So I did something wrong

[TheStu]

I decided to give Ubuntu 8.10 a whirl last night and went about installing it.

I have 3 hard drives, in this order
250GB SATA (2 partitions, 50GB for Windows and the rest for whatever)
160GB SATA (1 partition, all whatever)
500GB SATA (1 partition, all whatever)

I decided to install it to my 500GB drive, which was convenient cuz that was what the installer chose for me. I decided to give Ubuntu a 20GB partition on the drive (which is formatted NTFS) and so after dragging the little slider thingy, i clicked next and sat patiently while it installed. It did not error at any point.

It told me to eject the LiveCD and then reboot, which I did, and it fired up Windows... which is ok. I restarted, and Windows launched again. I thought there was supposed to be a bootloader of some kind. So, I set my 500GB drive as the main boot volume... no joy. I unplugged my other 2 drives, no joy.

So, I plug them back in and fire up Windows, another failed attempt for me to like Linux. I decide to watch a movie that I have on my 500GB... except the drive isn't in My Computer. I turn to Disk Management and it tells me that it is a GPT Protective Partition. 'Great' I think, not only do I not install linux, it took my 500GB drive into the crapper with it.

So here I am, unable to boot Linux and unable to access my 500GB drive, at least with Windows.

So... I do not care one whit about being able to run Ubuntu on my system. I wanted to check it, and it's useless OpenGL effects out (lighting windows on fire FTW), but it is not that important to me. My desktop is a secondary machine at best. I use my MacBook as my primary system, and only store media and data on my desktop for retrieval from my MacBook. Oh, and game on the desktop.

So, if we can find a way to get Ubuntu booting happily, I'll be content, but what is most important is getting me access to my 500GB drive in Windows, or at least the 430 or GB that are left NTFS.

 

[TheStu]

*Update*
I have gotten Ubuntu to boot. I reinstalled Grub (I guess?) and that seemed to fix the whole booting issue. But I am too tired to test if Windows can see the 500GB... besides, Ubuntu is downloading 131 updates.

Oh, and installing VLC on this thing was a true pain in the ass.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: TheStu
*Update*
I have gotten Ubuntu to boot. I reinstalled Grub (I guess?) and that seemed to fix the whole booting issue. But I am too tired to test if Windows can see the 500GB... besides, Ubuntu is downloading 131 updates.

Oh, and installing VLC on this thing was a true pain in the ass.

vlc was a pain? how so?

if theres a ntfs/fat partition still on the 500gb drive it should see that. if you go under computer management and look at the storage devices it should be there, even if its not listed under "my computer" as it will see the drive but not recognize the partition if you used a linux native filesystem like EXT3 or XFS

 

[Nothinman]

I turn to Disk Management and it tells me that it is a GPT Protective Partition.

Do you know if that drive was using a GPT instead of a BIOS partition table before you installed Linux?

Oh, and installing VLC on this thing was a true pain in the ass.

VLC should be listed in whatever they call the Add/Remove software control panel, how is clicking "Mark for Installation" then apply a PITA?

 

[TheStu]

Do you know if that drive was using a GPT instead of a BIOS partition table before you installed Linux?

The 500GB drive was visible and readable/writable under Windows before I partitioned it using GParted.

VLC should be listed in whatever they call the Add/Remove software control panel, how is clicking "Mark for Installation" then apply a PITA?

VLC was a pain in the ass because it wasn't in the Add/Remove Software panel, and I had to add it to the Synaptics Package Manager. I tried using apt-get in Terminal after I saw that it wasn't in Add/Remove Software, but I either mistyped it, twice, or was just plain doing it wrong.

Wobbly Windows are cool, but my window chrome seems to disappear or become screwed up from time to time. This is on the desktop in my sig, and I am running the nVidia drivers that it recommended for me.

All in all, it does not seem to be the anti-christ, just orangish brown. Going to look for a blue-ish gray colored theme

 

[Nothinman]

The 500GB drive was visible and readable/writable under Windows before I partitioned it using GParted.

Off the top of my head I can't say which versions of Windows support GPT but I know some do so the fact that it worked might not say anything about the type of partition table.

VLC was a pain in the ass because it wasn't in the Add/Remove Software panel, and I had to add it to the Synaptics Package Manager. I tried using apt-get in Terminal after I saw that it wasn't in Add/Remove Software, but I either mistyped it, twice, or was just plain doing it wrong.

I was actually thinking about synaptics, I don't use the Ubuntu desktop so I didn't know they had a separate Add/Remote software panel. I though it just launched synaptics heh.

All in all, it does not seem to be the anti-christ, just orangish brown. Going to look for a blue-ish gray colored theme

Yea, I'm not sure why they're all about the brown.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

The 500GB drive was visible and readable/writable under Windows before I partitioned it using GParted.

Off the top of my head I can't say which versions of Windows support GPT but I know some do so the fact that it worked might not say anything about the type of partition table.

VLC was a pain in the ass because it wasn't in the Add/Remove Software panel, and I had to add it to the Synaptics Package Manager. I tried using apt-get in Terminal after I saw that it wasn't in Add/Remove Software, but I either mistyped it, twice, or was just plain doing it wrong.

I was actually thinking about synaptics, I don't use the Ubuntu desktop so I didn't know they had a separate Add/Remote software panel. I though it just launched synaptics heh.

All in all, it does not seem to be the anti-christ, just orangish brown. Going to look for a blue-ish gray colored theme

Yea, I'm not sure why they're all about the brown.

Well, after I fixed Grub and booted into Windows, I still do not have access to my Videos drive (the 500GB) but it no longer says GPT, now it just says healthy drive... but I don't want to mess with anything out of fear of deleting all my files, which are visible in Ubuntu, once I mount the drive.

So, here is where we are now.

Windows will boot, and is just fine, but I do not have access to my 500GB drive
Linux will boot and is just fine aside from some slowness and graphical glitches, and I do have access to my 500GB drive.

There are 2 Windows XP Pro entries in my GRUB, the first one doesn't boot, the second one does. How can I remove, or rename the first one?

Is there a way to access my shared iTunes library from my macbook?

How is flash performance under Linux? I use my desktop for storage, Hulu, Netflix, and games primarily.

Where do I go to find more themes for Ubuntu, I want rid of the brown.

 

[Nothinman]

Well, after I fixed Grub and booted into Windows, I still do not have access to my Videos drive (the 500GB) but it no longer says GPT, now it just says healthy drive... but I don't want to mess with anything out of fear of deleting all my files, which are visible in Ubuntu, once I mount the drive.

Since it says it's fine now did you try mapping a letter to it?

There are 2 Windows XP Pro entries in my GRUB, the first one doesn't boot, the second one does. How can I remove, or rename the first one?

Edit /boot/grub/menu.lst in Linux. At the bottom of the file will be all of the entries.

Is there a way to access my shared iTunes library from my macbook?

I think rhythmbox should see them fine, have you tried it?

How is flash performance under Linux? I use my desktop for storage, Hulu, Netflix, and games primarily.

Supposedly it's a lot better with 10 but I don't think it's on par with the Windows port yet.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

VLC was a pain in the ass because it wasn't in the Add/Remove Software panel, and I had to add it to the Synaptics Package Manager. I tried using apt-get in Terminal after I saw that it wasn't in Add/Remove Software, but I either mistyped it, twice, or was just plain doing it wrong.

I was actually thinking about synaptics, I don't use the Ubuntu desktop so I didn't know they had a separate Add/Remote software panel. I though it just launched synaptics heh.

the add/remove panel doesnt have all the available packages like synaptics does. i usually use aptitude, but i think the add/remove doesnt show library packages and other odds and ends that would confuse a casual user

he probably didnt have the "all available applications" selected. that accesses all the repos, i think the default is just "supported applications"

hard for me to remember, the first thing i do is select "all available applications" to enable all the repos, then i just use aptitude *shrug*

Originally posted by: TheStu

Is there a way to access my shared iTunes library from my macbook?

point rhythmbox to the shared directory and it should scan everything. to do this go to
music > import folder
and select the share

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: Nothinman

VLC was a pain in the ass because it wasn't in the Add/Remove Software panel, and I had to add it to the Synaptics Package Manager. I tried using apt-get in Terminal after I saw that it wasn't in Add/Remove Software, but I either mistyped it, twice, or was just plain doing it wrong.

I was actually thinking about synaptics, I don't use the Ubuntu desktop so I didn't know they had a separate Add/Remote software panel. I though it just launched synaptics heh.

the add/remove panel doesnt have all the available packages like synaptics does. i usually use aptitude, but i think the add/remove doesnt show library packages and other odds and ends that would confuse a casual user

he probably didnt have the "all available applications" selected. that accesses all the repos, i think the default is just "supported applications"

hard for me to remember, the first thing i do is select "all available applications" to enable all the repos, then i just use aptitude *shrug*

Originally posted by: TheStu

Is there a way to access my shared iTunes library from my macbook?

point rhythmbox to the shared directory and it should scan everything. to do this go to
music > import folder
and select the share

Well, I followed the instructions on VLC's website to add more stuff to Synaptics. Once I did that, and refreshed 3 times, VLC showed up. I guess I am just more used to Windows or OS X where you go to the website, download a file, and it installs. That method seems easier to me than refreshing a package list to find a file, and then installing it once/if you find it. I could get used to this method, I am just not yet.

I have not tried Rhythmbox yet, as i just got everything up and running.

I will try assigning a letter to the drive in Windows... hopefully that will work. It is seeing the partition, but is not seeing the free space correctly.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: TheStu
Well, I followed the instructions on VLC's website to add more stuff to Synaptics. Once I did that, and refreshed 3 times, VLC showed up. I guess I am just more used to Windows or OS X where you go to the website, download a file, and it installs. That method seems easier to me than refreshing a package list to find a file, and then installing it once/if you find it. I could get used to this method, I am just not yet.

I have not tried Rhythmbox yet, as i just got everything up and running.

I will try assigning a letter to the drive in Windows... hopefully that will work. It is seeing the partition, but is not seeing the free space correctly.

The nice thing about synaptic is you don't have to go to a website to get anything. Just typing:

sudo apt-get install vlc

would have done it for you. Or, once you have enabled the universe and multiverse repos, just open synaptic and search for vlc.

And later, you can just type:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

and synaptic will search for updates to every single piece of software on your system and update it. It sure beats going to 100 websites to download 100 updates and applying them all.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: TheStu
Well, I followed the instructions on VLC's website to add more stuff to Synaptics. Once I did that, and refreshed 3 times, VLC showed up. I guess I am just more used to Windows or OS X where you go to the website, download a file, and it installs. That method seems easier to me than refreshing a package list to find a file, and then installing it once/if you find it. I could get used to this method, I am just not yet.

I have not tried Rhythmbox yet, as i just got everything up and running.

I will try assigning a letter to the drive in Windows... hopefully that will work. It is seeing the partition, but is not seeing the free space correctly.

The nice thing about synaptic is you don't have to go to a website to get anything. Just typing:

sudo apt-get install vlc

would have done it for you. Or, once you have enabled the universe and multiverse repos, just open synaptic and search for vlc.

And later, you can just type:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

and synaptic will search for updates to every single piece of software on your system and update it. It sure beats going to 100 websites to download 100 updates and applying them all.

I tried apt-get, but must have done something wrong. Bear in mind that I am primarily coming from OS X, where one does not need to go to 100 websites to get 100 updates. Apple made software is updated via Software Update, most 3rd party apps use Sparkle, which is an updating system that when you launch the application it will ping a server and let it know if there is an update. A window pops up "A new update is available fo Adium (for example)" "Install, Remind Later, Ignore" If you hit install, the window changes into a progress bar, once the download is finished, you just hit Install and Relaunch. Takes all of 30 seconds.

For those applications that do not have Sparkle, I have an app called AppFresh that will search through every app on my system, determine if they need updates, and if yes, will automatically download them.

So, VLC was a pain in the ass as compared to the other 2 OSes that I primarily use, Windows and OS X. And I think it could be considered a slight pain in the ass as compared to how it could have worked had everything already been set up. So, unfamiliarity, in addition to the annoyance of my 500GB drive not working correctly, and my tiredness all exacorbated the situation. I prefer to not have to much about in Terminal anymore than I have to, call me a Luddite, but I think that it is the 21st century and therefore I shouldn't need to use a CLI to install a media player.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: TheStu

I tried apt-get, but must have done something wrong. Bear in mind that I am primarily coming from OS X, where one does not need to go to 100 websites to get 100 updates. Apple made software is updated via Software Update, most 3rd party apps use Sparkle, which is an updating system that when you launch the application it will ping a server and let it know if there is an update. A window pops up "A new update is available fo Adium (for example)" "Install, Remind Later, Ignore" If you hit install, the window changes into a progress bar, once the download is finished, you just hit Install and Relaunch. Takes all of 30 seconds.

For those applications that do not have Sparkle, I have an app called AppFresh that will search through every app on my system, determine if they need updates, and if yes, will automatically download them.

So, VLC was a pain in the ass as compared to the other 2 OSes that I primarily use, Windows and OS X. And I think it could be considered a slight pain in the ass as compared to how it could have worked had everything already been set up. So, unfamiliarity, in addition to the annoyance of my 500GB drive not working correctly, and my tiredness all exacorbated the situation. I prefer to not have to much about in Terminal anymore than I have to, call me a Luddite, but I think that it is the 21st century and therefore I shouldn't need to use a CLI to install a media player.

I'm using OSX right now and while I love it, apt-get is one of the main things I miss. Well, that, and the free software. Oh how I miss the days where I didn't have to deal with trialware

I know about the OSX updates, but I find it less convenient. When I open a program I want to use it, not wait for it to download an update, unpack, and reinstall it. I know it only takes a few minutes, but it's just easier to initiate an update once a week that will get everything.

And you don't need to use a CLI to install software. As mentioned, synaptic will do it all for you. It's just that the CLI is easier and faster.

Even in the 21st century, I still managed to install wget in OSX and use that for my large downloads

 

[Nothinman]

I tried apt-get, but must have done something wrong.

They all use the same back-end so it probably didn't work because you didn't have universe and multiverse enabled, once you did that in synaptic (or by putting them in /etc/apt/sources.list manually) you could've installed it with any of them.

Apple made software is updated via Software Update, most 3rd party apps use Sparkle, which is an updating system that when you launch the application it will ping a server and let it know if there is an update. A window pops up "A new update is available fo Adium (for example)" "Install, Remind Later, Ignore" If you hit install, the window changes into a progress bar, once the download is finished, you just hit Install and Relaunch. Takes all of 30 seconds.

Which is how apt works except that it covers everything that you installed with it. Ubuntu ships with a notifier thing that will popup on the top bar when there's updates available. I think the only things that I have installed here not via apt are VMware and a few closed source games. Everything else is OSS and packaged in Debian alrady.

For those applications that do not have Sparkle, I have an app called AppFresh that will search through every app on my system, determine if they need updates, and if yes, will automatically download them.

So in OS X you have 3 methods to do the same thing while in Ubuntu you've got one. Well or two if you count manually checking non-packaged apps but if you stick to packaged software you can avoid that.

And I think it could be considered a slight pain in the ass as compared to how it could have worked had everything already been set up

Yes but it's legally questionable software because some of the codecs are covered by patents that Ubuntu doesn't have licenses for. The VLC people even mention in their FAQ that it's your responsibility to make sure you have licenses for things like MPEG to use their software legally.

 

[TheStu]

They all use the same back-end so it probably didn't work because you didn't have universe and multiverse enabled, once you did that in synaptic (or by putting them in /etc/apt/sources.list manually) you could've installed it with any of them.

Well then that was probably the problem then

Which is how apt works except that it covers everything that you installed with it. Ubuntu ships with a notifier thing that will popup on the top bar when there's updates available. I think the only things that I have installed here not via apt are VMware and a few closed source games. Everything else is OSS and packaged in Debian alrady.

That's pretty nifty, if I start using it some more I might come across that.

So in OS X you have 3 methods to do the same thing while in Ubuntu you've got one. Well or two if you count manually checking non-packaged apps but if you stick to packaged software you can avoid that.

It is 2 or 3 methods much as Ubuntu is 1 or 2. The un-Sparkle apps are fewer and far between, and I could use Appfresh for the Sparkle apps as well. But I do see your point. The automatic pop-up is useful though, and it would be nice if AppFresh had something like that, a MenuBar item maybe that would be 'constantly' scanning, where constantly is every day or something and then alert you when apps are out of date.

Yes but it's legally questionable software because some of the codecs are covered by patents that Ubuntu doesn't have licenses for. The VLC people even mention in their FAQ that it's your responsibility to make sure you have licenses for things like MPEG to use their software legally.

I understand why it was not included by default, just that if I was a person that was just trying out linux for the first time, and I want to get the apps that I am familiar with (VLC for example) then I would do what I am used to, which is go to the website, download the file, and install it. To then be told that I need to fire up something in the Administration folder (or whatever it is called, I am at work right now) and then fiddle with its preferences to get it makes it a pain in the ass. Like I said, as someone that is used to doing things a certain way, it is a bit of a mindshift to do it the Linux way.

Not that there is anything wrong with the mindshift, i had to do the same thing when I switched to OS X.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: TheStu
I understand why it was not included by default, just that if I was a person that was just trying out linux for the first time, and I want to get the apps that I am familiar with (VLC for example) then I would do what I am used to, which is go to the website, download the file, and install it. To then be told that I need to fire up something in the Administration folder (or whatever it is called, I am at work right now) and then fiddle with its preferences to get it makes it a pain in the ass. Like I said, as someone that is used to doing things a certain way, it is a bit of a mindshift to do it the Linux way.

Not that there is anything wrong with the mindshift, i had to do the same thing when I switched to OS X.

That's the main pet peeve of linux users when they are introducing linux to a new user. It seems that the new user's complaints come not from linux being bad, but just from it being different. While using apt/synaptic has a small amount of configuring to start off with, once you get it set up, it's a dream to use.

 

[TheStu]

OK, so I cannot assign a drive letter to my 500GB in Windows. Will uninstalling Ubuntu fix this problem? Is there a way to fix the problem via Ubuntu?

 

[Nothinman]

What happens when you try to assign a drive letter to it in Windows? If Ubuntu can mount it then you know the data's there and you just need to figure out what's confusing Windows.

 

[eternalone]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: TheStu
I understand why it was not included by default, just that if I was a person that was just trying out linux for the first time, and I want to get the apps that I am familiar with (VLC for example) then I would do what I am used to, which is go to the website, download the file, and install it. To then be told that I need to fire up something in the Administration folder (or whatever it is called, I am at work right now) and then fiddle with its preferences to get it makes it a pain in the ass. Like I said, as someone that is used to doing things a certain way, it is a bit of a mindshift to do it the Linux way.

Not that there is anything wrong with the mindshift, i had to do the same thing when I switched to OS X.

That's the main pet peeve of linux users when they are introducing linux to a new user. It seems that the new user's complaints come not from linux being bad, but just from it being different. While using apt/synaptic has a small amount of configuring to start off with, once you get it set up, it's a dream to use.

I agree Im a linux noob but ubuntu is just awesome although sound issues seem to be the weakness in ubuntu at least.

 

[Nothinman]

I agree Im a linux noob but ubuntu is just awesome although sound issues seem to be the weakness in ubuntu at least.

Sound is a murkey area in Linux, I thought it was getting better with the conversion to ALSA and the phasing out of OSS but now distributions are starting to ship userland sound daemons again (PulseAudio usually) and I have no idea why.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

I agree Im a linux noob but ubuntu is just awesome although sound issues seem to be the weakness in ubuntu at least.

Sound is a murkey area in Linux, I thought it was getting better with the conversion to ALSA and the phasing out of OSS but now distributions are starting to ship userland sound daemons again (PulseAudio usually) and I have no idea why.

Sound is kind of finiky. With Hardy, I had to set the Pulse driver to ALSA to get Flash and normal audio working together. With Intrepid, both work together with the default settings.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
What happens when you try to assign a drive letter to it in Windows? If Ubuntu can mount it then you know the data's there and you just need to figure out what's confusing Windows.

When I go into Disk Management in Windows, the drive is there, it says it is Healthy and Active, but it does not properly see the partitioning. On top of that, I cannot assign a drive letter to it. Meaning that every option except 'Help' is grayed out.

Honestly, is there something I need to do in Ubuntu to fix this issue? Would uninstalling Ubuntu and then reinstalling fix this?

I realize that the drive must be ok since Ubuntu can see all the files, but I cannot currently watch my 720p MKVs in Ubuntu (too much tearing of the image) so I would like to get the drive working under Windows (which I guess is where the problem is).

 

[Nothinman]

When I go into Disk Management in Windows, the drive is there, it says it is Healthy and Active, but it does not properly see the partitioning. On top of that, I cannot assign a drive letter to it. Meaning that every option except 'Help' is grayed out.

That's really weird, I've never seen it do that.

Honestly, is there something I need to do in Ubuntu to fix this issue? Would uninstalling Ubuntu and then reinstalling fix this?

Doubtful, whatever happened to the partition table is already done.

Can you post the output of '/sbin/fdisk -l' from Ubuntu?

 

[TheStu]

I will when i get back to my computer.

I tried running partitionmagic 8, but it didn't seem to make any difference.

*UPDATE*
I lied, PartitionMagic appears to have broken Ubuntu. I will try to run that command via the LiveCD, and now the disk is no longer visible under either OS. My only recourse remaining is to try and see if Diskwarrior can access the disk if I also have NTFS-3G installed on my MacBook.

Otherwise, I have to start to rebuild my Video library... again.

 

[Nothinman]

You probably shouldn't have tried PM8, it's ancient at this point and probably has no idea what happened to your partition table.