Thinkpads Forum

Posted: **Wed Apr 13, 2005 10:59 am**

I wonder if anyone has a solution to this problem. I'm trying to install Ubuntu 5.04 to a TP42 from a burned CD-R in the IBM Portable Drive Bay 2000 (with a DVD drive) attached via USB. (I'm doing this because I want to install Ubuntu on a hard disk in the ThinkPad's internal bay - that is, on the second HDD, so I can't use the internal optical drive to install it, because the second HDD occupies the bay. And no, it doesn't work to move the HDD into the main HDD compartment, install from the internal CD, and then move the HDD to the 2nd HDD tray - I've tried.)

The Ubuntu disk boots from the CD-R but then can't find itself for installation. 4.10 did not install from a USB CD-ROM, but 5.04 is supposed to. The only thread I saw about this was from someone who says that he found that his CD-burner was at fault. I burned CDs on two different Plextor burners, and had the same problem.

The installer prompts you to find a device to load manually, but I can't find anything in /dev that seems to work.

Is this likely to a problem with the burned disk or with the Portable Drive Bay 2000/DVD combination? Any advice gratefully received.

Posted: **Wed Apr 20, 2005 4:59 pm**

Well, to answer my own question:

Apparently Ubuntu can't install to a T42 from a CD-R in the USB-attached Portable Drive Bay 2000, but it can install to the T42 from a CD-R in an ordinary USB CD or DVD drive. I bought a USB drive enclosure, put in a DVD drive that I had sitting around, and installed Ubuntu 5.04 on the second HDD of a T42 with no trouble at all.

Posted: **Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:20 am**

How does the Ubuntu work for you? I´ve used Fedora Core 2 on T22. Do you have any experience with that distro?

Posted: **Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:50 am**

Full report later on. Fedora doesn't include drivers for the IBM/Atheros wireless in my TP42, and is slow and sluggish (I tried Core 3). Ubuntu recognizes all the hardware and is quick. It also supports hibernation, suspend, etc.

Potential problem: The first version of Ubuntu worked perfectly with wireless networks and this machine(see an earlier post of mine); the new one, 5.04 is having some trouble switching wireless networks, and the jury is still out. More later...

Posted: **Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:57 am**

I´m moving on to a T41p. Will Ubuntu recognize the FireGL (ie support ATIs drivers)?

Posted: **Thu Apr 21, 2005 10:58 am**

No idea about the video drivers, I'm sorry to say. And I've now got wireless working perfectly; full report maybe tomorrow.

Thinkpads Forum

Install Ubuntu 5.04 from USB CD-ROM?

Install Ubuntu 5.04 from USB CD-ROM?