Server Install Issue

[Russbyers]

I have run into an issue on the initial install of Ubuntu Server. midway through the set up I was asked to provide the disk driver. The HD is a WD green 1TB SATA I looked online for the board drivers, downloaded them to a disk. The choices did not show anything for a WD drive. Not sure what to do next.
When I loaded the driver disk I got what appeared to be a command line. I tried several combinations of extracting the install but couldn't make it work. Any ideas?

[Ian]

Hmm, something doesn't sound right here sir but I'm not sure where to start to be honest. I use a WD green as my OS drive, I've never been asked to supply drivers and the installation has been plain sailing every time.

Is the drive recognised correctly in the BIOS? How are you connecting the drive to your motherboard, with a SATA cable or some adapter? Are you trying to install Ubuntu on something other than the WD drive?

What version of Ubuntu are you trying to install? Is this a plain vanilla install or do you have some funky setup? Do you have any jumpers plugged in on the drive?

Confusing

Ian.

[Russbyers]

The bios does not recognize the HD I assumed that the drivers would be loadable from that prompt.
After closer review of the steps I have taken looks like I will need to build a chipset driver disk for the VIA chip to load at that point instead of the manufactures driver disk.

I gathered this from another site that was giving info on loading XP onto a SATA. I will try this and see if that works.

Sorry, still learning.

[Ian]

We're all still learning Russ

Glad to see you seem to have made progress, or at least have a plan of attack. I presume you've checked if there is a later version of the BIOS available? Are you using a really old motherboard (by "really old" I mean a few years old!).

Ian.

[Russbyers]

The MB is probably 3+ yrs old funny how that dosent seem like much but then Vista was cool...LOL

[LarryJB]

The MB is probably 3+ yrs old funny how that doesn't seem like much but then Vista was cool...LOL

I have installed ubuntu onto a computer with a 5+ yo motherboard and that same drive without issues. However, the bios did recognize it, and everything went smooth. It seems to me that the root of your problems is with the bios not seeing the HD. You get that resolved, and I'd bet you will have no more issues with it. Does the motherboard have sata ports or do you have a sata controller card?

[Russbyers]

It has SATA ports built in. but I do have a SATA card that I can install.
I will try that and let you know. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Russbyers]

Success, I have managed to resolve the hardware issue I was having. Seems that I had a bad hard drive and an issue with a modular power cord.
Install went relatively smoth. Not certain about some of the choices I made while installing but it is functioning.

[Ian]

Well done Russ.

Can you recall some of the choices you made and were unsure about? Maybe we can explain them to help decide whether they were correct or not.

Ian.

[Russbyers]

First I made an amateur mistake. The BIOS wouldn't recognize the Hard drive. Proceeding before you make that connection will result in failure every time. I decided to recheck my electrical connections because two of my case fans had quit working. I discovered that a portion of my power supply was not working at all. The plug in tester had all green lights so I had proceeded to assemble the rig. As noted before I had issues with a new WD HD so I had made several configuration changes to the modular power unit assuming it was working properly. I had to experiment with the 8 Pin ATX connector on the board because my power supply did not have one. Oddly enough one of the connectors. A 4 or 6 pin with a 6 pin module connection would start the board but kept failing a memory test that I routinely run after setting the BIOS. So I checked the amperage and discovered that even though I could start the board I couldn't draw enough amps to read the twin 2gb DDR2 modules on the board. Thought at first I had bad a memory module. I simply removed one, then the other to reboot and discovered that either one was recognized. This got me wondering if there was a voltage problem. A volt/amp meter check of the power supply cables revealed the problem. After replacing it with a new one everything went smoothly. I later discovered that the removable module cable was the entire problem. Power supply was fine. Just a process of elimination. Half the fun is getting there!