Unable to install Hardy Beta Desktop i386

[kidcharles]

I was unable to install Hardy Heron Beta Desktop i386 (downloaded on 2008-03-22) on my physical machine. Four attempts were made:

1. Chose "Install" from the LiveCD boot menu (which bypasses the live session). I chose a "manual" partitioning. Windows 2000 is installed on the machine, as well as an earlier Ubuntu installation, using two partitions. I chose to leave the Windows partitions alone, format the partition previously mounted as /, and not format the partition mounted as '/home'. The installation progressed but part of the way through an error message popped up with the title "Failed to copy files; faulty CD/DVD or hard disk?" saying that the CD or hard drive has a problem. This is the text of the error:

"The installer encountered an error copying files to the hard disk:

[Errno 5] Input/output error

This particular error is often due to a faulty CD/DVD disk or drive, or a faulty hard disk. It may help to clean the CD/DVD, to burn the CD/DVD at a lower speed, to clean the CD/DVD drive lens (cleaning kits are often available from electronics suppliers), to check whether the hard disk is old and in need of replacement, or to move the system to a cooler environment."

(The spelling "Errno" is not my mistake, it is spelled that way in the error message.) The CD has been checked multiple times for errors and there is nothing known wrong with the hard drive or DVD drive (after failing to install Hardy, I was able to install Kubuntu 7.10 on the machine without errors). The install stops and drops to the live session desktop.

2. Booted into a Live session and double-clicked on the "Install" icon on the desktop. Same selections for partitioning as above. Curiously in the "Migrate Documents and Settings" step the Windows installation was not detected. The installation progressed past the input screens, but before finishing the progress bar indicator simply disappeared, dropping to the Live session desktop. A reboot of the computer shows that at the very least grub was not properly installed. What was probably the previous grub installation crashed with Error 15.

3. Tried again using same method as 2. but after going all the way through Step 7 of 7, clicking Next to start the install caused the installer to drop back to Step 4 of 7 for partitioning. Every time step 7 was reached and the install was begun, it immediately dropped back to step 4.

4. Same as in 3. but checked boxes to format both the partitions ('/' and '/home'). Again the installer dropped back to step 4 after the final step 7.

I suspect there is a problem with the partitioning I am trying to do but there should not be.

[vicho (vicho-)]

Did you check the CD for mistakes?

[kidcharles (kidcharlemagne87)]

Yes, the CD was checked multiple times as noted.

[LeeZH (leezh-net)]

Sometimes for my desktop I get that. For some reason it then works when I disable all power saving features of the BIOS.

[Hector (hectcastro)]

I am receiving the same message, and have tried multiple installation paths. Below are some of the steps I've taken:

    -- Checked CD [Pass].
    -- Checked Seagate HD with SeaTools [Pass].
    -- Tried installing with alternate installer [Fail].
    -- Tried installing with desktop installer [Fail].
    -- Receive same message with 32 & 64bit versions of Ubuntu.

Just out of curiosity, is anyone else using an ASUS P5B Deluxe motherboard?

[Hector (hectcastro)]

Attempted to install with a fresh download of the x64 alternate installer. This time the installation completed successfully. Not sure if it was a coincidence, but the md5 hash for ISO is: 87c6f86102ff4a04076a7e5cd9316a2a.

[kidcharles (kidcharlemagne87)]

Well, the final release has the same problem I had with the beta. A new problem cropped up since I posted this bug, there is now an erroneous warning message about partition sizes (this has been reported as bug #219568). Also, though the drive is an IDE drive on a Parallel ATA channel it is being seen as a serial drive (sda), though I don't know how much of a problem this is. Here is a screenshot of the fatal error that occurs during install. Yes I checked the burned iso to make sure there aren't any errors, and I highly doubt the drive really has problems as implied in the error message.

[kidcharles (kidcharlemagne87)]

I was able to complete the installation (with the same options) without errors using the 64-bit desktop iso. Therefore the drive is not the problem, rather there is a problem with the installer on the 32-bit version.

[Bruno Callens (bruno-callens)]

I agree with kidcharles when he suspects an installer problem. I had the same issue described above. I downloaded the "PC (Intel x86) alternate install CD" and was able to finish the installation succesfully using the command-line installer.

[troovis (tlhoward)]

I am also having the same problem with some older Dell Optiplex machines. I've tried re-burning the install discs at slow speed (on several different brands of media), swapped in another CD-ROM drive, and tried the alternate install, all to no avail. I have also run tests on the hard disk, and it is in fine shape. I get the same error message as in kidcharles' screen capture. My hard disk is also being displayed as a serial device, even though it is an IDE device on PATA.

[kidcharles (kidcharlemagne87)]

I have since used the same disk to install Hardy on a different machine and was successful with no errors. I even did a manual partitioning much like I described in the original bug report. The PATA drives were assigned /dev/sd* device names in that install but this does not seem to cause any problems. There appears to be a very specific cause for this bug, might be hard to track down.

[Robert Lorimor (robert-lorimor)]

I am having the same problem. Notice that Ubuntu Hardy sees my Seagate 160 as a SCSI drive ( sda ).

[Amorphous (amorphous)]

I'd like to register the fact that I too have the same problem. I'm running a Dell Optiplex & trying to install the i386 version.

I've found loads of prblems on the Dell Optiplex's (theres been 7 go through my 'lucky' fingers. I know there are issues with USB (with KVM's) & Grub (lilo works, and I think i remember grub2 working - but it means you have to get online to install a working install)

MD5 is good, have tried 2 CDrom's and 2 different 2G memory sticks.

All work on other machines.

have not tried other linux's.

this is a 32bit install on a 64bit machine.

if I can be useful in sorting this, let me know, but the optiplex will be installed later today, and i can't gain physical access afer that.

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Could you please attach /var/log/syslog and /var/log/partman to this bug, following the directions in http://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingUbiquity/AttachingLogs? Thanks in advance.

[Marsh (marshcast-googlemail)]

sorry Charlie - this bug was sent in 2008. I no longer have the machine :(

Take care,

M. :)

On 28 March 2010 18:28, Charlie Kravetz <email address hidden> wrote:

> Could you please attach /var/log/syslog and /var/log/partman to this
> bug, following the directions in
> http://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingUbiquity/AttachingLogs? Thanks in
> advance.
>
>
> ** Changed in: ubiquity (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> Unable to install Hardy Beta Desktop i386
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/205359
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “ubiquity” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> I was unable to install Hardy Heron Beta Desktop i386 (downloaded on
> 2008-03-22) on my physical machine. Four attempts were made:
>
> 1. Chose "Install" from the LiveCD boot menu (which bypasses the live
> session). I chose a "manual" partitioning. Windows 2000 is installed on the
> machine, as well as an earlier Ubuntu installation, using two partitions. I
> chose to leave the Windows partitions alone, format the partition previously
> mounted as /, and not format the partition mounted as '/home'. The
> installation progressed but part of the way through an error message popped
> up with the title "Failed to copy files; faulty CD/DVD or hard disk?" saying
> that the CD or hard drive has a problem. This is the text of the error:
>
> "The installer encountered an error copying files to the hard disk:
>
> [Errno 5] Input/output error
>
> This particular error is often due to a faulty CD/DVD disk or drive, or a
> faulty hard disk. It may help to clean the CD/DVD, to burn the CD/DVD at a
> lower speed, to clean the CD/DVD drive lens (cleaning kits are often
> available from electronics suppliers), to check whether the hard disk is old
> and in need of replacement, or to move the system to a cooler environment."
>
> (The spelling "Errno" is not my mistake, it is spelled that way in the
> error message.) The CD has been checked multiple times for errors and there
> is nothing known wrong with the hard drive or DVD drive (after failing to
> install Hardy, I was able to install Kubuntu 7.10 on the machine without
> errors). The install stops and drops to the live session desktop.
>
> 2. Booted into a Live session and double-clicked on the "Install" icon on
> the desktop. Same selections for partitioning as above. Curiously in the
> "Migrate Documents and Settings" step the Windows installation was not
> detected. The installation progressed past the input screens, but before
> finishing the progress bar indicator simply disappeared, dropping to the
> Live session desktop. A reboot of the computer shows that at the very least
> grub was not properly installed. What was probably the previous grub
> installation crashed with Error 15.
>
> 3. Tried again using same method as 2. but after going all the way through
> Step 7 of 7, clicking Next to start the install caused the installer to drop
> back to Step 4 of 7 for partitioning. Every time step 7 was reached and the
> install was begun, it immediately dropped back to step 4.
>
> 4. Same as in 3. but checked boxes to format both the...

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

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. Is anyone experiencing this issue since Ubuntu 8.04.1 was released? That would be approximately 2008-12-01. If you are experiencing this using a later image than 8.04 as originally released, please let us know by comment below.

Thanks in advance.

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

We are closing this bug report because it appears to have been fixed in the latest release of Ubuntu 8.04.1. Please reopen it if you can give us the missing information, and don't hesitate to submit bug reports in the future. To reopen the bug report you can click on the current status, under the Status column, and change the Status back to "New". Thanks again!