Installer stops after partition with error message "???" on RAID0 with Win8.1 installing 14.04 LTS

[Phillip J Bialor]

I just want to Preface, my question makes reference to both Ubuntu 14.04 AND LinuxMint 16 (based on Ubuntu 13.10). I know this is strictly for Ubuntu, but the problem I'm having is identical with both distro installations. I understand that obviously you can only help me with the Ubuntu installer. I'm ok with that. This is what I asked at AskUbuntu.com and they closed my question because they don't think I'm talking about something Ubuntu related which I am:

Ok, I know that there is Dual-Boot Ubuntu 14.04 and Windows 7 on FakeRAID Installation error - question marks "????..." and that that post has some answers for me, but I don't know if it exactly matches what I need help with. I am running on a RAID 0, not sure if it's a Fake RAID or not. I posted my question on the LinuxMint forum as well. And since Mint is based on Ubuntu and I was trying to install either or (Ubuntu 14.04 or LinuxMint 16), I figured I'd ask here as well. Here is what I posted on LinuxMint Forums:

But I have my own questions, I can provide the requested information upon request. Just to start I am running an Alienware (Dell) M17xR3. It came with Windows 7. Have a RAID 0 array, I think it's a "Fake" RAID, but I know I also have a hardware RAID controller. Previously partitioned and had Ubuntu 13.04 installed, had no issue installing it, creating the partition and installing GRUB. I have since upgraded to Windows 8.1 Pro, lost GRUB during the installation, but from the HDD partition size of Windows, I knew my Linux partition was still there. Should have just reinstalled GRUB, but instead tried reformatting the Linux partition and doing a clean install of Ubuntu 14.04 x64 and also tried Mint 16 x64 Cinnamon. Exact same installer, and exact same error message, happened after the custom partition section, got just ??????. I don't know if Windows 8 created an EFI/UEFI install, but I'm pretty sure Windows 7 didn't have it. Though I'm not 100% positive. If someone can help me, I would greatly appreciate it.

This is the link to the thread I posted it to: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=164950&e=0

Per that thread it was asked for some terminal outputs to be posted so here they are:

"sudo parted -l" output:

Error: Can't have a partition outside the disk!

Error: /dev/sdb: unrecognised disk label

Model: Linux device-mapper (linear) (dm)
Disk /dev/mapper/isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p6: 212GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: loop

Number Start End Size File system Flags
 1 0.00B 212GB 212GB ext4

Error: /dev/mapper/isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p5: unrecognised disk label

Error: Can't have a partition outside the disk!

Model: Linux device-mapper (linear) (dm)
Disk /dev/mapper/isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p3: 758GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: loop

Number Start End Size File system Flags
 1 0.00B 758GB 758GB ntfs

Model: Linux device-mapper (linear) (dm)
Disk /dev/mapper/isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p2: 14.2GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: loop

Number Start End Size File system Flags
 1 0.00B 14.2GB 14.2GB ntfs

Model: Linux device-mapper (linear) (dm)
Disk /dev/mapper/isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p1: 41.1MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: loop

Number Start End Size File system Flags
 1 0.00B 41.1MB 41.1MB fat16

Model: Linux device-mapper (striped) (dm)
Disk /dev/mapper/isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
 1 32.3kB 41.1MB 41.1MB primary fat16 diag
 2 41.9MB 14.2GB 14.2GB primary ntfs boot
 3 14.2GB 773GB 758GB primary ntfs
 4 773GB 1000GB 228GB extended lba
 6 773GB 984GB 212GB logical ext4
 5 984GB 1000GB 15.7GB logical

Warning: Unable to open /dev/sr0 read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/sr0
has been opened read-only.
Model: PLDS DVD+-RW DL-8A4SH (scsi)
Disk /dev/sr0: 1252MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 2048B/2048B
Partition Table: mac

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
 1 8192B 24.6kB 16.4kB Apple
 2 171MB 180MB 9306kB EFI

"sudo blkid" output:

/dev/loop0: TYPE="squashfs"
/dev/sda: TYPE="isw_raid_member"
/dev/sr0: LABEL="Linux Mint 16 Cinnamon 64-bit" TYPE="iso9660"
/dev/sdb: TYPE="isw_raid_member"
/dev/mapper/isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p1: SEC_TYPE="msdos" LABEL="DellUtility" UUID="5450-4444" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/mapper/isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p2: LABEL="RECOVERY" UUID="3C9A4EA39A4E5A12" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/mapper/isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p3: UUID="C614C2E714C2D997" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/mapper/isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p6: UUID="e39970ed-c278-4135-a8fb-3806cd62835b" TYPE="ext4"

"lsblk" output:

NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda 8:0 0 465.8G 0 disk
└─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0 (dm-0) 252:0 0 931.5G 0 dmraid
  ├─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p1 (dm-1) 252:1 0 39.2M 0 part
  ├─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p2 (dm-2) 252:2 0 13.2G 0 part
  ├─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p3 (dm-3) 252:3 0 706.4G 0 part
  ├─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p4 (dm-4) 252:4 0 1K 0 part
  ├─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p5 (dm-5) 252:5 0 14.6G 0 part
  └─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p6 (dm-6) 252:6 0 197.3G 0 part
sdb 8:16 0 465.8G 0 disk
└─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0 (dm-0) 252:0 0 931.5G 0 dmraid
  ├─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p1 (dm-1) 252:1 0 39.2M 0 part
  ├─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p2 (dm-2) 252:2 0 13.2G 0 part
  ├─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p3 (dm-3) 252:3 0 706.4G 0 part
  ├─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p4 (dm-4) 252:4 0 1K 0 part
  ├─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p5 (dm-5) 252:5 0 14.6G 0 part
  └─isw_dcigjjhddj_M17X_RAID0p6 (dm-6) 252:6 0 197.3G 0 part
sr0 11:0 1 1.2G 0 rom /cdrom
loop0 7:0 0 1.1G 1 loop /rofs

"inxi -b" output:

System: Host: mint Kernel: 3.11.0-12-generic x86_64 (64 bit) Desktop: Gnome Distro: Linux Mint 16 Petra
Machine: Mobo: Alienware model: M17xR3 version: A08 Bios: Alienware version: A08 date: 07/29/2011
CPU: Quad core Intel Core i7-2670QM CPU (-HT-MCP-) clocked at 2192.734 MHz
Graphics: Card-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller
           Card-2: NVIDIA GF116M [GeForce GT 560M]
           X.Org: 1.14.3 drivers: (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) FAILED: nouveau,intel Resolution: 1920x1080@60.0hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Sandybridge Mobile GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 9.2.1
Network: Card-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR8151 v2.0 Gigabit Ethernet driver: atl1c
           Card-2: Qualcomm Atheros AR93xx Wireless Network Adapter driver: ath9k
Drives: HDD Total Size: 1000.2GB (-)
Info: Processes: 211 Uptime: 20 min Memory: 524.9/7932.9MB Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.4

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It seems that your bug report is not filed about a specific source package though, rather it is just filed against Ubuntu in general. It is important that bug reports be filed about source packages so that people interested in the package can find the bugs about it. You can find some hints about determining what package your bug might be about at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage. You might also ask for help in the #ubuntu-bugs irc channel on Freenode.

To change the source package that this bug is filed about visit https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1323134/+editstatus and add the package name in the text box next to the word Package.

[This is an automated message. I apologize if it reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Phillip Susi (psusi)]

In order to troubleshoot this issue we will need you to try to install again, and after the error, attach /var/log/syslog and partman.

[Simon Quigley (tsimonq2)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to look at all reported bugs in a timely manner. There have been many changes in Ubuntu since that time you reported the bug and your problem may have been fixed with some of the updates. It would help us a lot if you could test it on a currently supported Ubuntu version. If you test it and it is still an issue, kindly upload the updated logs by running only once:
apport-collect https://api.launchpad.net/1.0/bugs/1323134

and any other logs that are relevant for this particular issue.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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