Score:2

Ubuntu

Ubuntu install freezes, maybe due to raid0 / hidden partition

Amadeus

11/7/23, 7:48 AM

Disclaimer: Im not much of a techie, and this is my first attempt at installing ubuntu.

That said, im trying to revive an old asus u500v (which has 2x120 gb SSD's in raid0) by installing ubuntu on it, however the install freezes shortly after the final step of the ubuntu 22.04 desktop installer.

My steps: When i ran the installer the first time, i found a hidden partition of 17gb (called RAID0RST (stripe)). Never having known of its existence and ignorant as i was, i figured that would be a great place to install ubuntu and went ahead with the installation. The installation went great, but when i rebooted the laptop it kept booting into the preexisting windows 10 OS. I know now that the 17gb partition was an asus system restore partition.

I then went ahead and tried to install ubuntu on the 222 gb partition (named RAID0SYS (stripe)), but the installation ran to ~25% and then froze. I tried multiple times, same thing happened.

[Edit] Running the installer again it froze during the process of: "Creating ext4 file system for / in partition #2 of serial ATA raid isw_cecegdebb_RAIDSYS (stripe)". I then rebooted and tried again, and an error message pop'ed up during the install-setup: "The attempt to mount a file-system with type vfat in serial ATA raid isw_cecegdebb_RAID0RST1 (partition #1) at /boot/efi failed"

Disc arrangements: 17 gb partition 222 gb partition

Do you have any ideas as to why i cant install it on the 222gb partition, and maybe some steps i could try?

Alternatively, as ive already ruined the restore partition, do you think its possible to remove this partition and thus be able to install ubuntu on the full 240 gb?

[Edit:] Attempting to remove the partitions using GParted as described by @HomerSimpson, i ran into uncharted territory: Gparted Looking at the attached image, how do i remove the hidden partition?

Please let me know if you need further information.

[OP edited to include some messages and image of gparted partitions]

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1 + 3

partitioning

raid

freeze

system-installation

HomerSimpson

11/7/23, 8:49 AM

You can boot from the usb-device and click on 'try Ubuntu'. From there you can partition your SSD's with 'GParted'. Did you verify the checksum of the ISO? And of the 'burned' usb device? If you keep running into problems, why don't you try installing it without a RAID configuration? E.g. with 1 disk for' /' ( root ), the system drive, and the other for '/home', your documents, music etc.

Amadeus

11/7/23, 8:35 PM

Thank you for your reply @HomerSimpson, the checksums checks out. I have edited the OP to include an image of the GParted window following your instructions. Do you know how i specically remove the partitions to combine them into one? And yes, im strongly considering just removing the raid as you suggested, do you know if i can just remove such raid through bios? In BIOS under [advanced] i can find a section called [Sata mode selection] which is set to RAID, and i can change it into either IDE or AHCI, but as ive never touched RAID setups before im a bit cautious touching it.

HomerSimpson

11/8/23, 9:26 PM

Sorry, forgot to welcome you to AskUbuntu. Please see my answer.

Score:1

Ubuntu

HomerSimpson

11/8/23, 9:24 PM

I think the safest thing to do is: boot from the usb -->choose 'try Ubuntu' -->in GParted delete the partitions. Then boot again and change the setting to AHCI in the UEFI ( BIOS ) -->safe these settings -->boot usb device, 'try Ubuntu'. Make sure all your hardware works.

(Maybe it will work if you change the settings in the UEFI directly, but the way described above works, without guessing. Takes only 1 boot more.)

In GParted just right click on a partition and choose delete. Repeat that for all the partitions. You will be left with unallocated space.

Now you are ready to install Ubuntu. During installation, when asked HOW you want to install you need to choose other/I will make my own partitions or something that means the same. NOT automatic, as this will install the system and your home folders on the same disk. And we want to avoid that.

You need to make:
1 a /boot partition. This will be called EFI. Here lifes your bootloader called Grub2. Format FAT32.
2 a / partition. This is the root partition. Here will your Ubuntu be installed. Format EXT4
3 And create your /home partition on the other disk. Format EXT4.

Let Ubuntu use a SWAP-file is the modern way to go. Its advantage over using a SWAP partition is that, if not in use, it won't occupy any disk space. A SWAP partition always uses diskspace.

Hope this helps you, and if it does please consider accepting it, so other users can see the question is resolved.

+ 6

Amadeus

11/10/23, 8:35 PM

Thank you Homer, I tried the following: First removed all partitions, so now the 17gb and 222 gb showed 100% unallocated. I then changed BIOS settings from RAID to AHCI. I then tried installing Ubuntu, however when selecting "other/i will make my own partitions", i could still only select either the 17gb or 222 gb - i was expecting to see 2x120gb? I then quit the installation and checked GParted, and there i can see that both the /dev/sda and /dev/sdb has a filesystem of ataraid and a mount point of /dev/mapper/isw_cegegdebb_RAID0, could this be the issue, or how do i get 2x120gb to show?

HomerSimpson

11/13/23, 4:16 PM

After making the changes in GParted did you hit the apply button? As it seems to that there were no changes made to the disk.

Amadeus

12/1/23, 9:54 AM

I finally had some time to get back to this. Yes, the changes was applied, but to no apparent effect. I guess some "deeper" raid setting must be in play. As i am out of ideas, im considering just buying a new ssd. Regarding the partitions i am to create, could you elaborate on the sizes and type of partition? On the web i can see that /boot should be ~512 mb, but what about the others, and should they be logical or primary?

Amadeus

12/1/23, 9:56 AM

And i have accepted your elaborate answer, as it helped me a ton in this new field. Thank you!

HomerSimpson

12/1/23, 4:46 PM

Partition the drive when installing, as Ubuntu can only install to unallocated space. I think double the minimum space required ( 25 GB ), so 50 GB for '/' should do it. You can use the rest of the space for '/Home'. In the end it is all up to you. You can take a look at https://linuxconfig.org/ubuntu-22-04-minimum-requirements. For what it is worth; You install an OS on a primary partition. ( Ubuntu will make it during install! Don't worry about that. )

Joepie Es

12/1/23, 5:14 PM

I think you can erase the metadata for RAID with 'sudo dmraid -E -r /dev/sda1' and 'sudo dmraid -E -r /dev/sda2'. Check out https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1381608&p=8669890#post8669890 also.

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