hdlist is not specific to the machine but simply to the packages in the relevant directory so it does not matter who creates it. That someone would have to go into the directory/directories containing the RPMs and do
genhdlist .
in each of these directories. This will create an hdlist.cz, list and one more (I think). These would have to be placed in the appropriate places in your tree (and maybe also with the right names; someone who has the cds should be able to tell you the exact location and names). But the problem in your case seems that you would have a bit of a difficulty placing it in the right place w/o running linux. You could get hold of knoppix or something like that which runs from a live CD and do it that way.

Thanks quatsch, you've proved that linux "support" is far more helpful then the endless phone trees at Microsoft.

I can use partition magic to place the files in the proper directories. Anybody out there willing to make some files for me? I'll need name/directory info as well. Email me at rivergod15@yahoo.com if you'd like to help. Thanks in advance!

The hdlist should be there with the rest of the files. It's located at
mandrake/9.2/i586/Mandrake/base
First of all which image did you use to make the boot disk? You should use the image
mandrake/9.2/i586/images/hd.img
After booting the floppy it should let you choose your install type. You should choose hard drive. Then you must tell it the partition e.g. /dev/hda2. Then you need to supply the path to the i586 directory e.g. /mandrake/9.2/i586.

That is about all there is to it. The installation is the same from this point on.

You're right! They are in the /base directory. Unfortunately, the install program can't find them. I can get past the point where I supply the partition and the i586 directory.....so why can't it find the hdlists? Should I move them to a different location?

Thanks for all the help I've received, but after reading some reviews of 9.2 and after @#$%ing with this install for over a week, I've decided to load 9.1 until I am more familiar with the install process. Thanks again!

The 9.2 and the 9.1 install is exactly the same, minus some ads.

Your issue came from choosing "existing partitoins".

I suggest manually picking the block of space that you want and using the "auto allocate" feature. It's as easy as pie and will get you on the right path.

It didn't like "auto allocate" either. -Insufficient unused disk space. Auto allocate only uses non-formatted space. All I want to do is run XP on half my HD, and Linux on the other half, but I have to transfer the install files to the ext3 partition in order to run them since the installer doesn't recognise NTFS and won't let me choose the file system manually. Anyway, if I use 9.1 I'll be able to install off CDs instead of this 4.8GB monster tree. Worth a try, and if not, I'll just fiddle with Gentoo. I'm comfortable with command line and familiar w/ other forms of UNIX so it can't be that big a jump. At a minimum it gives me control over the install instead of relying on these bloody wizards.

When you said in your first post that you created an ext3 partition I thought that was where you had downloaded the 9.2 files. I didn't know they were on an NTFS partition or I would have told you it would not work.

Just boot the Mandrake-9.1 cd and use rescue mode. Then you can do a couple things:

1. Create a vfat partition big enough for the files. Boot into XP and move the 9.2 files to the vfat partition. Boot using the previously made bootdisk and install from vfat partition.
2. mkfs.ext3 /dev/hdaX
   mkdir /ntfs
   mount -t ntfs /dev/hda1 /ntfs
   mkdir /linux
   mount /dev/hdaX /linux
   cp -a /ntfs/path/to/mandrake-92 /linux/mandrake-92
   boot floppy and install from /dev/hdaX/mandrake-92

I've tried booting off of both the NTFS partition AND the ext3 partition..neither works albeit for different reasons.

2nd, I do not have the CDs. I've d/ld the tree for 9.2, and am considering 9.1 or a different distro due to the difficulties I've been having.

To clarify any miscommunication on my part:

-9.2 Tree d/l to ext3 partition
-partition wizard unable to locate "hdlist" files, although I can browse to them
-insufficient non-partitioned disk space to auto-allocate
--have deleted tree and given up on 9.2, am currently seeking an alternative

Once again, thanks for all the responses I've received. Linux gets a 5-star support rating in my book!