External HDD Installation

[WindSpider]

Hi...I'm new...

So I want to install kubuntu on my new 80GB ext HDD...which came formatted with NTFS. Now when I boot up the live CD, it recognizes I have an external USB drive, it just cant read it or tell me anything about it.

After some research, (yes I actually did research this), I suspect NTFS is the problem. HOWEVER, I don't want to reformat the entire HDD with ext3 or VFAT or any other Linux friendly file system because I want to use a partition to back up old trusty XP. So my plan is to create a partition 60/20 GB, and reformat the 20GB part with ext3/VFAT, (I'm not sure which is better perhaps somebody could guide me bit here), and successfully install Kubuntu on the 20GB bit...

I'll handel grub with the following kludge...set my BIOS to boot from my USB HDD first, (it can, I checked), and when I want XP, simply turn my USB HDD off. If I want to access the NTFS partition I turn it on after XP has booted and, voila, I have access to my XP backup. Perhaps when I get adventurous I'll build a separate USB grub installer on a flash drive, (I'm loath to touch my primary HDD).

This all sounds fine and dandy and quite straight forward...which tells me its wrong :P. However I cannot see where its wrong, will this work or am I barking up the wrong tree?

I run a Kubuntu virtual machine...I was wondering if its possible to set this up with that?

Any advise is most appreciated

[dibl]

Re: External HDD Installation

You've got multiple challenges, but it's entirely possible to do. Easy for me to say -- I haven't done it myself.

1. Your BIOS has to support "boot from USB" device, so you have to set it that way.
2. MAYBE a GParted Live CD can see and partition your USB drive. I would think the thing to do is to make a NTFS partition large enough for your Win XP backup, and then make the rest of it an ext3 partition (for Linux) plus a smallish swap partition, like 1GB. Download the ISO for GParted Live CD, ver -10 (not -11) from here:

http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...kage_id=173828

3. You need to install the package ntfs-3g to read and write NTFS partitions with Linux.
4. Conquer the Grub boot menu problems that you will surely have with Qqmike's excellent toolkit here:

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0

Good luck -- let us know how you fare, and welcome!

[Teunis]

Re: External HDD Installation

An addition to dibl's insightful tips, I did recently such a thing on a new 500GB external drive.

You don't need to run the GParted CD when you have a functioning Linux install, the GParted Partition Editor can be used straight from the desktop.
(when you need to install it you find it in the repositories)

Please be aware you can only change/edit partitioning when a disk is unmounted!
For this very reason you don't even need the ntfs-3g drivers in case you wanted to delete or reformat this partition to for example ext3.

To be able to use the NTFS partition you indeed need to install ntfs-3g and ntfs-config, you might need to run the last one to recognise an external drive.

[WindSpider]

Re: External HDD Installation

Hmmm..OK,

Now I may be going about this in a bit of a hard headed fashion..but I had some difficulty in burning a stable gparted image, So I reckoned nevermind and downloaded Gparted onto my Virtualbox kubuntu VM. this was the easy bit.

I enabled the VM to access my USB drives however, in Kubuntu, under storage media it only shows my "Virtual HDD"

I read somewhere that the Lsusb command shows a list of all USB devices attached, so I opened console and ran the command and got

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

as a response. I am under the assumption then that it is "seeing" my external HDD. Never mind about all the zero's thats just because I didn't name the USB HDD in the VM. I further surmize that there are 2 possible culprits for it not showing up:

1) its a VM issue, (unfortunatly adding a layer of complications and multiplying the SNAFU factor)
2) I'v got to do something before it'll show up in Kubuntu...like mount it? But on the Gparted website, it reckons the disk must not be mounted if you want to mess with partitioning and formats.

Is there a simple answer or should I just try burn a stable Gparted ISO and use the live disk? (probably should...messing with VM's is fun but as stated...asking for SNAFU'S.)

[WindSpider]

Re: External HDD Installation

HA...nevermind it was a VM issue.

Got Kubuntu to see my ext HDD and my installed version of Gparted see's it fine to, (so much easier than burning ISO's ).

I haven't got the mental fortitude to start partitioning now...its late, too much caffeine.

[Teunis]

Re: External HDD Installation

Good, I was just writing a response when the Forum informed me of your latest post.

Dilute the caffeine with some beer.

[WindSpider]

Re: External HDD Installation

OK sorted out my HDD issues and partitioning, am trying to install but have hit a snag.
I set a 5GB "/" partition, 756Kb swap partition and have got a 15GB home. All cool except I cant mark the 5GB "/" partition for formating...the little square won't get the little cross when I click on it. Why it doesn't just auto format I'm not sure...any ideas?