11 RC says can't install to bootable disk

[pkands]

When I try to install the 11RC (LIVE) to my sda4 partition I get a message saying that it can't be installed to a bootable disk. If I try to do it as ext3 I get a message saying that I can't install ext3 because the iso is ext4.
How do I install this?

[thecdn]

I have the same problem trying to install the kde rc on my sdb7 partition. A catch-22 situation of can't install ext4 to a boot partition, but have to install as ext4 because that is what the iso is and they have to be the same.

I too am looking for ideas to get around this.

[bennachie]

I wonder whether the problem that I have reported with mounting non-ext4 volumes while running under the LiveCD has a similar origin to the problems reported in this thread. An initial, and inexpert, conclusion might be that, for some reason, the LiveCD has shipped without the capacity to handle volumes in any format other than ext4.

The same problem seems to have arisen in both the Gnome and the KDE versions, so it's unlikely to be anything to do with the desktops themselves. Perhaps we can expect a rapid rebuild, and the early arrival of an RC2 set of images!

[muggins]

From what I understand, you need to create a separate boot partition with ext3, as grub does not yet support ext 4 in this release.

[Demz]

From what I understand, you need to create a separate boot partition with ext3, as grub does not yet support ext 4 in this release.
under my understanding. there is a patch for it

[bennachie]

One might be forgiven for wondering why the change in question was not applied in building the RC, given that the problem effectively prevents the system from being installed from a LiveCD (presumably the DVD works OK). Where can we find the relevant patch?

[Demz]

One might be forgiven for wondering why the change in question was not applied in building the RC, given that the problem effectively prevents the system from being installed from a LiveCD (presumably the DVD works OK). Where can we find the relevant patch?

they should have added the patch directly to grub.

i just booted the liveCD of the Preview, ( not Release candidate ) IMO i would wait for the RC or better yet wait for the final

Compose & Stage Release Candidate 2009-05-12

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Releases/11/Schedule

[bennachie]

That sounds like very good advice! I must admit that I originally thought the Preview was the Release Candidate, but you are, of course, correct. It's a bit hard for keen testers to give the system a thorough workout (as requested) when we can't actually install it ....

[Demz]

i did test out the LiveCD myself ( as i think i mentioned above ) im just annoyed i wasted my time at downloading it :( . infact i think the Beta is/was more stable release than the preview

[scotty38]

i did test out the LiveCD myself ( as i think i mentioned above ) im just annoyed i wasted my time at downloading it :( .

Yep, another CD here that's about to be filed in /bin!

[Demz]

at this rate i'll be using fedora12 Alpha when its released :)

[RahulSundaram]

Hi,

I think there is some confusion over the switch to Ext4. FAQ at

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Ext4_in_Fedora_11

[Demz]

that explains it.

Does GRUB support Ext4?

There is a patch (https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=486284) in Red Hat Bugzilla to handle this. It has not been merged into GRUB however for this release cycle due to lack of time for comprehensive testing and prioritization of other more important fixes. Since Fedora uses LVM by default and GRUB doesn't support it either, in practise, you will still need to continue using Ext3 filesystem for /boot partition. It is the recommended setup and that's how Anaconda sets it up by default. Anaconda will not let you format a /boot partition with Ext4 to prevent any issues.

Live CD/DVD installer sets up /boot as a seperate partition formatted as Ext3. If you do not prefer this behaviour, you can use the regular CD/DVD or network boot images

i thought the patch was already in grub?.. my mistake

[bennachie]

I read the FAQ some time ago, but had forgotten they included a pointer to the patch.

All would presumably be well if the behaviour explained in the FAQ (which seemed to have been implemented successfully with the Beta Live CD) had been replicated in the Preview. However, there are two serious problems with the most recent version, the one set out in this thread and the (possibly related) problems that I, and presumably others, have experienced in mounting non-ext4 volumes when running in LiveCD mode.

Your response doesn't address either of these problems.

[RahulSundaram]

Hi,

if there are new bugs, file them in http://bugzilla.redhat.com. A FAQ is not needed on that.

[leigh123linux]

Hi,

I think there is some confusion over the switch to Ext4. FAQ at

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Ext4_in_Fedora_11


Hi Rahul,

Will there be a Ext3 livecd as well as I'm not going to use Ext4 till it matures more and grub support is added for it .


Leigh

[RahulSundaram]

Hi

No plans for a alternative set of Live CD's. If you want to select packages during installation or pick a non-default filesystem, use the regular installation images rather than the live cd.

[Bogart]

Sorry, but this is a BUG, plain and simple. There is no need for alternate CDs, all that's needed is the bug fixed for final. Otherwise you simply can't install the live CD if you have one partition free.

And what the hell does it mean that the Live-CD is formatted as ext4, anyway? Rubbish.

So Fedora users, please file this bug as critical, since it prevents a normal install into one partition, no matter what filesystem you choose (and of course, it should allow you to choose ext3 if you want!).

[RahulSundaram]

Hi,

I wasn't replying to the original post but to a specific question about live cd's. Live CD's in all distributions do not allow selecting packages or choosing an alternative filesystem because they essentially dump the entire preformed image to the hard disk. This is just how things work. It is not rubbish at all. Take a moment to understand how things work before jumping at me.

For the actual problem, you need to verify and report it in http://bugzilla.redhat.com

[leigh123linux]

Sorry, but this is a BUG, plain and simple. There is no need for alternate CDs, all that's needed is the bug fixed for final. Otherwise you simply can't install the live CD if you have one partition free.

And what the hell does it mean that the Live-CD is formatted as ext4, anyway? Rubbish.

So Fedora users, please file this bug as critical, since it prevents a normal install into one partition, no matter what filesystem you choose (and of course, it should allow you to choose ext3 if you want!).

If you have a fast internet connection you could try the netinstall media as it allows you to choose filesystem type and packages for install.

[Bogart]

Rahul, sorry if I expressed myself incorrectly. I was just reading this thread and wanted to make clear that this IS a bug. A critical one. And things being said in the thread to justify it are excuses (and I was not referring to you especially).

The problem here has nothing to do with selecting packages either. It's simply about installing into one single partition. If you want to understand the problem, please get a live CD and try to install it into a single partition (/dev/sda2, etc...) You will see that it's not possible. No matter what filesytem you choose.

Not that it matters much here, but I doubt your understanding of how the LiveCD works is correct. Of course you can dump the contents into ANY filesystem supported by the kernel/installer. It has nothing to do with the filesystem used in the LiveCD itself (which I very much doubt it uses ext4 anyway, it might use SquashFS or whatever else, which is irrelevant in any case).

I'm not a Fedora user and I won't be able to follow this bug report, that's why I asked the Fedora users here to file themselves a report about it.

And again, sorry if i sounded rude to you. It wasn't my intention.

[Bogart]

Heh, I just tested the final release and it's also impossible to install it into one partition, be it ext3 or ext4. So it seems nobody cared to report it, or nobody cared to fix it.

Oh well...

[thecdn]

Heh, I just tested the final release and it's also impossible to install it into one partition, be it ext3 or ext4. So it seems nobody cared to report it, or nobody cared to fix it.

So after downloading it this morning I guess there is no need for me to waste my time burning the cd and trying to install it at home? That's great for a final version.

Thanks for the heads up.....

[GPIA7R]

Noticed this as well. Looks like I have to wait until I get home to just get the full 4gb version. Does it install properly, as opposed to the Live version?

[Bogart]

Quite sad, yes. But it's Fedora after all...

I did file a bug report this time:
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=504831

[scottro]

Well, now that it's released and in 10 minutes I've seen 3-4 threads about it, the best idea would probably be post a big notice near the Get Fedora link.

Whether it's legitimately a bug or not, the bottom line is that it happens in Fedora, and not in most LiveCDs, so that's an issue. :)

[Bogart]

Exactly. They should warn people beforehand: "Live CD will ONLY work if you have TWO SEPARATE PARTITIONS and if you want to use EXT4 as your filesystem. Otherwise use the DVD!".

Of course, they closed the bug saying: use the DVD.

Not that I expected something else, of course.

[scottro]

Well, it's the kind of thing that gets overlooked--it shouldn't of course, but sometimes, when you're so used to something, you don't realize how it will affect people.

I'll put up a sticky shortly, or better yet, request one of the admins to do an announcement. (I don't know if we CM's can do announcements.)