Not sure how relevant this is, but in /var/log/installer/syslog I found evidence of the installer tripping over an extended partition. The installation was made with manual partitions as follows:- Disk /dev/hda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hda1 * 1 920 7389868+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA) /dev/hda2 921 1000 642600 82 Linux swap / Solaris /dev/hda3 1001 8000 56227500 5 Extended /dev/hda4 8001 14593 52958272+ b W95 FAT32 /dev/hda5 1001 1250 2008093+ 83 Linux /dev/hda6 1251 2000 6024343+ 83 Linux /dev/hda7 2001 8000 48194968+ 83 Linux Here are the error messages:- Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu os-prober: debug: running /usr/lib/os-probes/50mounted-tests on /dev/hda3 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.312000] cramfs: wrong magic Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.324000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.324000] hda3: rw=0, want=66, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.328000] isofs_fill_super: bread failed, dev=hda3, iso_blknum=16, block=32 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.356000] SQUASHFS error: Can't find a SQUASHFS superblock on hda3 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.368000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.368000] hda3: rw=0, want=4, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.368000] EXT2-fs: unable to read superblock Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.384000] FAT: bogus number of reserved sectors Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.384000] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev hda3. Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.404000] NTFS-fs error (device hda3): read_ntfs_boot_sector(): Primary boot sector is invalid. Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.404000] NTFS-fs error (device hda3): read_ntfs_boot_sector(): Mount option errors=recover not used. Aborting without trying to recover. Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.404000] NTFS-fs error (device hda3): ntfs_fill_super(): Not an NTFS volume. Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.420000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.420000] hda3: rw=0, want=4, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.420000] EXT3-fs: unable to read superblock Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.436000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.436000] hda3: rw=0, want=72, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.436000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.436000] hda3: rw=0, want=128, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.452000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.452000] hda3: rw=0, want=18, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.452000] ReiserFS: hda3: warning: sh-2006: read_super_block: bread failed (dev hda3, block 8, size 1024) Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.452000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.452000] hda3: rw=0, want=130, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.452000] ReiserFS: hda3: warning: sh-2006: read_super_block: bread failed (dev hda3, block 64, size 1024) Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.452000] ReiserFS: hda3: warning: sh-2021: reiserfs_fill_super: can not find reiserfs on hda3 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.468000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.468000] hda3: rw=0, want=8, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.484000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.484000] hda3: rw=0, want=68, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.484000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.484000] hda3: rw=0, want=1252, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.488000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.488000] hda3: rw=0, want=1028, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.488000] UDF-fs: No partition found (1) Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.504000] FAT: bogus number of reserved sectors Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.504000] VFS: Can't find a valid FAT filesystem on dev hda3. Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.516000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.516000] hda3: rw=0, want=4, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.520000] MINIX-fs: unable to read superblock Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.596000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.596000] hda3: rw=0, want=3, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.596000] hfs: unable to find HFS+ superblock Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.612000] qnx4: wrong fsid in superblock. Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.624000] attempt to access beyond end of device Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.624000] hda3: rw=0, want=3, limit=2 Oct 25 13:01:10 ubuntu kernel: [17181719.628000] hfs: can't find a HFS filesystem on dev hda3. Note: This error log comes from the 4th attempted installation just a few days ago. I set the clock to Oct 25 to test the theory that the "list of applications is out of date" error was based on the system date, but it didn't make a difference. It is possible that the problem detecting the extended partition is unrelated to the problem installing packages from the original CD.