Baslinux mailing list

[James Miller <jamtat AT mailsnare.net>]

On Mon, 18 Oct 2004, Mr Christopher Rose wrote:

> Here is what the problem is:
>
> I have tried running fdisk /dev/hda and I keep trying
> to set up the partition. Then I run mke2fs /dev/hda.
> It tells me that I setting up the whole device and not
> just a partition. I select to continue anyway.
>
> The problems comes when I run install-to-hd. I get the
> error message that it cannot find an ext2 filesystem
> on hd. How do I correct/overcome this dilemma?

/dev/hda is the block device.  You need to install to a partition on the
block device--to /dev/hda1 (primary partitions are numbered 1-4, logical
partition 5 and up)--not to the block device itself.  So, after creating
the partition on /dev/hda using fdisk, you should be running "mke2fs
/dev/hda1" (or something very similar, depending on your partition
scheme).  You then mount /dev/hda1 under /hd and the install should
proceed fine.  So, the problem seems to be you're leaving out the
necessary partition number.  This all assumes that you have a single
primary partition on the hard drive, or, if you have more than one (maybe
you have a swap partition?) that target partition is the first primary.

James