RPGDX > Forums > Off Topic > SuSE Linux 9.3 & GRUB Errors

DeveloperX · Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:06 am Post subject: SuSE Linux 9.3 & GRUB Errors

Hey, yeah, I know Bjorn uses linux, and a few more people here do,
so I figured I'd ask here.

I bought SuSE Linux 9.3 Professional, and I have been trying to get
the damn thing installed for 2 days now.

I zeroed my Maxtor 60GB Ultra ATA drive using MaxBlast3,
and then booted to the 1st disk of SuSE, I then proceeded through
the installer configuration, setting the mouse params & time/date....
I then told it that I agree to the terms & license etc..

Okay, it then formatted & partitioned the drive, creating 2 partitions, the swap & the root:
/dev/hda1 and /dev/hda2 respectively.

Now it started to copy the files.....well after 2 hours of waiting around for the files to copy, it then said that it was installing GRUB..
ok, the first 10 times I went through this shit, it failed, and so I tried and tried again and again...finally zeroing out the drive again, before my last attempt..
Now, it installed GRUB, and then said it had to reboot, to load the OS, so I let it reboot.......
my computer ran through the RAM test, the device detection, etc.....
then it starts GRUB.....and then it crashes, telling me the following error:

Terry · Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:46 am Post subject:

That's a partition error, isn't it? Ugh. SuSE was a nightmare to install... do you know it actually messed up my windows partition so bad that I had to reinstall the whole bloody thing?

Before anything else, I would suggest a different distro. I've always been fond of debian, but it's a little unpopular... this is why you shouldn't use SuSE :)

The problem is probably with grub. When I had this problem, I chose LILO instead when installing, and that allowed me to at least start Linux. It should solve your problem, I hope.
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Bjorn · Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 5:14 pm Post subject:

Of course I guess SuSe should just work, but I would also advice a different distribution. For example try Ubuntu for an easy to use distribution or Arch Linux for an easy to install and update distribution that will help you learn the GNU/Linux way in mere weeks.

DeveloperX · Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:15 pm Post subject:

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

First, I buy RedHat a couple years ago, and was told it was the BEST by about 20 people.
Then I INSTALL it, and it sucks ass.......then people tell me its shit.,

Now I ask around and people say buy SuSE, its great!

So I buy the 'latest and greatest' SuSE distro,
and can't install it......and now you guys say its also SHIT?
GRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Goddamn Linux! Goddamn Microsoft! I should just go back to using a REAL COMPUTER, my trusty Commodore 64,
hell I never have had trouble with it.
People should stop using all these newfangled superior systems, and go back to their roots, back when things were stable.
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Terry · Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:18 pm Post subject:

LeoDraco · Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 7:41 am Post subject:

janus · Mage Joined: 29 Jun 2002 Posts: 464 Location: Issaquah, WA

Bjorn's Ubuntu recommendation is a pretty good one, but I do have to warn you that it has some issues with unusual system configurations... I had to spend about 45 minutes screwing around with badly documented configuration files and shell scripts to get my Ubuntu install working.

DeveloperX · Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:37 am Post subject:

:\

well, my system is a picky lil bitch for sure.

my specs:

AMD K6-2 550 Mhz, 640MB RAM, 32MB nVidia geForce2 MX200 AGP card,
available MAXTOR 15GB harddrive (the 60GB evidently has major issue with it...it fails the maxtor tests ten of ten times)
generic red-led optical 2 button ps/2 scroll mouse, default 102-key ps/2 keyboard
Realtec (I think) 10/100 PCI Ethernet card, Compusa 5.1-channel surround-sound PCI audio card.
Toshiba 16X Dual-Layer Internal DVD-RW, Sony 1.44MB Internal Floppy

uhm, I think thats about it.,

the motherboard is a .... a uhm.....*opens case and peers inside* .....hmm....cant tell for sure...its a ALi-something I think...:P anyway, I know its about 10 years old.

I haven't tried installing SuSE to the 15GB drive yet...still wondering...
if someone wants to ship me a copy of a better distro...
I have no way to burn ISOs with this damn laptop, or I would.

Hmm...I have Knoppix livecd, but couldn't figure out how to do a HD install......maybe you could tell me the steps?

thanks to you all for your helpfulness, I appreciate it. :)
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biggerUniverse · Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 6:08 am Post subject:

ideas:

1. Never pay for Linux.

2. use LILO(like ChaoticHarmony said) this is my favorite choice. Grub's a dirty be0tch.

3. Your drive might have weird geometry. Partition only part of it for Linux use, ignore the rest for now (like 4GB total, just to be safe). Watch out for 1024 cylinder limits.

4. You paid for support if you bought it. Exercise your support contract, and call.
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Terry · Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 7:03 am Post subject:

Terry · Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 1:55 pm Post subject:

Oh, I can't believe I forgot : Ubuntu have a system where they post out free CDs to whoever asks for them. So I guess you're in luck. Here you go:

http://shipit.ubuntulinux.org/

However, I still recommend Debian if you can work out any way to get a hold of it!
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DeveloperX · Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 12:18 pm Post subject:

I went ahead and installed SuSE to the 15GB drive, and it worked flawlessly. That damn 60GB is hammered shit on a stick. :P

I'm running SuSE right now as I type this, I REALLY like it......aLOT!
I've already installed Opera, Allegro, GCC, Gambas (my now favorite prototyping/tool development software for linux).
I've gotten used to using commandline FTP, and I've learned how to do the IRC & various IM with Kopete.
Anyway, its 7:19AM, I need sleep. Thanks again for all your help/suggestions. I simply didn't want to have bought SuSE, and not even see it. I'm very happy with the resulting OS, and I don't think that I will ever reinstall windows on ANY of my computers.....
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Terry · Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 12:21 pm Post subject:

SuSE's not bad when you have it up and running, I guess. There are a tonne of things that annoyed me about it though - for example, Yast is a cool program, but when you login as root it starts Yast instead of KDE, which isn't so great.
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