I am trying to install Ubuntu (DVD 6.10) onto a USB drive 'sdb'.

I am given the instruction 'I must mount one partition on the root file system "/"

I try to proceed but any alternative I try I get the error " No Root file System " What is Gparted trying to tell me? How do I proceed?

The automatic format was not clear and I do not wish to loose the existing ntfs data part, so I had to use Partition Magic to set up the above partitions. I then had to choose the 'manual' option in gparted during the Ubuntu install procedure.

I cannot get past this page;-

sdb1 is ntds data so I insert the mount point "/dev/sdb1" (blank is not accepted so this is a guess)

sdb3 is a primary partition for mount point /
sdb4 is a primary partition for /home
sdb5 is a logical partirion for /swap

Is this OK? how do I get over the error and install? Some help would be most appreciated.

I think that you need to tell gparted that your / file system is located on sdb3.

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Steve Stites

Yes, of course, I did show that in the table as above :-

" sdb3 is a primary partition for mount point / "

and I have tried that every conceivable alternative but the program does not accept it and replies with the error. Anyway you agree that it is correct use of '/' and I have the correct partition, is 'primary' correct? What more does it want?

It seems it does not like preformed partitions or 'manual' option is bugged. Would I have any success if I wiped all the additional partitions off and risked that it would not install on top of my data?

Still struggling..

" sdb3 is a primary partition for mount point / "

Update.

Ubuntu installation (GpartEd) kept telling me I needed a root partition and could not see there was one there, and would not make one for me. I got eventual success by deleting the new partitions (P/Magic outside of Linux) so providing unallocated space (in the same areas as the previous partitions) and then GpartED understood the unallocated partitions, got moving and it installed.

Now I have to research how to boot up onto the USB external drive that contains my new installation without messing up my internal drive with working OS). (The Bios settings are OK but the bootfile or bootsector obviously isn't.)